The Difference Between Bar Soap and Liquid Soap

Soap is a cleansing agent which we mostly use to dislodge dirt and to clean our body. It’s commonly used to keep ourselves hygienic, bacteria free and tidy. Just as we’re always instructed to brush our teeth twice a day and after every meal too. After covid 19 pandemic, many people, especially our children, have become more aware of washing hands for at least 20 seconds to kill viruses and germs efficiently. For this, you can use either a bar soap or liquid soap, whichever is your preference. They both are equally effective with some slight difference in ingredients, texture and look.

Bar soaps have a long history, made by a Greek physician, who introduced soap as a cleansing agent for the first time in the second century. On the other hand, liquid soap has emerged as a popular substitute for these solid bars. Therefore, they’re a compulsory grocery item of any household, so people prefer wholesale bar soap to keep them in stock. Here are some differences between bar soap and liquid soap, and by analyzing both of them, you can decide which boat you want to sail. Let’s see what they are:

1- Dryness and moisture

The liquid soap has low PH levels, and thus is gentle and doesn’t strip away any moisture from your skin. Instead they retain the skin’s moisture to some extent, especially good for dry skin. Many also have added moisturizers, to make it more effective and prevent any sort of dryness. As a bonus, many times scents and essential organic oils are added in it to make them organic body care products. Liquid soaps are a better option for people with sensitive skin or facing any allergies.

Whereas, bar soaps have a high PH level that is about 9 to 10 in scale, which has a dehydrating effect on skin. It usually not only takes away the dirt and bacteria from hands but actually more than that, disturbing the PH levels and upper layer of your skin.

2- Killing bacteria

When you use a bar soap, you actually rub the bar against your hands and it’s assumed that it’s quite an effective way of removing dirt and kills germs and bacteria from the body area, especially hands. Hence, it has better exfoliation capabilities in respect of cleaning and removing debris. Liquid soaps aren’t effective to that level, especially the liquid foaming ones which are mostly used as face wash. Although, this would make a slight difference but there is some for sure.

3- Exchange of germs

Bar soaps are more unhygienic and tend to harvest more germs than liquid soaps. It’s because they stay out in the open without any cover, and the risk increases when this bar is commonly used between the house members, in public places, room mates or friends. The situation could even get worse if someone is sick using it too, and contagious germs can spread fast. Liquid dispenser bottles are considered a much safer option as they’re packed and stored in bottles and only a small amount comes out for one time use, not all is exposed to everyone.

4- Ingredients and make up check

These two types of soaps can be differentiated by their ingredients and components added in it, both have little changes in their makeup too. bar soaps are made of fats or plant oils combined with sodium hydroxide (lye) with high PH levels. This method is named as saponification, and needs many other ingredients too. whereas, the liquid soaps are made of petroleum and potassium hydroxide which is a type of sodium hydroxide but have comparatively low PH levels. Sometimes they also add organic body care products like essential oils, natural scents and colors to make it much more safe to use.

5- Their wrapping and packaging

The bar soaps are more environmentally friendly than liquid soaps. The main reason is that it’s wrapped in paper, card boards and biodegradable packing, which decomposes soon. Also bar soaps makes less lather which means you need less water to rinse it from your skin, as a result saving clean water. On the other hand, liquid soaps come in plastic bottles with a plastic pump to dispense it. Since plastic takes years to decompose, it’s not at all good for our environment, staying more time on our planet Earth as a waste product.

6-  Cost effective

Some bar soaps have been in use for centuries and are made from some basic material with a simple paper packaging and wrapping making it more economical to buy. You can even purchase wholesale bar soaps to further reduce its price and also have a long shelf life. Liquid soaps are more expensive because of the ingredients, make -up and packing material too, such as plastic bottles and pumps, so the cost tends to rise.

Conclusion

Though liquid soaps are settling as a new trend, easy to drop on a lofa and to use it but bar soaps are a staple in cleaning methods and are still liked and preferred by many people. It’s your own choice which team you want to be, don’t worry, both are used for washing and cleaning.