How to Choose Between Liquid and Bar Soap

The days of choosing between a few name brand soaps are in the past. We have thousands of choices for the tub, shower and sink. Peppermint bar soap, strawberry liquid soap, rose-shaped soaps, odor-free soap and soap-on-a-rope give only a hint of the available selections. A heated debate has surfaced, pitching the more traditional bar soap against the more modern feel of liquid soap. Here are some tips to help you decide how to scrub-a-dub-dub in the tub-tub-tub.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Understand that liquid and bar soaps carry the same health benefits. Conscientious personal hygiene can be carried out successfully using either form of cleanser.
2. Identify if an odor-free or odor-neutral soap is important to you. Soaps with heavy scents usually have additives that can potentially reduce the positive effects of cleansing. Bar soaps tend to offer more varieties of odor-free soap than their liquid counterparts.
3. Know that because bar soap is often left in moisture, small amounts of bacteria growth can occur. This is not to alarm you. Scientists have only been able to find very small amounts. However, liquid soap is usually pumped straight from the container, which protects the cleanser from sitting in water or being used by multiple people.
4. Determine if wasting less is important to you. You waste less with bar soap. Liquid soap is used faster because people misjudge the amount coming out of the container or place large globs on their washcloth or scrubber. Bar soap can be spread out to last for weeks. On the other hand, if you continually run water over bar soap, it will wear down just as fast or faster than liquid.
5. Consider that liquid soap is generally accompanied by a cloth, which can grow mold if not dried properly. A dirty washcloth cancels out the benefits of liquid soap. If you frequently forget to hang things to dry, you are better off with bar soap.
6. Measure the level of exfoliation you are getting with your soap. Soap acts as an exfoliant by helping to release skin cells, debris and excess dirt from the surface of your skin. Bar soap exfoliates well because you are usually rubbing the soap directly against your body. This can also be true with liquid soap if you pair it with a cloth or scrubber or it contains micro-scrubbers within the liquid. Test both kinds to see which exfoliates better for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Instant foaming soap is a very popular product. This kind of soap starts as a liquid but is pumped into your hand as a foam, so you'll never have to choose between bar soap and liquid soap ever again.
• Bar soap should not be shared with large groups of people. Liquid soap is a better option for a public restroom or shower.
• Bar soap can sometimes add to the level of soap scum in your shower.
• Work up a good lather! It is very easy to dump a glob of liquid soap on your palm and then watch is slither down the drain before you have rubbed your hands together. This is both wasteful and ineffective. If you tend to be careless, bar soap may be better.