Do you wash your face with soap?

[Lovethetimeyouhave]

Disagreement here about face washing,

Person 1 was brought up to never use soap on the face

Person 2 says you should use soap/shower gel

Who is right

I have dry skin and clean my face in the evening using an oil cleanser and then a cream cleanser. My skin is fabulous. Hate, hate, hate using soap on my face (and body tbh), my skin feels squeaky and stripped afterwards.

I know hating shower gel is an in thing on MN but I love it. I feel perfectly clean after it and it doesn't make me itchy.

An oil cleanser is exactly what it sounds like an oil you use to clean your face with. It can range from plain old olive oil to a £££ fancy pants cleansing oil. Massage the oil into your face to budge every trace of sunscreen/makeup and then remove with a warm facecloth. It's effective and I find it very relaxing too.

Use a cleanser...

If I used soap on my face my skin would dry out and bleed (eczema).

Soap doesn't kill skin. I use a moisturising soap. Use a make up remover to get rid of that then the soap for an extra clean.

Soap. Mainly because I am trying to cut down on plastics.

I would love to just use soap on face and body but skin has other ideas. Anything foamy like that gives me massive cystic spots along jawlines, even if I rinse about 5 times.

I do have bar soap which I like but we mainly use for hands, and 10 (!) bottles of shower gel to user once the 5 open bottles are used up, so may take me some time to get through them

I sometimes use pure soap, the cheap family soap from Aldi. It's a very good cleanser and I never end up with breakouts etc. My skin is v sensitive and this is one of my favourite cleansers.

@orangeshoebox have you used an oil based cleanser? They're mischievous better for eczema.

Or I've found that the Nanette de Gaspe cleansers are gentle enough.

Use a cleanser and wipe off with cotton wool then use a toner. My oily skin much better after the menopause. Now normal and enlarged pores disappeared!. I have seborrhoeic dermatitis (often a flare up in eyebrows) so twice weekly I wash my face with head and shoulders whist I am washing my hair in the shower.

I sometimes use pure soap, the cheap family soap from Aldi.

It might well not bother you at all, which is fine, but I do feel the need to point out that Aldi bar soap is made from tallow.

I have quite decent skin for my age,oldie here, I have always used soap and water for washing,not just face,but all over. I have always used Wrights coal tar soap,or Pears soap,both which have been around for many years. All these gels and stuff just seem rubbishy to me, plus all the plastic bottles of course.

No. I take very good care of my visage and wouldn’t dream of putting soap on it.

One the advice from my dermatologist I use Johnson's baby shampoo.

I oil cleanse with coconut oil.

Another oil cleanser here - has revolutionized my skin. Use it 6 days out of 7 (just wash it off with a flannel) & on the other day I use a gentle exfoliating wash.

My lines aren’t getting any worse (already had some before I started this) & the blackheads on my nose that I’ve hated my whole life are gone

I use hot water 99% of the time and if feeling extra grubby will use whatever hand soap is on the go...I don't have a skin care routine, I'm too lazy for that and my skin is fine as is.

Dove soap on
My sensitive skin (I was surprised how lovely & mild it is by accident & been using it 10years) I still
Use a cleanser for eye makeup/make up) but finish with dove soap my face never feels tight either.

Pears soap, have done since I was 12.

I use soap, but not everyday. I switched when I stopped using shower gel. I used to use a foaming face wash, but the soap has stopped the spots, doesn't dry my skin and has meant I'm not having to put on copious amounts of moisturiser after. On the in between days I use just water. My gm is 95 and has great skin, so much so people think she's my mum she's always used soap and water.

Not soap

I tried oil cleansing but that leaves me with spots and angry eczema.
skin is much happier with soap&flannel and mousturising afterwards.

Water and flannel.
I also use a home made scrub of ground aduki beans which is actually quite soft. It used to be sold in Body Shop before it turned into crap, and one of the expensive cosmetic companies also sold one for a ridiculous price.
It makes my skin soft and clean, I use it every few days or so.

Always. Have never used anything else nor worn make up.

Sons use shower gel and I tried it but it’s so slimy, greasy and unctuous. Eurgh!

One forehead line, no crows feet, rather decent skin in my mid forties.

It really depends on your skin type. People that never get spots are unlikely to start getting spots unless they have an allergic reaction. Good skin is rarely bothered.

I use sulphur soap on my skin as I have rosacea.

People who use soap always say 'I've used soap for 163 years and I have really young skin...' you couldn't know what your skin would have been like if you'd used something else! And without pictures, we couldn't possibly judge!

Anyway, horses for courses. Depends on the soap. Traditional soaps like Savin du Marseille, the ones with just oil/fat, sodium and laurel or similar like our forebears used is fine. Modern detergent soaps are far too stripping. If you choose to use modern soaps then you should moisturise the minute you finish washing to replenish oils (which is kind of backward as actual facial oil is better than any oil you can reintroduce). The best facial or any other skin cleaning method is to remove the excess oil and grime but retain the skins natural oil, not strip it all out. It is there for a reason and keeps your skin hydrated and supple. So using a traditional oil based soap with no detergents or a good quality facial wash is the best option.