Soap revelation

[Jmangel]

So I've always steered away from facial soap with tales of dryness, more wrinkles, too harsh etc. In fact hadn't used anything foaming at all for at least 3 years for fear of disturbing acid mantle and increasing breakouts - advice from a certain Mrs Hirons.
But, last month was having awful acne and rosacea on my nose despite being on low dose roaccutane and in desperation started googling and came across a purported rosacea saviour of seabuck thorn oil soap. Very tentatively tried it and god it's working! Clearing the spots up and no new ones forming but the really surprising thing is how firming and tightening it is on my skin - amazing since I've only done a very short contact time with it for fear of dryness - max 30 seconds. It feels like I've had a facial afterwards.
So, anyone else use soap with no problems? Suppose I'm just looking for reassurance as I feel like I'm going against the gold standard of beauty advice.

That sounds interesting!
Where did you get it?

I'm a soap fan, I hate all the chemicals in liquid soaps and cleansers.
I buy the purest soap I can and my dry skin has gone, even on my legs.
I won't be changing back.

Alistair well there are loads of brands of seabuckthorn oil soap - mine was from Amazon and called Sibu - I plumped for that one as it had the most positive reviews. Definitely worth a shot if you have rosacea/acne. Just not sure if it might be too harsh moving into winter so that's reassuring PinkPoppy. Do you use oil based soaps too?

Yes, I can get organic oil-based soaps made locally too.
I was really sceptical at first but a bar also lasts much longer than the liquid soaps/shower gels.

I much prefer bars of soap to liquids and gels for facial cleaning and general washing.

The Bodyshop used to do a brilliant vitamin E facial cleansing bar, but sadly it has been discontinued.

I have had facial soap from l'Occitane as well and get on well with the Dove moisturising cleansing soap.

I have mild rosacea (in remission) and am acne prone and nothing suits my finicky skin better than castile soap or black nigella soap. Have used it daily for several years (after a hellish time with perioral exczema) without problems. I am 43 and wrinkle-free.

You can make very good soap at home too.

Oh and I live in the far North, we sometimes have extreme winters (-20C and below last year), and soap is fine throughout the year. My skin readjusted its moisture balance after a week or so and I rarely need facial moisturizer.

I started using a foaming cleanser with similar trepidation recently while getting into Asian beauty and it's been a bit of a revelation with regards to pH levels and the type of surfactants used.

I think it's very dependant on ingredients when it comes to bars of soap, they're very popular with acne sufferers in Japan (they use them with foaming nets to create a dense lather) but they are specially formulated for use on the face. I've kind of been viewing them as solid balm cleansers ever since as soap in essence is a chemically reacted oil/fat that allows for better emulsification with water so less likely to clog you up with residue (as its never in oil form) while acting as a surfactant, it's a world away from the 'no-no' foaming cleansers that utilise stripping/drying added surfactants and disrupt the acidity of your skin by being too base. If it's working for you long term I see no reason to be dissuaded at all.

Well that is reassuring Botemp - will consider it as a solid oil cleanser now - interesting as I always had to double cleanse after my previous oil cleanser with a non foaming cleanser to remove residue but now I only have one step and less potentially irritating chemicals so seems like a no brainer.

Botemp which cleanser do you use?

All of you - do you wear makeup? Does washing it once with soap get it off?

I do occasionally double cleanse if my makeup is heavy but as the soap is clearing my spots up, I've been able to switch back from liquid to mineral powder foundation which seems to take less removing so a single cleanse is sufficient.

Robber, when wearing makeup/SPF I'll double cleanse with an oil cleanser (Muji Sensitive Skin Cleansing Oil) and then follow up with Kibiki Premium Facial Tea Wash. You can get both from ebay. However, it's not a traditional western foaming cleanser that you slap on in the shower, it comes with a foaming net which creates a dense lather that I briefly massage over the skin before rinsing off at the sink.

The Kibiki isn't all that cheap (but judging by how much I've used so far will last forever,

I LOVE bars of soap! In fact I had a long thread a while back entirely about soap

I love Waitrose glycerin soap and it's gentle enough for my very sensitive face and their packs of 4 scented soaps. Cheap and gentle!

I use the Sum37 cleanser and have no problem. I have dry kin. It's normally my second cleanse.

I use sunscreen and makeup daily. My first cleanse is with Bioderma micellar water, the second with soap. The perfect combo, my skin is in fantastic shape and my long battle with adult acne seems to be over.