Face Soap 101

When you lather up and scrub down, you probably aren't thinking about how the soap you're using came to be. Yet it's important to understand the chemistry of soap. Knowing what ingredients are in daily contact with your skin can help you sort through the good and the bad of face soaps.

At the microscopic level, soaps are made up of a chain of hydrocarbons. One end of this hydrocarbon chain attaches to grease and oils on your skin while the other end of the chain bonds with water [source: The Soap and Detergent Association]. When you rinse with water, the soap and any attached impurities wash away.

Traditional body soap is the result of a chemical reaction between a fat or an oil and an alkali such as sodium or potassium salts. When the fats and oils are heated and combined with the alkali, they produce a soap plus water and glycerin [source: The Soap and Detergent Association].

Glycerin is a byproduct of soap making. That is, it is created naturally in the soap-making process. Soap companies remove the glycerin from soap to create a low-cost basic bar soap. However, when glycerin is left in soap, it can help the skin stay soft by attracting moisture to it. Soaps with glycerin work well as face soaps, except in cases of very oily skin [source: American Academy of Dermatology].

Other ingredients to look for in face soap are emollients and humectants, which act as moisturizers. If your skin is very oily or prone to breakouts, a cleanser with benzoyl peroxide can help, though it may cause some irritation.

Now that you've got the skinny on soap making, keep reading to find out which face soap is right for you.

Sometimes having too many choices isn't necessarily a good thing. If you've been in the skin care aisle lately, you understand that all too well. The wide range of brands and products can really try your patience and cause your head to spin, especially when all you really want to know is which product will work best for you.

When it comes to face soaps, there isn't a one-product-fits-all formula. What will work best for you depends on your skin type.

If your skin type is normal, you really need just a mild cleanser [source: WebMD]. The cleanser should be water-soluble, which means it should wash off your skin easily without any remaining residue.

If you have oily skin, you probably know there are many acne-fighting cleansers that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid [source: WebMD]. These cleansers can be helpful, but if you are already using acne medication, stick to a mild cleanser. Oil-removing cleansing pads can also be helpful in keeping skin from becoming too oily.

If you have sensitive skin, you most likely know all about the flaking, burning or itching that can sometimes happen after cleansing. For you, shopping for a suitable cleanser can be tricky. People with sensitive skin should use a cleanser that is labeled "fragrance-free" because fragrances cause allergic reactions and irritate the skin. Keep in mind that unscented is not the same as fragrance-free. It only means there is no detectable scent; a fragrance might have been added to hide the actual scent.

In addition, lipid-free (fat free) liquid or bar cleansers are good for sensitive skin because of their moisturizing ingredients, such as glycerin, but they aren't especially effective for people with acne. A cleansing cream is also good for sensitive skin because it contains moisture-promoting ingredients such as mineral oil, petroleum and waxes [source: American Academy of Dermatology].

Now that you've learned how face soap works, hitting the cleansing products aisle to find the right face wash for you should seem a little easier. To learn more about facial cleansers and what's in them, take a look at the articles on the next page.