The debate of bar soaps versus liquid soaps is not new — that being said, there are a lot of misconceptions that tend to sway consumers towards the wrong side of this deliberation.
With people becoming increasingly aware of what is going into our products, it’s important to debunk the myths that have led people to believe that these bars are less effective for cleaning.
The thing is, soap bars are naturally made and have been around a lot longer than the fancy liquid soaps that make false promises to potential consumers.
Many believe there is no other product like Erno Laszlo soaps, a line that includes a wide variety of natural bars that suit different needs such as deep cleansing, sensitive skin, and more.
Advancements, after all, have elevated soap bars by spades. These are the main reasons why you are better off reaching for a bar of soap than liquid soap:
They Have Fewer Additives Than Liquid Soaps
Liquid soaps may have moisturizers but, according to How Stuff Works, they are also often packed with chemicals like fragrances that can irritate your skin.
For one, it is a lot harder to find a fragrance-free bottle of liquid soap — bar soap, on the other hand, offers a lot of fragrance-free options to minimize chemical use and skin irritation.
They Are Moisturizing
Once upon a time, the common thought was that bars of soap dry out your skin and liquid soaps are moisturizing. Current advancements have helped manufacturers home in on this to create bar soaps with more moisturizing agents.
It is also worth mentioning that soap bars leave a film that can appear as dry skin. According to The Pretty Pimple, this film actually hydrates and locks in moisture. In fact, it’s important to be wary of soaps that don’t leave this film.
The Whole Bacteria Thing Is a Myth
Another reason why liquid soap has been perceived to be better than soap bars is because of the thought that bars of soap are breeding grounds for bacteria.
The thing is, studies haven’t been able to detect any notable amount of bacteria on the skin after bar soap use. In fact, studies have actually shown that washing with bar soap is unlikely to transfer bacteria.
In reality, using a loofah to lather liquid soap is more of a source for bacteria build up — according to The Pretty Pimple the netting of your loofah tends to trap dead skin cells, and are normally left damp which, again, increases bacteria build up.
They are Cleaner
Don’t be fooled by liquid soaps dubbed anti-bacterial. These soaps kill all the bacteria on your hands — both good and bad. Bar soaps are anti-bacterial without stripping your body of the bacteria your body actually needs to protect itself.
Soap Bars are More Cost Effective
It’s no secret that soap bars are significantly cheaper than liquid soaps. In addition, your soap bar is likely to last a lot longer than your bottle of liquid soap, especially because liquid runs off onto your loofah or hands and down the drain a lot easier than soap lathered from a bar.
According to Environmental Science & Technology, we use 7 times more liquid soap in one wash than we do bar soap. When you do the math, you use 1 penny worth of soap per bar soap use, and about 3 cents per wash using liquid soap.
They Are Better for The Environment
While liquid soaps are packaged in plastic bottles – which already isn’t great for the environment – bars of soap are usually packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes. These boxes are typically biodegradable to boot.
Soap bars are also significantly more environmentally to make, as they are stackable – this means a truck can transport more soap bars in one go than bulky bars of liquid soap.
Next time you go shopping for soap, take a moment to compare the two to help you make an educated decision.
