How to Choose the Best Soap for your Skin Type?

Are you unsure about the kind of soap which will fit all your skin needs? Here’s a simple guide to help you pick the best soap your skin deserves!

Have you ever walked down the beauty aisle in a supermarket? If yes, you might have noticed all the shelves stuffed with all the pretty bottles in blue and pink all around you. Some say they contain vitamin E extracts which is good for your skin, a few of them claim to be vegan and so on. All these options tend to obstructs our rational mind from making the right decision about which product to buy.

As if all these options were not enough, we have different kinds of soap-based bars and cleansers, soap-free range of products and different varieties of facewashes, scrubs and the list is endless. One might feel overwhelmed when surfing through all of them and trying to find the one that serves them well.

Naturally one might feel the need to seek answers to a whole list of questions like: What is more effective: soap bar or facewashes? What things need to be considered while selecting the best product when the market is brimming with choices? How does my skin type dictate what product will cater to my needs best? Are herbal products more effective than others? How to choose the best soap for your skin type?

All these questions and many more are bound to occur, but don’t you worry! We pinky promise you if you read this article straight till the end, most of your questions will be answered here itself. Without further ado let us begin!

Your A – Z Guide to Different Types of Soap in the Market

As mentioned, earlies, the stores have thousands of beauty and wellness products piled up on their aisles. But don’t you feel overwhelmed we have come to your rescue with a simple glossary of various kinds of soap products you have access to. Continue reading to find some vital information which will help you take well informed decisions.

True Soaps

These are your conventional soaps made up of fat/ oil and elements possessing alkali properties. Such soaps made in a traditional way are termed to be “true soaps”. In order to cleanse dirt, oil and pollutants from the skin pores, true soap contain surfactants that easily attract and wash away dirt. True soaps nowadays may also contain artificial additives like fragrances, colorants or salts which may be harmful for the skin.

Syndet Bars

The word Syndet has two words in its roots namely “synthetic” and “detergent”. As the name suggest syndet bars are made from synthetic surfactants extracted from fats and petroleum. Unlike true bars that are made through natural saponification, syndet bars formulation involve an extensive chemical procedure.

Superfatted Soaps

Superfatted soaps are true soap bars that contain extra amounts of oil. This extra oil which is not saponified increasing moisturising effect in turn making it a less irritating cleansing experience for the skin. Even though they were formulated with an intention to lather the skin with enough moisture they are not usually able to do the same and instead leave a heavy layer of oil as residue.

Transparent Soaps

Transparent soaps contain glycerin for additional moisturising effect. Addition of glycerin does not always guarantee of a milder soap meaning it can still be harsh on the skin. It again depends on the formulation and ingredient list of the bar.

Herbal Soaps

These soaps contain extracts from natural sources most of them which are plant based. Since the compounds used in herbal soaps occur naturally in environment, they tend to be least harmful when used in preparation of soaps and facewashes. They are indeed very gentle on the skin, and the nutrients supplied are tremendously beneficial to help you retain the healthy radiance of your skin. As an added benefit such herbal soaps do not have any additional artificial fragrances as the ingredients used add in a natural aroma. An herbal soap is a must have if you are looking for a highly effective skin care product.

Medicated Soaps

Dermatologists usually prescribe medicated soaps for to target specific skin allergies and issues. These soaps contain natural ingredients possessing antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Following are the three different types of medicated soaps available in the stores

Antibacterial Soaps

Such soaps use a combination of antibacterial agents such as triclosan, PCMX etc., and other ingredients to be applied on the problem area. They may also be formulated using triclocarban, tetrasodium EDTA and other additives. As the name suggests, these soaps are highly effective for treating bacterial infections on skin.

Antifungal Soaps

Antifungal soaps use a combination of antifungal agents to treat various fungal infection like ringworm, Onychomycosis etc. Ingredients often used include essential oils, organic extracts from medicinal plants, vitamin E, tea tree oil and so on.

Soaps for Skin Issues

Soaps can be designed specifically to target the defined problem area. Common skin conditions that can be treated with specific medicinal soaps include acne, clogged pores, dry and rough skin.

Combination Bars

The name itself is enough to reveal all we need to know about them. Combination bars are formulated using a blend of ingredients used normally in syndet bards and superfatted bars. Since they contain a mix of soap with synthetic detergents these bars lather well in comparison to other products. Further they also contain a lot of cleansing agents which give better results while avoiding the risk of causing irritation, redness, or itchiness to skin.

Knowing your Skin Type

Before you continue reading further knowing your skin type is a prerequisite. Don’t worry we will walk you through a simple process which will help you decode and understand your skin in a better way. Read more to know about how you can determine your skin type.

There are a lot of ways to determine your skin type in a matter of few minutes. Following two methods are more commonly used:

Bare-face test

This is probably the easiest method to help you determine your skin type at your home without need to buy any apparatus. For a bare-face test, wash your face with any face care product be a soap bar, or facewash. After washing the face avoid applying any other product. Wait for 30 to 40 minutes and now you can start paying attention to how your skin feels. If your skin rough or itchy there’s a possibility that you have dry skin. On the other hand, if your face looks and feels oily and a little shiny then you probably have an oily skin. Its normal to have some part of your face feel dry and rough while other section most probably the skin around your forehead may be oily. If that is the case you may have what we refer to as combination skin.

