So, I was at a party the other day where I became acquainted with a 24-year old, male barber. When he found out that I am an esthetician, he began to share his passion for skincare. Then, the question came "what do you think of my skin?" His skin was plush, slightly oily but fine line-free; a "baby face". I paid my compliment and then he told me " I use soap on my face, Irish Spring". I almost fell over! Let me explain why. I have many friends who have professed their affection for bar soap. A lot of people believe that investing in quality products (products that contain "smart" ingredients - peptides, ceramides, humectants, emollients, hyaluronic acids) is just hype; furthermore, they say that bar soap gets their face the cleanest, but most of these people are in their 20's and 30's with oily skin types (keep in mind that oily skin ages the slowest of all skin types).

I do not doubt that to them, their skin feels cleaner. This is the problem. Bar soap contains a high alkaline level (9 or 10 which is the equivalent to The Great Salt Lake, Milk of Magnesia, and detergent) that disrupts your epidermal barrier. Your skin's pH is naturally between a 4.5 to 5.5 range (like drinking water or pure rain) level of acidity. When you do the math, it's about 10,000 times more alkaline than your skin. They also lack the smart ingredients that help bind moisture into the skin. When your skin barrier is damaged, it becomes weaker thus allowing bacteria to invade your skin and becoming sensitized. As a result, a compromised skin barrier makes your skin easily irritated to fragrances, cosmetics, laundry detegents and hair products. My mother used department store cosmetics for 4 decades and know has stage 2 rosacea. Any fragrance applied to her skin turns her red and swollen. Now, dilated capillaries are exposed and she spends a great deal of her life with consistent irritation. Skin treatments definitely help as long as they are conducted by professionals who understand that sensitized skin treatment protocols call for less heat and friction.

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So friends, the moral of the story is stop using bar soap on your face. Rhonda Allison herself suffers from rosacea and understands that ingredients on the skin should be consistent with your pH balance regardless of your skin type. Visit me at 1st Ave Salon or call me at (909) 276-6562 to get a skin analysis and keep your skin beautiful and strong forever.

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Drop The Soap!