Bar Soap vs. Liquid Soap: What to Use?

Do you wash your hands more than a few times a day? When shopping for soap, do you constantly wonder what type of soap is best? Well, you're not alone!

Soap is undoubtedly an important facet of our daily lives and all the different options available make choosing the best one a little more difficult. However, we can divide hand soaps into two teams: liquid soap and bar soap. Although bar soap is the oldest (centuries!), liquid soap has become extremely popular in recent years.

So let's take a look at which soap is best, considering how it works, its chemical composition, the bacteria that can be found in each type of soap, and the impact they have on the environment.

Effectiveness and effect on the skin

Liquid soap advocates may often point out the drying effect that bar soap can have on the skin. This happens because, generally, commercial hand soap tends to have a higher pH, which can be very drying. However, there is more than one type of bar soap, many of which have a lower pH! In fact, most bar soaps contain glycerin, which is very therapeutic for dry skin and other sensitivities likeeczema , and those with a lower pH have absolutely no drying effect on the skin.

• Ingredients : Bar soap is most commonly made from vegetable oils that are saponified in a soap mold. For those of us who don’t understand chemistry,saponification is the name for the process where vegetable fats are mixed with a strong alkali to make soap. Liquid soaps, on the other hand, are petroleum-based and require emulsifying agents and stabilizers to maintain their consistency. These agents have been tested and approved by the relevant agencies, but there are few to no actual studies showing the long-term effects of repeated use of these chemicals.

• Bacteria : Liquid soap has been touted as antibacterial almost from the moment it was introduced to the market. A study conducted in the early 1990s by theDial Corporation looked at whether or not bacteria from a used bar of soap would transfer to the skin. The short answer is no, it doesn’t. In this regard, both bar soaps and liquid hand soaps are equally safe when it comes to bacteria.

Ecological considerations and soap waste

Over 40% of skin care buyers consider themselves “environmentalists” or at least care about environmental factors. However, most don’t know that a 2009 study from the Environmental Engineering Institute concluded that liquid soaps leave a 25% larger carbon footprint than bar soaps. Because of the difference between soap and detergent, it takes more chemical raw materials and processing to make liquid soap. In fact, it takes about 7 times more than it does to make bar soap. That’s 7 times more energy consumption and carbon emissions!

Fragrance-free soaps

It’s no secret that some people have allergies and adverse skin reactions to strong fragrances. Others simply prefer not to have them on their soap. In this sense, bar soaps are a winner. Fragrance-free liquid soaps are rare and can be hard to find. On the other hand, there are plenty of fragrance-free soaps, as well as hand soaps and hand sanitizers with very mild scents.

Conclusion, what is the best type of soap?

Well, it all depends on what factors are most important to you. The main benefits of switching to non-toxic cleaning, then bar soap wins hands down. If the decision is financial, bar soap wins again by a significant margin (washing your hands with bar soap costs about a third of the cost of liquid hand soap). If it’s moisturizing and cleaning or disinfecting, liquid soap is the way to go. However, from a purely health standpoint, bar soaps contain fewer chemicals and are just as effective at preventing the spread of germs as their liquid counterparts.