Q: Can I use bar soap to wash my face instead of facial cleanser?
A: Using a bar soap is not recommended for healthy facial skin.
Bar soap has a pH of between 9 and 10, which is too alkaline for our skin. Normal adult skin has a slight acidic pH of between 5.4 – 5.9.
The pH level of our skin is very important as our skin’s health is directly linked to the balance between acidity and alkalinity. When our skin is too alkaline, the skin becomes dry, very sensitive and flaky, which may lead to signs of skin aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles. On the other hand, when our skin is oily and acne-prone, it may be too acidic.
Soap makes our skin feels very clean, but is just way too harsh. It removes all natural oils from our skin and changing the pH level to too alkaline. This will make our skin becomes dry, flaky, and prone to inflammation. This can cause the sebaceous glands to overproduce oil to compensate for the dryness causing clogged pores and breakouts. When skin is overly dry and flaky, it can also lead to premature fine lines and wrinkles.
Cleansers are generally at a much lower pH level than soaps and are gentler on our skin. A good cleanser should not rip off the skin’s natural oils and moisture. So, choose your cleanser carefully.
Oily skin will benefit most from an “active” cleanser which contains an exfoliant like salicylic acid or anti-acne formulation like peptide. Dry and sensitive skin will benefit from a gentle “soothing” cleanser with stuff like glycerin or aloe vera. Skin with signs of aging may benefit from an cleanser “enriched” with anti-aging ingredients like Vitamin C, yeast extract (CM-glucan), glycolic acid or lactic acid.
Dr. Tan
