Shower Gel Vs. Bar Soap Vs. Body Wash for Women

At some point in life, we all get serious about personal hygiene and skin care. The duo starts affecting and summing up our appearance to the outer world. Before that happy moment arrives, most of us find ourselves confused in the grocery stores or surfing the internet, trying to select the best thing among those brightly colored and strongly scented cleansers. Such places often brim with countless options for bathing, be it for bar soap or body wash for women sulfate-free shampoo. The key is to shortlist the skincare product that serves us the best.

Shower gels were invented in the late 1800s but they started gaining popularity only in the 1990s. This was when bar soap were used almost all over the world. Most people knew that soaps were unhygienic because all family members could commonly use them. This also posed a risk of contracting skin problems, but they had little choice.

But that’s not the case today. Brands have started providing a separate case for preserving the soap and recommend only single-person use. This helps keep diseases, infections, and skin-related disorders at bay. You can see the worth of this argument in these post-pandemic times.

What’s the difference between shower gels, bar soaps, and body washes?

Every time we step out of the shower, we expect our skin to be cleaner and refreshed. This also begets an important question- which (among shower gel, bar soap, or body wash for women) is the best option? Which of them would work the best for you?

They all have their respective benefits and disadvantages, and we would compare their benefits and differences. We would then top the discussion by recommending the best product for you. For simplicity, we would take body wash and shower gel as one entity because they are quite similar.

1. Texture: Shower gels have a thicker consistency. They contain thickening polymers, which increases their viscosity. Body washes for women is a lotion-like structure, made up of natural ingredients that give them a thin and runny consistency. It penetrates the skin gently and easily. 

Bar soaps are solid soap blocks available in various shapes, fragrances, colors, and designs. They create a lather when they are rubbed all over the skin.

2. Fragrance: Shower gels contain long-lasting refreshing fragrances that can be pleasing to your nose but harmful to your skin. They contain preservatives that may disrupt your skin barrier. They are formulated with mild ingredients that offer a soothing smell.

Bar soaps, on the contrary, contain more fragrances and are meant to last. Also, they can be made with natural essential oils or synthetic fragrances. 

3. Better exfoliation: This is the factor where both shower gels and body wash for women can compete with each other perfectly. Both come with exfoliating ingredients that cleanse the skin deeply and provide moisturization.

Several soaps, such as charcoal body soap, contain natural ingredients that help control oil production and help get rid of dirt & Impurities. 

4. Suitability for different skin types: Good-quality shower gels and body wash for women contain different natural ingredients. These align well with different types of skin and textures.

Also, they have moisturizing properties that contain essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other skin-soothing ingredients. It is advisable to avoid bar soaps as they are alkaline and can interfere with your skin’s pH level. 

5. Hygiene: Shower gels and b0dy washes come in hygienic bottle packaging that protects them from bacteria build-up, air, and physical contact. Some brands provide a small box for storing bar soap, but it is advisable to avoid them as it can spread infection from one person to another.

Suffering from oily and acne-prone skin? Then, you should try the best face cream for oily skin. It helps control the oil production on the facial skin, combats various signs of aging such as dark circles, hyperpigmentation, acne, and provides an even skin tone.

Choosing the right bathing product for your skin type

As we have compared all three potential bathing products, it is now your part to make the right choice. But, before heading to markets or an e-commerce store and making your choice, you should look for the following factors. 

1. Ensuring Labels Carefully: Keep in mind to check all the safety labels before choosing the best body wash for women. Bathing products with safety labels such as “dermatologically-tested, hypoallergenic, and safe for use” will ensure that the body wash does not contain harmful chemicals.
2. Opt for Natural Ingredients: We have tried products that contain synthetic ingredients that are harmful to our delicate skin. It is safer to opt for products backed by natural ingredients as they are toxin-free, harmless, and provide desired nourishment to the skin.
3. Opt for Hypoallergenic Products: Choosing products containing non-toxic and hypoallergenic formulations is much safer. Such products feature ingredients that do not cause skin infection or other skincare issues. 
4. Choose Vitamin-Rich Products: Choose products backed by certain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as they provide extra nourishment to your skin. 

Smart tips for an effective bathing session

Often, beauty experts advise us to achieve glowing skin with the help of effective beauty tips. But some myths have been around for so long that people have started believing them. Let’s discover them and debunk them. 

1. Regular use of cleansers dehydrates the skin: To some extent, this is true. Bar soaps are alkaline, which can disrupt pH levels and snatch your skin’s essential oils. Shifting to a toxin-free body wash for women will deeply cleanse your skin and nourish it with a rich & creamy lather. 
2. Over cleansing damages the skin: This can be right to a certain extent if you use a harsh and dry product, such as body soap. It will strip off the natural oils. Instead, it would help if you switched to a natural cleanser made of gentle, toxin-free, nourishing ingredients that wouldn’t harm your skin. 
3. Bathing with lukewarm water: You should not go ahead with too hot or steamy showers as hot water may stripe your body with natural oils. This would also make it dry, more sensitive to seasonal changes, or even inflamed. Sticking to water at room temperature in the shower is a far better way to take a bath.
4. Avoid moisturizing oily skin too much: Whatever your skin type is, it needs a regular dose of hydration to stay healthy. A moisturizing body wash will keep the skin soft and smooth. The best face cream for oily skin will help you treat various signs of aging, such as dark circles, fight signs of aging, and illuminates skin. 

Summing up

Be it a shower gel, body wash, or bar soap, you should use the bathing products specially designed for your skin type and made from natural ingredients that help maintain an effective skincare routine. We recommend choosing Mamaearth’s body wash for women and the best face cream for oily skin as it is made with natural ingredients such as Vitamin C, Charcoal, Cocoa, and Ubtan.