The title says
it and I will say it all over in this post because this message needs to be out
there: Do not use soap on your face.
Don’t laugh
because this needs to be public knowledge that soap is not good for you face.
In this post, I
will talk about:
- The acid mantle
- How to protect and repair the acid mantle
- Importance of pH levels of a cleanser
- Why soap is bad for the face
- How to choose a good cleanser
We all dream of
beautiful, glowing skin, right?
We continuously
search for products and routines that can give us the skin we want. We buy all
these creams, cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and tools and get
special treatments in hopes that the day we’ve all been waiting for arrives
that we can actually post a woke up like this photo in the morning without the
need to edit out a single pimple or dark spot.
You might think
you’ve got the routine down but then boop—new pimple forms. Then one more, and
another! It’s crazy. What are you doing wrong?
If you are using soap as a cleanser, then mystery solved.
Take a bar of
soap and look at it. That bar is alkaline.
Being alkaline
means that it has a pH level above neutral. Water, which has a pH level of 7,
is neutral. Any substance with a pH level below that is acidic and those above
that level is considered alkaline or basic.
So, soap is an
alkaline substance and the natural pH of the skin is mildly acidic, between 4.5
and 5.5.
What is the
biggie? Why can’t alkaline and acidic be friends?
The Acid Mantle
First, we need to talk about the acid mantle.
The acid mantle
is a thin film that guards the skin against bacteria and contaminants. What
composes the acid mantle?
- sebum that is secreted from the sebaceous glands
- sweat
The combination
of these two form the slightly acidic barrier that sits on top of the skin and plays an important role in protecting the skin from bacteria, viruses and contaminants that may ruin your skin and worsen existing skin conditions.
The importance
of pH levels of a cleanser
In order to keep your acid mantle healthy and intact, you have to maintain that slightly acidic PH level of the skin.
A face cleanser
which is not pH balanced will weaken the structure of the acid mantle and
expose your skin to all the dirt and contaminants. The more alkaline a cleanser
is, the more chances of irritation on the face brought about by the stripping
of moisture a.k.a. natural oils can occur which then leads to a whole set of
problems for your skin.
Why Soap is Bad for the Face
When you continuously
use alkaline products such as soap to wash your face, you are actually damaging the acid mantle and whacking up your skin's pH level.
By using soap
as your cleanser, you are leaving your skin in a worse state than it may
already be in by:
- Stripping it of all its moisture (natural oils)
- Drying the skin
- Sensitizing the skin
- Allowing bacteria and dirt to infect and breed on the skin causing pimples and other skin problems
How to Protect and Repair the Acid Mantle
To keep the
acid mantle healthy and intact, it’s important that your skin is not stripped
of moisture and that you maintain its natural pH level by using the proper
products.
For those who
are tired of reading paragraphs:
- Choose a good cleanser (Check list and recommendations at the end of this post)
- Do not use soap (soap is not a cleanser, that should be clear by now)
- Do not over wash your face (two times a day maximum)
- Do not over exfoliate
- Moisturize your skin (even oily skin types)
- Avoid products with drying ingredients (alcohol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
The first and
most important one is to choose the right cleanser. There are a
gazillion cleansers out there. At the end of this blog post, I have provided a
checklist for picking a proper cleanser and some recommendations of products
from bloggers and skin coaches I trust and also from my own personal
experience.
For the hundredth time: Do not use soap as a cleanser.
When you got a
good cleanser, remember to not over- wash your face because even a good
cleansing can be overdone and destroy the skin. Same thing when it comes to
exfoliating the skin. Overdoing is overkill. If you wash your face more than
twice a day, you continually disrupt the natural pH level of your skin.
Keep the skin
healthy and happy by using a moisturizer. Remember that I said stripping the
face of its natural oils is bad because it ruins your acid mantle and disrupts
the natural pH level. The one thing that helps the acid mantle strive is by
keeping skin moisturized.
Lastly, by all
means, never use drying alcohols on your face. That sht is ultra-stripping and
drying for your skin. Some examples of drying alcohols or bad alcohols are
alcohol denatured, isopropyl alcohol, Benzyl alcohol, methanol and ethanol.
Repair the Acid Mantle
Want some good
news? A damaged acid mantle is not permanent. It may take a few hours or some
months, depending on the damage done, for the skin and the acid mantle to be
healthy and restored.
The keyword in repairing your acid mantle is hydration.
The best way to
do this is with moisturizer, of course. Get a moisturizer with really good hydrating
ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Another way is
by using a toner.
Fun fact: Toners became popular for balancing the skin’s pH level after cleansing.
However, if you
have a really good cleanser, toner is no longer necessary. But if you do decide
to use a toner, make sure it has no alcohol in it. So many brands put alcohol
in their toners because it gives a refreshing clean feeling after use and helps the product penetrate better (but it’s
actually just drying your skin).
Choosing the
Right Cleanser
Have you ever
noticed after using a particular cleanser, that your face feels tight and less
greasy? That’s actually a bad thing. It is a sign of dryness because all the
oils have been washed away. Your skin is thirsty.
The skin does
not need to be squeaky clean to the point that it is rid of all the natural
oils that help protect it. This can happen when your cleanser has high amounts
of alcohol in it or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a very common surfactant
ingredient in soaps and cleanser but is so bad for the skin because it strips
all the goodness, leaving skin tight, dry and irritated.
The cleansing
step, being the first step in a basic skincare routine, is very crucial. It is
the make it or break it stage. With so many cleansers out on the market, it’s
difficult to make a choice as to which one is the best for you. Don’t be fooled
by advertising and gimmicks though because skincare is all in the ingredients
and formulation.
A good daily cleanser
should:
- Have a slightly acidic pH level (5.5 is ideal)
- Gives an excellent clean
- Alcohol-free
- Is not or does not contain soap
- SLS-free
- contain no fragrance/essential oils (will irritate the skin)
Cleanser Recommendations: (will be adding/deleting to update the list)
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O recommended by Olena Beley (pH level: 5.5) Just make sure to wash it off. Cleansing means removing dirt and grime from the skin and you gotta take all the product off too.
- Himalaya Purifying Neem & Turmeric Face Wash (pH level: 5.5) I personally use it and it’s been so good to my skin. (I no longer use this product. It was alright for my skin. Just decided to switch to a different cleanser.)
- Human Nature Nourishing Face Wash (pH level: 5.0) This isn’t the best with removing stubborn makeup in my experience but it’s still great for morning cleansing or cleansing at night if you wore no makeup during the day.
- Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser recommended by Kenna Whitnell (pH level: 5.5)
- Celeteque Hydration Facial Wash (pH level: 5.5) This one contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), which is a more gentle form of surfactant than SLS. It is fragrance-free and cleanses the face well without stripping the skin. My face feels clean yet hydrated after using this.
A master list of cleansers with their pH levels
If you read the
entire article and reached the end, thank you, you’re a real champ! If you have
been using soap on your face, no worries, I’ve been there too but now we know
better.
I hope you can share this with all your friends and loved ones, especially those who still use soap as a face cleanser.
x Bella
Photo Credits: Polina Tankilevitch via Pexels.com
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