Almost every bathroom has a bottle of shower gel. It has become the standard. But is shower gel actually better than soap? The answer is more nuanced than the marketing claims on the packaging suggest.
What is the difference between hand soap and shower gel?
Solid hand soap is made through the saponification process: plant-based oils react with lye and form soap and glycerin. Shower gel is not soap. It is a watery emulsion of synthetic cleansers, preservatives, fragrances and thickeners. Shower gel consists of 80% water.
What does it do to your skin?
Good handmade soap naturally contains glycerin produced during saponification. Glycerin attracts moisture and keeps the skin supple. Industrial soap production removes the glycerin. Shower gel often contains sulfates like Sodium Laureth Sulfate that can attack the skin barrier with daily use.
Plastic use
A 250ml bottle of shower gel is 80% water. You pay for water in a plastic bottle. A 100g soap bar needs no plastic packaging and lasts 60 to 80 washes, two to three times longer than a 250ml bottle of shower gel.
When do you choose what?
Handmade soap is the better choice for daily use for people with normal to dry skin. A good handmade soap bar from organic oils without sulfates and synthetic fragrances is milder, more sustainable and more affordable than most shower gels.
Discover our range of natural soap or read more about soap bar vs liquid soap.
Frequently asked questions
Is soap better than shower gel?
Good handmade soap from organic oils is milder than shower gel with sulfates for most skin types. Shower gel also consists of 80% water and has plastic packaging. A soap bar is more concentrated, more sustainable and more eco-friendly.
Does soap dry out your hands?
Industrial soap with sulfates can dry out the skin. Handmade cold process soap naturally contains glycerin that retains moisture. The feeling after washing is the best signal.
Is liquid soap better than solid soap?
Not necessarily. Liquid soap almost always contains preservatives and synthetic additives. Solid soap does not need these and is more concentrated, with the added benefit of plastic-free packaging.
