Do you use bar soap to wash your face? Many people do so simply because when we were children we were taught to wash with what was readily available. When we were young, our skin was so resilient that it could withstand almost any abuse. However, that is not so as we age. Washing the face with a harsh surfactant can cause redness, eczema and dermatitis. On a scale between 0 to 14 the dermis has a natural pH of about 5.6 – 5.8 pH. This range is what we would consider as normal and where skin feels the best. However the pH of most soaps falls into the range of 9 -10 pH which is extremely harsh. Harsh cleansers remove too much of the natural oils that the dermis produces. These protective oils are a normal secretion of the dermis and should not be entirely removed.
How to determine if a cleanser is too harsh?
If skin feels tight and itchy after you wash, this is the first indication that a cleanser is too harsh. This tight feeling comes from stripping away of the skins natural protective mantle. This itchy feeling may also be a result of free alkali that remains on the dermis even after it is rinsed repeatedly. Cleansers may also contains a harsh ingredient called SLS that makes foam and bubbles. This substance tends to clog pores and remains on the dermis long after many rinses. The remaining residue will continue to interact with the perspiration from the dermis, and cause a continual dehydration and leaching of natural oils.
What are the hazards?
As we browse store isles we notice a variety of different shampoos and soaps. Examine the list of ingredients of these individual products and notice the ingredients list differs very little from product to product. Why? Look toward the bottom of the label and notice that oftentimes the same manufacturer produces most, if not all of the individual products on the store shelf. In reality consumers are purchasing the same product with just a little bit of difference in the percentage of various ingredients. The only real significant difference may be the aroma and smell of the product. Interestingly, most cosmetic companies have their products manufactured by the same outside factory as their competitors. However, they do the marketing of their products themselves, which means only the label and packaging have been changed. This means many of the competing skin care products are identical. Only the packaging looks different.
What is the history of soap?
It got its Latin name from Mount Sapo where animals were sacrificed to Roman gods. After a rain, the animal and wood ashes flowed down the mountain, mixing together. When it settled at the base of the mountain it settled there only to be discovered by women as something that made it easier to get clothes clean. Believable? Yes, because in reality it is really quite a complicated chemical substance that nobody in those days really knew enough about to intentionally create. Also, the three essential elements to make this legend true are present. The mountain Sapo in Italy from which the English word is derived, wood ash for the lye, and animal fat.
What harmful ingredients does soap contain?
Some of the ingredients that are found in most personal care products are DEA and TEA. DEA (diethanolomine) and TEA (triethanolamine) are very common, potentially toxic chemicals that are found in most shampoos and personal care products. These chemical belong to a family of chemicals known as alkanolamines. Government funded studies show that these chemicals caused cancer in rats when applied to skin.
Why we need to be cautious?
The skin can be likened to a huge sponge that absorbs anything that we put on it. That is why we should pay attention to what we put on the skin. Chemicals found in most shampoos and cosmetics are absorbed through skin and, over time, an accumulation of these chemicals accumulate in our tissues, liver and kidneys.
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