Washing or cleansing the face is an essential part of any skincare routine. A clean face guarantees that your pores are opened, your skin care products are better absorbed, and your skin is free of dirt, germs, and bacteria that can cause acne and blackheads. But some people make the mistake of washing their face with soap. While it is common to use soap to clean the body, it is not right to wash the face with it.
Is it safe to wash face with soap?
We must keep in mind that the skin on the face is more delicate and tender than the skin on the rest of the body. So, soap can irritate your facial skin and cause other skin problems like dry skin, itching and even breakouts. Not only soap, any products you use to clean your body may not be suitable for your facial skin. The face needs a cleanser with a gentle texture that will not strip the skin’s natural oils and help keep skin soft and moisturized,
These are the 5 side effects of washing face with soap:
1. Too harsh for your skin
When you rub a bar of soap directly on your face to properly cleanse your face, you run the risk of leaving tiny tears in your skin. The skin on your face is delicate, and soaps are abrasive and rough on it. The skin may become itchy and irritated after a soapy scrub.
2. Leads to dryness
Your skin is acidic in nature, but most soaps are alkaline. Therefore, using soap can disturb the pH balance of your skin. Also, soap contains a lot of harsh chemicals that strip your skin of its natural moisture, leaving it even more dry and dull. Extremely dry skin can lead to flakiness and breakouts.
3. Not user friendly
with face wash, you can use your fingers to reach the nook and corner of your skin and clean it properly. However, it becomes difficult to wash the face thoroughly with soap. While using soap, you may miss some parts of your face.
4. Muddy
Soaps don’t keep you very clean. It has a tendency to collect a lot of dirt and bacteria, which you can put on your face and spread there. This causes acne, blackheads, whiteheads and clogging of pores.
5. Harmful to the skin
Long-term skin damage from harsh chemicals like parabens and formaldehyde, the alkaline nature of the soap, and its excessive scent and dye content are all factors in this. Your skin becomes more susceptible to signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines and becomes more vulnerable to sun damage by being dry. When you apply soap on your face for a long time, your skin becomes dull and loses its suppleness and glow.
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It is best to choose a face wash for your skin based on your skin type, as it is more cleansing and contains the right amount of ingredients to maintain the health of your skin. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide in your face wash to nourish your skin.