Avoid using harsh soaps that dry the skin. Recommended soaps are Dove, Olay and Basis. Even better than soap are skin cleansers such as Cetaphil Skin Cleanser, CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and Aquanil Cleanser.
When your skin loses too much sebum, it loses its ability to lock-down water, and that means dry skin. Does soap dry out your skin? Yes, because it has a chemical called surfactant that 'eats' the natural oils of your skin.
Most facial cleansers are made with surfactants, also known as surface active agents, which help to break down the dirt and oil in your face. But if a cleanser is made with too many surfactants, like sodium lauryl sulfate (something many bar soaps are made with), then it can dry or irritate your skin.
The high pH of soap is also worth mentioning, as it disrupts our acid mantle. I've written quite a lot about this here, but the general gist of it is that high pH cleansers like soap damage our skin's protective acid mantle, and frequent use impedes its ability to repair itself. This can create and exacerbate dry skin.
Bar soap and liquid soap are equally as effective
Soap, whether liquid or bar, will reduce the number of pathogens on your hands. The friction you create when you're rubbing your hands together and lathering up lifts away dirt and microorganisms, and the water then rinses them off.
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
Similar to Dove, this version is soap-free, meaning it's made without harsh chemicals and detergents that can strip the skin of its natural emollients. Developed directly with dermatologists, this cleansing bar hydrates and softens while ridding the skin of excess oil and pollutants.
There is no evidence that antibacterial soaps are more effective than plain soap for preventing infection under most circumstances in the home or in public places. Therefore, plain soap is recommended in public, non-health care settings and in the home (unless otherwise instructed by your doctor).
Do dermatologists recommend Dove beauty bar? Absolutely. Super gentle and moisturizing, we're so proud our beauty bar is #1 dermatologist recommended. Its neutral pH and mild, caring approach to cleansing (it contains sulfate free cleansers) have made it a firm favorite with skin experts and skincare lovers everywhere.
Examples of mild, gentle soaps include Dove® sensitive skin bar, Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion®, Aveenobar®, Purpose Soap®, Basis®, and Oil of Olay Cleansing bar®. Highly fragranced soap and antibacterial soaps are the most irritating and should be avoided.
That's because Dove isn't just a bar soap, it's a Beauty Bar, a moisturizing soap for dry skin. While ordinary soaps can strip skin of essential nutrients, Dove Beauty Bar has mild cleansers that care for your skin.
What is the best soap without chemicals? According to our research, EcoRoots' face and body bars are the best natural soaps. We also highly recommend Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap and Tom's of Maine Natural Beauty Bar Soap for Sensitive Skin.
The least expensive cleansers are bar cleansers, but many dermatologists confuse a bar cleanser with soap. The only soap bar that is currently widely distributed is Ivory soap, which is a poor choice for most patients with skin disease.
1. Dove. Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever, it is also the most popular brand name in the soap markets across over 80 countries in the world. In the USA and the UK – two of the world's largest soap markets – Dove is also the number one soap brand that are dominating the markets.
If you're looking to keep your hands from getting dry and cracked, you may have better luck with a liquid formulation. “Bars of soap often have a high pH, which can cause your skin to dehydrate and dry out more easily,” says Dr. Burns.
Bar soaps tend to get a bad rap as overly drying, because many contain the chemical sodium hydroxide (hence the rule that one should never use bar soap on your face). “I usually prefer a moisturizing body wash to be used daily for a variety of reasons,” explains New York City dermatologist, Marnie Nussbaum, MD FAAD.
In terms of just getting clean, it's a wash (sorry, had to)—bar soap is just as effective as body wash in ridding your skin of any dirt, oil, and bacteria that may have built up during your most recent sweat sesh.
The best bar soap overall
And for good reason — it's legitimately really good. The Dove Beauty Bar is a soap unlike any other soap. It's gentle enough to use all over the body (yep, that includes the face) thanks to cleansing agents that are less harsh than traditional soap.