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Is Soap Bad for Your Face?

By Tiffany Moore

Using bar soap on your face is one of the worst skin care mistakes that can lead to premature skin aging. If you want your facial skin to stay fresh and young-looking for a lifetime, avoid facial soaps at all costs and use a high quality facial cleanser instead.

Everyday your face is exposed to harmful chemicals that are present in the air, such as cigarette smoke and dust. With all of the pollutants, grease, grime and dirt collected in the face, you might think that you need to cleanse very aggressively. Wrong.

Soap that is intended for the body should not be used on your face. Bar soap that you use on your body is too drying for your facial skin. Because the skin on the face is considerably more delicate than the skin on other parts of you body, it needs to be treated with care.

Generally speaking, bar soaps usually contain harsh detergents and fragrance, which are extremely irritating to the face. When you use bar soap to clean your face, you're likely to notice a lot more breakouts.

Also, using bar soap on your face will cause wrinkles to form over time. Soap can dry your skin out and remove sebum, an oily substance produced in sebaceous glands that protects the outer layer of your skin. Hence, your face feels tight and uncomfortable after washing with soap. Removing sebum completely will also result in an over production of sebum, which will cause an oily complexion. In addition to that, soaps have very high pH value (more alkaline) and will irritate the face. Don't forget that bar soaps can still harbor airborne bacteria even if you rinsed it thoroughly before and after use and keep it in an airtight container.

Facial cleansers are formulated and made for the skin on the face, especially cream facial cleansers are far more superior than bar soaps sold in supermarkets. These facial cleansers have a low pH level and will not strip the skin of its natural oils. Facial cleansers are also tested for allergic reactions.

However, not all facial cleansers are equal. Some have alcohol and other harsh ingredients. Like all other beauty/skincare products, always read and check the labels for natural ingredients such as honey, plant extracts, keratin and coenzyme. Natural ingredients are less likely to cause skin irritation. That being said, a good facial cleanser should also contain moisturizing and hydrating ingredients. It should heal and nourish the skin while cleansing. Look for facial cleansers that have antioxidants to counter free radical damage.

With so many different brands available on the market today, choosing a good and effective facial cleanser can be quite daunting. The best way to go about it is know your skin type. With that in mind, shop for facial cleansers that are specifically designed to suit your skin type.

People with normal to oily skin types should look for a water-soluble cleanser. Those with dry skin, choose a creamy cleanser that's not overly drying and with less foaming action (Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser). If you've sensitive skin, go for fragrance-free, gentle cleansers that contain glycerin and/or hyaluronic acid (Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash).

Bar soap is bad for the face. Stop using soap on to cleanse your face and your skin will look beautiful for a lifetime!

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