Saturday, October 26, 2013

WILL SOAP DRY OUT MY SKIN? DR. MIKE RESPONDS




This is a question that often comes to me, especially when referring to facial cleansing. Unfortunately bar soap has received a lot of negative criticism as marketers have duped consumers into thinking that soap strips necessary oils from the skin. Consequently bar soap has had a tough time competing with the overabundance of liquids, creams and foams that skin care companies effectively market these days.

Commercial soap companies mass produce soap using industrial processes that decrease or remove glycerin, and to compensate they add a range of synthetic ingredients to create what they perceive as the perfect bar. Take the time to check out the ingredient labels of supermarket bars and you will see for yourself. Liquid washes can be just as drying or even worse than these mass-produced soap bars, since many contain harsh chemical surfactants that can be very drying on the skin. Again, take a close look at the ingredient lists of liquid washes and you can confirm this for yourself. Some industry professionals are of the opinion that these big companies want these products to dry your skin so as to create a demand for their lotions and moisturizers.  

However enlightened consumers are now demanding products that are free from preservatives, added chemicals and synthetic fragrances. Natural handmade soap bars fit this bill, especially as these soap bars are more economical and have environmentally friendly packaging.

And why don’t handmade natural soap bars dry out the skin? The answer is very simple……in the hands of a competent soap maker, the recipes for these soap bars are “super-fatted.” What this means is that the soap-making recipe leaves a portion of unincorporated natural vegetable oils in the finished soap, and these super-fatted soaps have superior moisturizing and emollient qualities. This is something that the large commercial soap makers can never achieve, as it takes at least thirty day to make one batch of cold-process handmade natural soap.

I do hope that the above answers the many questions we receive on this topic.

Kind regards,

Dr. Mike







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