Blotting sheets

Using blotting paper to test your skin type is yet another quick and effective way to check whether you skin is oily or not. All you need to perform this test is a pack of blotting paper which can easily be purchased from your local drug store. Simply dab a piece of blotting paper on your face and check for any oil absorbed in the process. If the blotting paper comes out oil free then you probably have a dry skin and if its dripping with oil then well obviously you have oily skin. You can cut a single piece of blotting paper into different sizes and apply over your faces to know if you have a combination skin type.

Apart from the above-mentioned skin types one can have either normal or sensitive skin. If your skin is prone to irritation, itchiness, burns on coming in contact even with trace amounts of allergens then you have a sensitive skin type. If your skin is neither oily, dry, sensitive, or a combination then you probably have a normal skin type.

Right Soap for your Skin Type

Now that you have determined your skin type let’s not waste any further of your precious time and dive straight into the next step of selecting the best soap for your skin type. Let’s go!

Normal Skin

People having normal skin do not have a problem with the rate at which their skins secrete sebum. Yet, there are few things to be kept in mind while shopping for users having normal skin type. They need to beware of using products made for oily skin or dry skin as using them inappropriately can imbalance their otherwise balanced pH levels. Opting for neutral soaps is the best choice out there for people with normal skin. Herbal soaps are the best option they can opt for in this case as they are very gentle and wont mess up their skin’s pH levels.

Oily Skin

Excessive generation of sebum makes oily skins more prone to breakouts and other related serous skin issues. People having oily skin feel to need to frequently wash their faces throughout the day to flush out the excess production of oil their face secretes. Choosing a good soap containing ingredients like charcoal, tea tree oil, sea salt, salicylic acid, oatmeal etc. can be used to remove the excess oil without leaving the skin dry and rough after frequent washes. Apart from list of ingredients users need to look for mild soap bars or cleansers marketed as hydrating and non-comedogenic.

Dry Skin

Just like excess sebum production does no good for the skin, lower level of sebum secretion is also not an ideal condition as it can cause skin to dry up and become flaky and itchy. Lack of moisture is at the root of all dry skin issues and using soaps high in sulphate can further aggravate the condition instead of controlling it. Therefore, people with dry skin should actively look for soap bars or facewashes having listed ingredients like glycerin, cocoa butter, aloe vera, etc. Even oils like jojoba, avocado or any other vegetable oil can be a great solution to help skin retain moisture for longer time periods.

Sensitive Skin

People with sensitive skin should as far as possible, avoid soaps containing harmful substances such as artificial fragrances, sulphates, salts and so on. Instead, they should opt for mild and gentle formulas since their skins are highly susceptible to allergic reactions and side effects which can sometimes be triggered even by trace amounts of certain allergens. It is also mandatory for people to maintain pH levels of skin balanced. Look in the list for ingredients like chamomile, aloe vera, carrot, neem, honey, shea butter, milk and other herbal or natural extracts that are said to be gentle and soothing effect on your skin.

Combination Skin

Skin care can get a little tricky when it comes to skin which is both oily and dry at the same time. But don’t you worry with a little help from us and diligence on your part can make the whole process a lot smoother. You cannot just simply buy one product each for oily and dry skin instead you need to look out for soap bars or cleansers made specifically for needs of combination skin. Ingredients like chamomile, aloe vera, vitamin E are a big yes. Further glycerin soap bars is the perfect choice for peeps with combination skin.

3-Step Guide to Choosing the Right Product

Choosing the best soap for your skin type can be an overwhelming process as it can be a lot to take in at once. But don’t you worry we have compiled a 3-step process you can refer back to as many times as you want.

Define Your Personal Choice

If labels like vegan, cruelty-free, natural or locally made matter a lot to you, make sure to read the label properly before picking it up and mindlessly dropping any product in your cart. If price is not much of a barrier but easy availability is then you should choose a premium product which does not stock out frequently.

Let Your Skin Decide what is Best for You

Your skin is always going to be at the center of the whole “choosing the best soap” process so make it a point to listen to it. Before committing to a brand make sure to try on a few samples do a few tests and then check if the results are what you need. Because just because one soap is working like a charm for your friend more times than not, it may not be the one for you.

Don’t Hesitate to Seek Professional Advice

A professional will always have an upper hand when it comes to prescribing the best dermatological products specially when you are dealing with infections or skin problems. Do not hesitate to seek help from experts whenever needed. They will for sure have the best inputs to give when it comes to choosing the best soap for your skin type.

A Quick Glance Through

Every skin is different and it needs solutions unique to its texture, properties, skin issues faced and other factors. A soap product that may work for a person with oily skin will definitely do more harm than good for someone with a dry or normal skin. All this may sound fussy at first but believe us when we tell you that you will be a pro in no time.

The next time you go shopping don’t forget to refer to this article once again. Healthy skin, happy you!