Shower gel and body wash are both forms of liquid soap that are appropriate for cleansing the body. The primary difference between the two is texture. Shower gel has a firmer, gel-like consistency, while body wash is more like liquid soap or dish soap. Another difference between the two, though slight, is their concentration. Much like the difference between perfume and eau de toilette, shower gel frequently has a higher concentration of fragrance and tends to go farther.
Both types of soap are popular alternatives to bar soap for cleansing, especially among women. Their preference could be attributed to how easy they are to use and store, but is most likely because of the wide variety of scents available. Bar soaps break this oily layer apart and lift pathogens away from your skin. Body wash uses the same cleansing mechanism to get dirt off your skin, but often contains a mixture of ingredients meant to help treat common skin conditions. Dryness , clogged pores , and skin flaking can all be addressed with a body wash.
Body wash usually contains ingredients meant to restore skin moisture that can be stripped by the cleansing process. Shower gel is basically a thinner, less hydrating body wash formula.
Body wash, in particular, contains hydrating ingredients meant to coat your skin and seal in moisture. If you have a chronic skin condition like rosacea , psoriasis , or acne , you may want to speak to a dermatologist about the cleanser you use in the shower. Chances are, there is a shower gel or body wash recommended just for you. A dermatologist can also tell you ingredients to look out for and avoid when you shop for a body cleanser.
Cleansing agents often contain natural or synthetic exfoliant ingredients. These can be found in bar soap, too, but they are often not as finely milled or ground down as they would be in a body wash. The use of these tools offers an additional level of exfoliation during your shower.
For those with die-hard bar soap devotion, there are also times when bar soap is the clear winner. Microbeads in body washes are also controversial and, in some cases, completely banned because of their impact on the environment. Bar soap tends to contain fewer ingredients than body soaps and gels. There are plenty of herbal, all-natural bar soap options that are hypoallergenic. After all, all you need to do is hop under the toasty water, grab a little cleanser, and scrub the day away. But hold on a second—the cleanser you're using might not be the ideal one for your skin.
Sorry to burst everyone's soap bubbles, but there is, in fact, a difference between soaps , body washes , and shower gels, and that difference matters, depending on your skin type and even where you live.
To figure out the best product to wash your body with, we asked Ilyse Lefkowicz , MD, a board-certified dermatologist specializing in general and cosmetic dermatology, and the global dermatologist for Head and Shoulders , for all the answers. Lefkowicz she prefers to use the word "bar" instead of "soap," since people often associate the latter with something too harsh.
For people with normal to dry skin, or people looking for milder product formulas, Dr. Lefkowicz says body wash is best. For people with oily skin types, living somewhere hot and humid, or people just looking for a very deep wash—like after a workout—she recommends using a bar as a quick and easy way to get clean.
Lefkowicz also finds body washes to be slightly more hygienic than bars. That's because bacteria can live on bars and remain on there from shower to shower and person to person.
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