In addition to solid hand and shower or body soap, we are of course also fans of solid face soaps, preferably in natural cosmetics quality. In addition, as with all solid cleaning products, there are of course also syndets and combo bars, i.e. synthetic and semi-synthetic products.
Soap, syndet or combo bar?
Aside from the natural vs. synthetic question, is there a difference? Yes, there is, namely in the mildness or aggressiveness of the washing substances contained, the so-called surfactants. With soap, syndets and combo bars, there is a wide range of surfactants and, accordingly, many more or less aggressive to mild washing substances. A certain aggressiveness is of course necessary, because the substances are supposed to clean the skin of dirt, make-up etc. But too much of it can also lead to the skin or its protective layer being unnecessarily attacked. How do you quickly recognize whether the surfactants contained in a product are questionable or not? We recommend using CodeCheck - with this app or website you can quickly and easily view products and their composition and also find out about individual ingredients.
Whether you should choose soap, a syndet, or a combo bar is quite an individual question. Of course, it primarily depends on what your skin tolerates well. Many people have dull skin, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't stress it unnecessarily.
Environmental aspects
Solid cleaning products have a huge advantage: they are usually packed in cardboard boxes, so you save plastic waste and you can be sure that natural cosmetics do not contain microplastics. In addition, less water is used in production. Please also pay attention to where "Aqua" (= water) is in the list of ingredients: of course it will be at the front rather than at the end, even with solid products, but it should not be at the very top. Also make sure that it doesn't contain palm oil, which is a great ingredient but has rightly been heavily criticized for its degradation and production.
Usefulness
Solid products like to travel with you and the great thing is that they don't have to be in the 1 liter bag on flights compared to liquid ones. So you save space there. They are often also significantly, significantly more productive than liquid alternatives and that in turn saves money. Most importantly, with a solid product, you don't have to worry about them leaking.
Oils, oils, oils
As with all products with oils, you should make sure that your cleansing product does not contain any comedogenic oils, especially if you have oily or impure facial skin. A substance is called comedogenic if it contributes to clogged pores and skin blemishes. This is primarily an important issue for the facial skin, as it is much more sensitive than the rest of the body. Such substances, especially oils, are often not explicitly mentioned. Here, too, it helps to look at the list of ingredients, but also to try them out, because the nasty thing is that, like many other things, it is all an individual question. Because whether a certain oil has a comedogenic effect on you or not depends on numerous factors. You should have heard of it though, as it can help reduce blemishes if you use the right products for you.
Conclusion
Of course, solid cleansing products, also for the face, are in vogue. But they're more than that: they're just as versatile, but more sustainable, eco-friendly, and useful than liquid alternatives. That's why we recommend them unreservedly, especially our Nirvana facial soap, natural cosmetics (you guessed it) without comedogenic oils.
