Soaps

Ages past its creation, soaps are still the most staple companion in every person’s cleansing kit. It removes dirt and grime accumulated in layers on the skin, leaving the skin squeaky clean. It cleanses skin off the clogged pores, moisturizing it with essential oils, it reveals brighter and smoother skin.

In a world with increasing pollution and environmental aggressors, regular use of soap keeps bacterial infections, rashes, itchiness, prickly skin pimples away. It restores the natural skin tone and replenishes the skin’s moisture and beauty. Created via the process of saponification, using with alkali, fats, essential oils, soaps gently exfoliate the build-up sebum and impurities from the skin surface, making the skin fresh and fragrant all day long.

Types of Soaps:

Beauty Soap:

This is the most common type of soap that is out there. Designed to exfoliate dirt, dead cells, impurities, and sebum from the skin, it offers a relaxing bathing experience with its refreshing fragrances. It cleanses skin effectively without stripping off the natural moisture content of the skin. It moisturizes and nourishes your skin, keeping you fresh and content for long hours.

Ingredients:

Essentials Oils, Glycerin, Alkali.

Organic Soap:

This is the purest form of soap for any nature-loving person. Especially formulated for people with sensitive skin, this uses zero chemicals, keeping your skin free from allergic reactions. It offers a pleasant bathing experience dipped in natural oils and fragrances. It gently cleanses the skin, making it moisturized, hydrated, and fragrant. It is ideal for people prone to skin diseases or infections.

Ingredients:

Flower essences, Goat’s milk, Essential oils.

Triple Milled Soap:

It is a denser form of bathing soaps. Formulated just with natural oils, it reveals healthier skin with its moisturizing and cleansing properties. Often known as de-glycerinized soaps, this soap has a fine texture that easily works up a lather to smoothly cleanse the skin, removing all impurities.

Ingredients:

Natural oils

Glycerin Soap:

Glycerin soaps are translucent and are best suited for people with dry skin. Just a combination of Glycerin, sugar, and alcohol, this provides intense moisturization to the dry, dull, even sensitive skin. With a lower pH balance, this soap helps the skin retain its natural moisture. A humectant by nature, glycerin allows the moisture to be locked in for longer hours to keep the skin healthy, soft, and nourished.

Ingredients:

Glycerin, Sugar, Alcohol.

There are many more varieties of soap that cater to different needs of your skin and accordingly, are made with unique formulas - novelty soaps, handmade soaps, milk soaps, luxury soaps, transparent soaps, perfumed soaps, medicated soaps, and many more. However, some basic ingredients are often found in the composition of a regular soap.

Basic Ingredients Of A Soap:

• Lye: Otherwise known as alkali, the two basic forms of it used in soap are sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. It is with lye that oils are combined to undergo the process of saponification. When lye is well consumed, the process is considered complete.
• Water: The base of every soap is water. It is to be first mixed with Lye and then with oils for the production of the soap.
• Color: A treat to the eyes, FDA approved pigments and dyes are added to the soap to make a soap look unique and appealing.
• Scent: Without a pleasing aroma, any bathing experience would be empty. Fragrant oils or essential oils make up for the enchanting fragrances of a soap and keep body odor away.
• Preservatives: Preservatives are a key ingredient of liquid soaps. It is less common in regular bathing soap bars.
• Readymade Soap-bases: Natural or synthetic in nature, these are ideally important to be melted down before forming the desired shape.

Soaps For Different Skin Types:

It is always wise and advised to choose a soap based on your skin type and concerns. Here are some tips on ingredients to look out for in a soap, based on your skin type.

Oily Skin:

Overloaded with sebum glands, people with oily skin are highly prone to acne. Hence, gentle cleansing soaps are ideal to often cleanse their skin without stripping off the natural oils.

Ingredients

Sea Salt, Oatmeal, Brown Sugar, Peach Pits.

Dry Skin:

Devoid of moisture, this kind of skin requires intense nourishment and long-lasting moisture. Always look out for a soap that will balance the pH level and sebum production of your skin without being too harsh on it.

Ingredients:

Glycerin, Jojoba Oil, Shea butter, Avocado, Aloe Vera, Coconut Oil.

Sensitive Skin:

Ideally most prone to allergic reactions and infections, this skin requires the utmost care. Pick a soap with balanced pH levels. However, choose one that has no added colors or fragrances as sensitive skin is highly vulnerable to these ingredients.

Ingredients:

Natural ingredients, essentials oils, Plant-derived ingredients, Flower essences.

Combination Skin:

A little hard to understand, this skin type behold the properties of both oily and dry skin types. Often prone to acne breakouts or allergic reactions, it is ideal to use soaps made with mostly organic ingredients. Always choose a gentle cleansing soap for such skin types.

Ingredients:

Natural ingredients, Glycerin, Essential Oils.

Normal Skin:

The safest yet the most overlooked skin type is the normal one. Choose a herbal, handmade, organic soap bar if you have normal skin. With balanced pH levels and moisturizing levels, such soaps would take good care of this skin type.

Ingredients:

Based on the type of soap you will choose.

Everything comes with a do’s and don'ts list. Wrapping up the do’s, here are some don'ts you need to follow before choosing the right soap for yourself.

Precautions Before Buying A Soap:

• Don’t buy soaps formulated majorly with chemicals.
• Don’t buy soaps with a high acidic content.
• Keep away with soaps infused with plenty of artificial fragrances or synthetic dyes.
• Avoid soaps with higher pH values as it might disrupt the natural pH balance of the human skin.

Ancient, traditional, modern - whichever be your mojo, there are some soaps that have flourished trademarks in the markets. Some of them are:

1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cleansing Bar
2. Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
3. Dove White Beauty Bar
4. The Body Shop Shea Soap
5. L’Occitane Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap