The Best Face Wash Bar

Buying Guide

If you want healthy skin, you know it’s important to keep your face clean as well as your body. Experts recommend washing with a gentle facial cleanser twice each day — once in the morning and once at night. If you wear makeup, it’s especially important to remove dirt, sweat, pollution and other impurities from your face before you lie down to sleep.

You might think of purchasing liquid cleansers before considering a face wash bar, but beauty bars — which aren’t as harsh or alkaline as regular bar soap — may actually better for skin than you might imagine. And face wash bars have this advantage: they often contain fewer preservatives and additives than liquid soap.

But the best washing routine for you can vary depending on your skin type and lifestyle. And when it comes to purchasing face wash bars, you’ll want to shop with care. Today’s face wash bars are formulated using a variety of natural or synthetic ingredients that provide effective cleansing. It’s important to know what each of those ingredients does so that you can track down the cleanser that will work best for your skin type.

For clogged pores, consider activated charcoal. Activated charcoal draws and absorbs toxins from the body. Though its successful use in beauty products is currently more anectodally supported than research-driven, activated charcoal is designed to remove impurities from the skin.

Another popular ingredient found in some face wash bars is tamarind extract. Sourced from the tamarind plant found in South Africa, this ingredient is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, alpha-hydroxy acids and polysaccharides, which help your skin retain moisture and elasticity.

Rose quartz has a name that just makes you want to buy it. Soaps that contain this natural facial cleanser take advantage of the saponins found in these crystalline minerals. The name saponins comes from the Latin word for soap, which is “sapo,” so it’s no surprise they excel at cleansing. The biggest benefit of rose quartz is that it cleans your face without drying it out.

In addition to these natural cleansers, some face wash bars will be infused with oils to provide fragrance without the addition of chemicals. You may find some even use calming scents like lemongrass or lavender to help you relax and de-stress while you’re going through your daily skincare routine.

• Cleansing bars come in a variety of sizes. Keep in mind how well a bar will fit in your hand before you buy.
• You’ll need a way to preserve your face wash bar between uses. Look for a soap dish that will keep your bar bacteria-free and ready to use.
• Some cleansing bars are formulated not just to clean, but also to protect and restore the skin’s moisture barrier. This will give your moisturizing routine a boost.
• It’s important to make sure you purchase face wash bars made specifically for the unique needs of your face. Soaps made for the body are typically too harsh for the face’s delicate skin. Remember: you can use face bars on any part of your body, but body soaps should not be used on the face.
• One great thing about using a face wash bar instead of liquid cleansers is that you can more easily take it with you when you travel. You won’t have to worry about airline liquid limits when your cleanser comes in bar form. The challenge will be finding something to store it in to make sure it’s still in good condition when you arrive at your destination.
• If you have skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, make sure you choose a face wash bar that’s safe for you to use. Check with your dermatologist before switching to any new soap or moisturizer.
• If you wash your face in the mornings, you might want to avoid a cleanser with built-in fragrances that overpower other scents you’re wearing. For that purpose, look for a face wash bar that’s fragrance-free. If you prefer a soap with relaxing aromas like lemongrass, you could use one cleansing bar for your morning routine and one for the evening, when you’re winding down.
• If you have clogged pores or oily skin, look for a cleansing bar that exfoliates while it cleans. This can help you keep your skin feeling as fresh as possible.