For baby-boomers and Gen-X people, do you remember that back in the day we used the bar soap for washing ourselves, from head to toe?
Then came shampoo and later, liquid soap, etc. One of the arguments for liquid soap is that bar soap contains harmful bacteria after it’s been used.
Well, you might be interested in what this article says:
https://gogreenhk.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/the-truth-bar-soap-vs-liquid-body-wash/
“… soap bars were inoculated with E. coli and P. aeruginosa bacteria at levels 70 times as high as those reported on used soap bars. Then, 16 people were told to wash their hands as usual with the inoculated bars.
“After washing, none of the 16 panelists had detectable levels of either test bacterium on their hands,” the researchers wrote. “These findings, along with other published reports, show that little hazard exists in routine handwashing with previously used soap bars and support the frequent use of soap and water for handwashing.”
So how can a bar of soap have bacteria on it and yet not spread germs? Simply, washing is a two step process. When you lather up the oil attracting end of the soap molecule picks up grease and oils on your skin. When you rinse, the water attracting end of the molecules follow the water, letting you rinse the soap molecules — and their attached impurities — away.
And I think we all know about the costs involved too:
This leads us to the next question “if liquid soaps provide no hygiene benefit, why have companies been so aggressive in marketing liquid body washes?” This article on US website DailyFinance may provide a clue. Their comparison showed bathing with the recommended amount (2 teaspoons) of Olay body wash cost HK$ 1.33 per wash while bathing with Ivory bar soap cost just over HK$ 0.09, providing a significant profit motive for companies to get us to switch.
Another article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-chameides/chemical-marketplace-bar_b_2104678.html
So, if you are health and environmentally conscious (liquid soap = plastic bottles being thrown away) or if you are simple looking for a simpler and cost-effective product that does the job, you might want to switch back to the good old-fashioned, humble bar soap!
And we certainly have a great soap for you – one of our greatest selling product too!
Our ever-popular Orifera VCO soap is 100% natural and is also not tested on animals. It is “tested on humans” because we’ve had so many repeat orders from our supporters!
Since Nov 2012, we have sold more than 3000 bars!
Good for humans, good for dogs and cats too!
And for such a great soap, it’s only RM5 per bar.
To order: http://animalcare.my/gifts/
Comments
2 responses to “Bar soap vs liquid soap – Are you ready to switch back?”
I use both!
The Orifera Soap Virgin Coconut Soap is good soap. I have one in the bathroom at all times. It is gentle and smooth and lathers easily until to the very last bit of the soap, unlike many commercial soaps in the market where you often find that the last part of the soap is no longer soapy no matter how you rub it with water.
The So Green hand wash is great in the kitchen. I prefer liquid hand wash at the kitchen sink because hands in the kitchen tend to have more oil and soaps lose their soapiness fast when exposed to lots of oil and so do not clean as well. Most liquid hand wash or soap requires you to wet your hands before using. However, I found that wetting of hands beforehand is not necessary with So Green, which is extra convenient in the kitchen. This means that when I get sauce on my hands, I can directly rub my hands with So Green and then rinse off with water. This is made possible because So Green is slightly “wet”. This cleans better and more efficiently and saves water. Plus I really like the lemongrass smell.
Thank you very much for your feedback on both! Yes, So Green Handwash is very liquid as it does not have any thickeners in it. Thickeners are usually made of synthetic chemicals, we were told. Like you, I also find So Green especially good for washing off oils.