Why you should never put commercial bar soap on your face? The average store-bought bar soap is likely the reason why you need to apply lotions, creams, serums, and moisturizers to replenish your skin moisture after a shower.
Toxic ingredients in commercial bar soap
Here are the toxic ingredients you can find in commercial bar soap:
1. Sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate
- Synthetic foaming agent
- Causes irritation, inflammation, and dryness
- Can be contaminated by other chemicals
2. Parabens
- Act as a preservative
- Kill friendly bacteria
- Have an estrogenic effect
- Contribute to dermatitis
3. Formaldehyde
- Prevents growth of friendly bacteria
- Carcinogenic (increases cancer risk)
4. Synthetic fragrances
- Petroleum-based
- Can cause skin irritation
5. Triclosan
- Antibacterial
- Increases risk of E. coli and MRSA
6. Coal tar dyes
- Coloring agents
- Made with petroleum chemicals
- Can cause dry skin
Always choose a product with natural ingredients and essential oils.
Data
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18484575/
- https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/162337566/DK_ED_list_final_2018.pdf
- https://www.ewg.org/what-are-parabens
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5791191/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2284588/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28686951/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5391940/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935119300507?via%3Dihub
- https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/AAC.02312-18?permanently=true
I use traditional olive oil soap that comes from the Middle East and is used as “peasant soap” in places like Albania, Kosovo etc. My friends from those places look down their noses at it even though they are the ones who introduced it to us. My skin, even at 50+, is beautiful. I used to be able to find my soap locally, but we have moved so I travel over an hour away to an Arabic store to buy it in bulk.
The bars you buy at the store are not legally allowed to be called Soap. You’ll notice they are beauty bars, deodorant bars, etc. Look for old fashioned cold processed bar soaps made from organic oils and butters and essential oils instead of fragrance.
That’s why I chose to make all my own products: cleaning, face, deodorant, shampoo, lip balm, skin, etc. All natural, free from ingredients I cannot pronounce, or even eat. If you can’t eat it, you shouldn’t put it on your skin. Much love and health to all.