Selecting the right handmade soap for your skin is one of the easiest yet very crucial steps towards your skincare routine. As you know, handmade soaps are far much better than commercial soaps. Commercial soaps contain sulfates, parabens, strong detergents and artificial fragrances whereas Handmade soaps are formed with essential oils, butters and leaves, etc. to moisturise your skin gently. We should keep in mind that every handmade soap is not best suited for all skin types. To get the best results for your skin, it’s really important to know your skin type and select your handmade soap accordingly.
Let’s learn more about how to choose the right handmade soap according to your skin type.
Why Choose Handmade Soaps?
Let’s first understand why handmade soaps are better for your skin.
- Gentle and suitable for sensitive and combination skin.
- Eco-friendly and often cruelty-free.
- Rich in natural ingredients such as essential oils, butters, leaves, herbs, etc.
- Helps in reducing Common skin issues.
Handmade soaps are best for keeping your skin hydrated and improving overall skin health.
Below are a few detailed steps mentioned which needed to be followed to choose the right handmade soap for your skin type.
Step 1: Identifying your Skin Type for choosing the right Soap -
The first step in choosing the right soap for your skin is identifying your skin type.
1. Dry Skin
It feels dull, tight, itchy and often appears flaky with visible fine lines on the face. It should be moisturized three times/day and keeps yourself hydrated as much as possible.
2. Oily Skin
It often feels greasy, slick and heavy to touch. It appears shiny shortly after washing the skin. To control oil on your skin, one should cleanse your face twice daily and use multani mitti (clay) for absorbing excess oil.
3. Sensitive Skin
It feels irritated, burned and it often appears as redness or itching. Try to involve soothing ingredients in your skincare routine such as aloevera and oatmeal to calm down irritation and itching on the skin.
4. Combination Skin
It is a mixture of dry and oily skin, it is mainly oily in T-Zone and dry in others. To cure combination skin, use only gel based or water based moisturizer and must use toners such as rosewater for maintaining balance in skin.
Step 2: Choose Ingredients Based on Skin Type
Many people get attracted towards soap colour and fragrance rather than focusing more on the ingredients of the soap. Let’s break it down in knowing which ingredient is best for a particular skin type.
Best Soaps/Ingredients for Dry Skin
If someone has dry skin, choose soaps which are rich in moisturizing skin.
Ingredients need to be look for:-
- Shea Butter
- Olive Oil
- Almond Oil
- Cocoa Butter
- Honey
- Goat Milk
Benefits:
- Deep hydration and moisturization to the skin
- Reduces dullness and flakiness
- Soft and Smooth Skin
Best Soaps/Ingredients for Oily Skin
If someone has Oily skin, choose soaps which help in controlling excess oil.
Ingredients need to be look for:-
- Neem
- Tea Tree oil
- Multani Mitti (Clay)
- Charcoal
- Aloevera
- Green tea
- Jojoba Oil
Benefits:
- Removes excess oil
- Prevents acne
- Cleans pores deeply and cleanse the skin
Best Soaps/Ingredients for Sensitive Skin
To make the best out of Sensitive skin, choose soaps which are gentle, soothing and calming for the skin.
Ingredients need to be look for:-
- Aloevera
- Oatmeal
- Chamomile oil
- Green Tea extract
- Shea Butter
Benefits:
- Reduces Irritation
- Gentle cleansing
- Soothes redness
Best Soaps/Ingredients for Combination Skin
Combination skin always needs balance as it is a combination of dry and oily skin both. So, we need to choose soaps which balance both the skin.
Ingredients need to be look for:-
- Aloevera
- Jojoba Oil
- Tea tree Oil
- Rose water
- Turmeric
- Green Tea
- Honey
Benefits:
- Keeps Skin hydrated
- Controls oil
- Helps in maintaining skin hydrated
Step 3: Check the Ingredients List always
You have to always read the label before buying the soap products and check the ingredients of the soap to get details about the product.
Keep these points in mind while buying any soap:
- Avoid sulfates, parabens and artificial fragrances.
- Always prefer soaps which are made by cold-process method
- Look for the ingredients, if they suitable for your skin or not
- Must be aware about your skin issues and choose the ingredients accordingly
Golden Advice: The fewer the ingredients, the better it is for your skin.
Step 4: Consider Your Skin Concerns
Skin concerns are typically addressed by identifying your skin type. If you know your skin issues, then you can easily choose the right soap to heal your skin.
There are few skin issues with their corresponding curing ingredients:
Acne → Choose Neem or Tea Tree soap
Pigmentation → Use Turmeric and Aloevera
Dull skin → Use Turmeric, honey, Lemon and Papaya
Aging → Choose Coconut Oil, Green Tea and honey
Dry skin → Use Glycerin and shea butter
Step 5: Do a Patch Test
Always perform a patch test before applying soap on your face and body.
- Select small area of your skin and apply soap on it
- Wait for at least 24 hrs
- After 24hrs, check for redness and irritation on the skin.
This patch test will help you in avoiding allergic reactions.
Extra tips for Glowing Skin
- Use mild and gentle facewash for cleansing your skin
- Apply moisturizer daily to restore skin moisture
- Apply Sunscreen SPF 30+ to avoid sun damage, aging and sunburns.
- Use Vitamin C serum twice a day to maintain glow on the skin
- Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated
- Gently exfoliate with coffee scrub once a week to remove dead skin cells
- Consume Vitamin C rich foods such as oranges, amla, kiwi, strawberry and broccoli
- Store your soap in dry place and away from sunlight to last for longer time
Final Thoughts
Right handmade soap shouldn’t be selected according to its appearance, fragrance or brand. It should be selected on the basis of your skin needs. When you select the right handmade soap with needed ingredients, your skin gets healthier and softer.
Handmade soaps are a natural blend of nature and care to cure your skin health. With the right choice, you can change your daily bathing session into a skincare session.
So next time when you buy handmade soaps, don’t just go for how it looks – choose what your skin really needs.