Soap Vs. Shower Gel – what are the benefits?

When it comes to showering, we normally use a shower gel, like Dr. Spiller Alpenrausch Organic Refreshing Shower Gel. But our mothers and grandmothers used bars of soap all their lives – so is soap really the demon it’s made out to be?

According to Beautylish, it’s dependent on a few things – sensitivity, skin type and the type of dirt you’re getting rid of. Bar soaps are made by combining liquid fats (like vegetable oils or animal fat) with an alkali like sodium hydroxide (also called lye). The process is called “saponification”; the definition of “saponify” is literally “to turn fat or oil into soap by reaction with an alkali.” Liquid soap is made similarly, but with potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide. Even though “lye” or “sodium hydroxide” might sound scary, don’t worry. “During the curing process, the sodium hydroxide and water evaporate out of the product, leaving behind just awesome soap,” explains Dubuque. When you see an ingredient like “saponified coconut oil,” that means it’s coconut oil that’s been turned into soap. The structure of the ingredient has changed, so it’s safe for your skin. A good rule of thumb: the sudsier the soap, the less cured it probably is.

You’ll see a little variation in different products designed for specific purposes. “Superfatting,” which refers to the process of adding liquid fats to soap after saponification, is popular for its rich, moisturizing effect. Clear soaps will add glycerin and sorbitol (a sugar alcohol with emollient properties), and products labeled “antibacterial” usually rely on triclosan, a substance that kills bacteria and helps prevent fungus growth.

We used soap as a child, but if the truth be told, we prefer the more gentle and moisturising shower gel. Dr. Spiller Alpenrausch Organic Refreshing Shower Gel is mild cleanser for the entire body. A formulation comprised of stimulating wild mallow and Alpine skullcap which has a noticeable soothing effect, even on sensitive skin. Moisturising ingredients such as fresh rose water and valuable edelweiss prevent feelings of dryness and tautness.