We all take shower every day, even twice or thrice in summer often! A major part of taking a shower is cleaning ourselves properly. Pollution, sweat, and fabrics of our clothes put a layer on the skin surface, and we need to clean it up. The body skin needs equal attention as our face and hair when it comes to cleaning and moisturizing. Cleaning the skin properly and moisturizing would help the nutrients to penetrate better giving you soft and bouncy skin.
For the human body, we typically have three kinds of cleaning agents – bar soap, shower gel, and body wash.
Shower gel
Shower gels are liquid cleansers having synthetic detergent derived from plant or petroleum sources. It usually feels silky on the skin but often it feels dry and harsh on dry skin types. For such skin, you can use shower cream for the lotion-like and slick texture for better penetration.
Body wash
Body washes are also liquid cleansers with pH levels from 6 to 7. Body washes are gentler and hydrating than shower gels. It has the same mechanism as shower gel to remove excess oil, dirt, and sweat off the skin but also has some common ingredients to treat a few common skin conditions.
For sensitive or dry skin, you can use body wash to remove flaking, open clogged pores and control skin concerns.
Bar soap
Bar soaps are solidified cleansing agents that are made from vegetable salts or animal fats. It helps to remove dirt, oil, sweat and sebum from the skin. The bar soaps dissolve the surfactants around the dirt and strip off the dirt.
Sweat and dirt mix with the natural oil of the body and creates a surface for bacteria to breed easily. Bar soaps can break this layer and easily remove the pathogens away from the skin. But make sure you choose bar soaps that are less harsh and hydrating.
Differences between the Three
Texture
Shower gels are firmer and have a jelly-like thicker consistency. They have a thickening polymer that improves viscosity. Bar soaps are available in different shapes, sizes, colours, and designs. The body washes have a thinner consistency like a cream or a lotion.
Fragrance
Shower gels have a long-lasting fragrance compared to others because of the higher-concentrated fragrance that pleases our senses. Body washes have a mild fragrance. Bar soaps have more fragrance than other types. The fragrance is meant to last long. The bar soaps can be unscented or essential oils or artificial fragrances.
Ingredients
Shower gels are usually made from surfactants, preservatives, water, fragrance, emulsifiers, and detergent. Water is for consistency, surfactants forms lather, and humectants contribute to the moisturizing effect of the shower gels. It also has preservatives for a longer shelf-life.
The body washes typically have similar elements as shower gel. It contains emulsifiers, humectants, surfactants, essential oils and Vitamins, and other natural extracts.
The process of making bar soaps is called saponification where it uses essential oils, fats, and an alkaline solution. The bar soaps also have sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate, sodium palmate, and other similar ingredients. These are the productions of solid fats such as tallow, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil and lye such as caustic soda. Therefore, palm acids and fatty acids are added to these ingredients.
In the bar soaps, sodium hydroxide is the lye and for the liquid soaps, potassium hydroxide is the lye. The lye and oil are heated together for soap formulation.
Purpose
All three types are made for the same purpose – that is cleaning the body. While choosing one, be mindful of the skin type and the weather conditions.
The shower gels are gentle on the skin, have hydrating and exfoliating elements and are pH balanced. They are calming and remove the dead cells and dirt off the skin effectively.
Body washes are for soothing dry skin with moisturizing effects. A few body washes contain a common skin ointment known as emulsified petrolatum for improving the dryness and cleaning the skin properly.
Bar soaps except medicated or with moisturizing elements can dry the skin. You can use antibacterial soaps for removing body odour and bacteria.
Suitability
You should be mindful of what you are using on your body if you are suffering from rosacea, eczema, acne, or sensitive skin. Whether it is a body wash, shower gel, or bar soap, it must not be drying on the skin.
Do not use shower gels, soaps or shower gels than can make your skin dry. The hypoallergenic ones do not have strong fragrances that will not strip off the natural oil of the skin. Mild cleansers always moisturize your skin, therefore, safe to use.
Bar soaps are suitable for teenagers, young adults and children. For mature skin, body washes are suitable to keep the skin soft, supple and moisturized.
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