A bar of soap has become an integral part of our households for many years. For as long as I can remember my house has never been without the staple Dove bar of soap. Often used for absolutely everything from cleaning the body to cleaning the surfaces (seriously).
The classic bar of soap in recent weeks has been making a comeback and steering back into the skincare division, trending across TikTok and Snapchat.
Why Did The Bar Of Soap Become Popular?
The classic bar of soap became a staple in most households due to its efficiency and cost effectiveness. Used for ‘soap brows’, washing the body, and household cleaning, the bar of soap was the ride or die product.
Why Did Bar Of Soap Lose Popularity?
As years passed before us and increased research determined the pros and cons of certain ingredients to the skin, the bar of soap lost popularity due to the notion that they were extremely drying to the skin and affected our natural pH balance. Causing irritation, inflammation and dehydration.
Bars of soap can be harmful. However, like everything else, as long as the ingredients work with your skin type then they can become your ride or die product.
What’s The Rundown?
The rundown is that your skin has a pH balance between 4.5 and 5.5, when your skin is at this level you’ll notice plump, healthy, and hydrated skin. Generically bars of soap have higher pH levels, usually between 9 and 10. Combining this high level with your skins natural balance can ultimately disrupt your skin, resulting in dehydration, irritation, and all the bad stuff you don’t want. For ease of shopping around, below is a breakdown of the pH levels in common bars of soap.
- Dove Bar: 6
- Caress, Oil of Olay, Shield: 7
- Nivea, Irish Spring: 10
Bars of soaps regardless of their negatives, can be a great savvy product that are fab for cleaning, great for makeup uses and good skin. As long as you get your hands on the ones that work for you. Soap brows being a staple beauty ritual is just one of the reasons you should get your hands on a bar (honestly soap brows changed my life). Some of the best pH balanced soaps are below;
Seba Med Cleansing Bar £2.99 (pH 5.5)
Drunk Elephant JuJu Bar £24.99 (pH 6.34)
Gallinee Cleasing Bar £10.00 (pH 5.8)
Avene Ultra Rich Cleansing Bar £4.19 (pH 5.5.)
Embryolisse Gentle Dermatological Cleansing Bar £8.70 (pH 6-7)
If the bar of soap is your new calling, be sure to steer clear from 6.5 and up and let us know the outcome! Follow us on @stylecartel on all social platforms.
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