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When shopping for soap or body wash to use in the shower, how do you decide which one to buy? Do you simply reach for the least expensive one? Choose the one that smells the best? Go for the one with the most stylish packaging?
When comparing soaps and body washes, it’s important to pay attention to the type of soap. If it’s antibacterial, it could be doing more harm to your skin than good. Curious about how antibacterial soap, which certainly sounds beneficial, can backfire? Keep reading for all the facts, straight from a dermatologist.
How Antibacterial Soap Can Negatively Impact Skin?
Antibacterial soap (also called antimicrobial or antiseptic), contains ingredients that reduce or prevent bacterial infection. Sounds like a good thing, right? Dr. Raina Bembry, MD, a dermatologist at Integrated Dermatology of Fairfax, says that antibacterial soap can be beneficial for some people. If you are looking for a soap to treat body odor in the underarms, groin or feet, or to treat skin infection, Dr. Bembry reveals that using antibacterial soap can help. Otherwise, she doesn’t recommend it.
“I don’t recommend routine use of antibacterial soaps, especially for people with eczema or dry skin, because these soaps tend to have a higher pH and strip the skin of its natural oils, which disturbs the skin barrier,” she explains.
Similar to how trillions of bacteria live in the gut to form the gut microbiome, the skin has its own microbiome. “The skin microbiome is a diverse mix of hundreds of species of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in homeostasis in the skin,” Dr. Bembry says. While she explains that more research needs to be done to determine how antibacterial soap impacts the gut microbiome (after all, you hopefully aren’t swallowing it while you shower), she says that antibacterial soap can negatively impact the skin microbiome.
“Antibacterial soaps tend to have a higher pH, which can damage the skin barrier. Any damage to the skin barrier can disrupt the skin microbiome by causing an overgrowth or undergrowth of bacteria,” Dr. Bembry explains. As its name implies, she adds that antibacterial soaps can kill bacteria, potentially causing an imbalance in bacterial populations. “This imbalance may cause bacteria to become pathogenic, leading to infections in the skin,” she says.
What To Look for When Shopping for Soap or Body Wash?
If you notice that your skin is itchy, tight or dry, or you develop a rash after showering, Dr. Bembry says that these are all sure signs that you need to stop using your soap or body wash, especially if it’s antibacterial. “These are all signs the skin barrier might be disturbed or you’ve developed an allergy to the product,” she warns.
Want to shop for shower products like a dermatologist? Dr. Bembry prefers beauty bars over soap. Beauty bars are synthetic detergents made to be gentle on the skin. Both effectively wash away grime and clean the body; beauty bars are just less harsh.
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“Soaps have a higher pH and can strip the skin of its natural oils and disrupt the skin barrier. Beauty bars are gentler on the skin and are more moisturizing than soaps,” Dr. Bembry explains. She adds that she prefers beauty bars that are fragrance-free because fragrance can be a potential allergen for some people.
With all this in mind, unless you are using antibacterial soap for a medicinal reason (like to treat a skin infection), there’s no place for it in your shower. Instead, choose gentler products that will nourish your skin instead of damaging the skin barrier and killing off beneficial bacteria. Doctor’s orders!