Bar Soap vs Liquid Soap-What to Choose?

03 September 2010 - September 3, 2010 - We all have got conditioned to washing our hands frequently with liquid hand soap to prevent illnesses. Even liquid body wash and other liquid detergents including liquid dish wash have also gained immense popularity. However, many people still use bar soaps for washing their hands because they believe bar soap is better than liquid soap in many perspectives. In this debate of bar soap vs liquid soap, it is obvious for most of us to get confused about what to choose- bar soap or liquid soap? Here we will discuss the difference between bar soap and liquid soap to get the answer of this question. This difference between the two will come out by knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both- bar soap and liquid soap.

Bar Soaps- Benefits and Brawbacks

There are many advantages of bar soaps, perhaps that is why, they are being used since very long time. However, the very fact that many people prefer liquid soap over bar soap tells that it has some disadvantages too. So, here we go with the advantages and disadvantages of bar soaps first.

Advantages of Bar Soaps

• Bar soaps are cost effective. You can buy many bar soaps in just the equal amount that you need to buy only one bottle of liquid soap.
• Bar soaps prevent wastage. It is easier to know the exact amount of soap required for washing when using bar soap than when you use liquid soap. You always tend to take more liquid soap from its dispenser as it is tough to make the right guess.
• Bar soaps are more environmental friendly cleaning products as they don't use plastic for packaging. They are packed in either paper or cardboard that are biodegradable materials. Also when taking shower, you need lesser water to wash off the lather produced by bar soaps as compared to that of liquid soap.
• Because of the continued popularity of bar soaps, you can find a wider range of products available in the market from normal soaps to especially made soaps for various skin types and even medicated soaps, natural and handmade soaps. Such a variety is still not visible for liquid soap selection.

Disadvantages of Bar Soaps

• Bar soaps tend to harvest germs and bacteria on its wet surface. However, studies have proved that although bacteria levels on previously-used bar soaps are a little higher than on unused soaps, there have been no detectable levels of bacteria left on the skin's surface after using the soap. Other researches have proved that there is only a very little amount of bacteria that can be further minimized if a bar soap is not shared among many people.
• A bar soap turns slimy or mushy in standing water that leads to a mess as well as to wastage.
• Most of the bar soaps are made with laboratory-generated chemicals and detergents, especially the mass-produced products. However, that is also the case with liquid soaps.
• Many bar soaps have a higher pH level than liquid soaps. Such bar soaps can be more drying to the skin. However, with increasing demand, many moisturizing soaps with glycerin, oils and other moisturizing agents can be easily found in the market.

Liquid Soaps- Benefits and Brawbacks

Like bar soaps, liuid soap too has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Liquid Soap

• Liquid soap reduces exchange of germs between users. As no one touches the soap, it has a very little, if any scope of spreading germs.
• Liquid soap is convenient to use. These soaps come in fancy bottles with dispensers and so are easy to use.
• Unlike the bar soaps, a liquid soap never gets mushy.
• Liquid soap tends to create a richer lather. This is one of the factor for which many people prefer it over bar soap.
• Liquid soap contains a lower ph level than bar soap and is thus gentler and suitable for people with sensitive skin. It is also able to retain more than 30% of the skin’s natural moisture and thus liquid soap is good for dry skin too.

Disadvantages of Liquid Soap

• Liquid soap is costly. With added packaging materials like bottle, pump dispenser etc. used, the cost of liquid soaps tend to rise.
• Liquid soap are not environmental friendly due to the use of plastic container and dispensing device. Both of these things take up more space in the landfill.
• Liquid soap needs a two-handed process for opening the cap of the container, inverting it, squeezing out the right amount of soap, closing the cap (while the soap is in the palm and has to be guarded against being washed away by the shower stream) and putting back the container. When in shower, this long procedure means wastage of water.
• With limited choice of liquid soaps, it is difficult to find specific purpose soaps like frangrance free or handmade liquid soap. It is far more easier to find such options when buying bar soaps.

What to Choose - Bar Soap or Liquid Soap

Using liquid soap or bar soap is a personal choice. Knowing about advantages, disadvantages and difference between bar soap and liquid soap should make it easier for you to choose one from among the two. However, if you are still in a dilemma of choosing bar soap or liquid soap, read the following tips to assist you in selecting the best soap according to your requirements.

• The most important thing while choosing a soap is to know how you react to certain additives, such as fragrances and moisturizers. If you have a sensitive skin that reacts badly to soap ingredients, you must go for some natural soap. Bar soaps have many options to choose from if this is the case with you.
• If you are comfortable with the cost of liquid soaps, use them in the more public areas of your home like the bathroom sink to take advantage of its lower risk regarding bacteria and germs.
• If you wish to use a liquid soap in shower, get the one with pump dispenser. This way, you will waste less time, less soap and less water.
• If you want true value for money when sustainabilty is concerned, use bar soap but get a wire soap dish to keep it from degrading in water. Also give it a quick rinse before and after use. If you can spend a little more, try using natural, locally produced, environmentally friendly products.

Also read Bar Soap Types- What is Best For Your Skin?