Soap-based facial cleansers and amino acid facial cleansers

The ingredients of soap-based facial cleansers and amino acid facial cleansers are different, and they are completely different in nature and personal choice. Therefore, when choosing, you must first look at the ingredient list and the efficacy, and then judge whether it is suitable for your skin. Although both of them are better, they are not suitable for everyone.

The difference between soap-based and amino acid facial cleansers

With the development of the skin care industry, there are more and more types of facial cleansers. The most popular ones now are soap-based facial cleansers and amino acid facial cleansers. Many people have questions, what is the difference between soap-based facial cleansers and amino acid facial cleansers? Which one should I buy? Through this article, we will focus on understanding the differences between these two facial cleansers and what to pay attention to when purchasing.

1. Soap-based facial cleanser

Photo: Soap-based facial cleanser

1. What is a soap-based facial cleanser?

The main ingredients of soap-based facial cleansers are fatty acids + alkali. After saponification reaction, auxiliary ingredients such as fatty acid soap, polyols, emulsifiers, surfactants, and emollients are obtained.

If you don’t understand the principle above, we can also identify it through the ingredient list. Generally, as long as it says sodium XXX acid, potassium XXX acid, or XXX acid + sodium (potassium) hydroxide, it is a soap-based facial cleanser.

Figure: Soap-based facial cleanser ingredient list

2. Advantages of soap-based facial cleansers

It has strong cleaning ability and basically washes everything clean. Soap-based facial cleansers contain alkali and are alkaline in nature, so they have strong ability to remove fat and protein. For example, if you want to remove oil, using a soap-based facial cleanser will wash it very clean, which is very suitable for oily skin.

3. Disadvantages of Soap-Based Facial Cleansers

It is not gentle enough and is generally not suitable for sensitive skin. Due to its strong cleansing ability, if used frequently, it will easily cause over-cleansing, and the face will feel dry and tight after washing.

If used for a long time, it will not only remove the stratum corneum, but also damage the surface of the skin. It can also easily cause irritation to sensitive parts.

2. Amino Acid Facial Cleanser

Figure: Amino acid facial cleanser

1. What is amino acid facial cleanser

Amino acid facial cleanser refers to a facial cleanser that has amino acid surfactants added as the main ingredient (generally as a foaming agent).

The name of amino acid facial cleanser is easy to recognize: a certain acyl group + amino acid + sodium (potassium). If you see sodium XXXXainate or potassium XXXXainate in the ingredient list, it means that amino acid surfactants have been added to this facial cleanser.

2. Advantages of amino acid facial cleanser

The biggest feature of amino acid facial cleanser is that it is gentle. While cleansing and removing dirt on the skin surface, it makes the skin soft, refreshed and not tight after washing. It can be used for dry skin, sensitive skin, and infants and young children. In theory, there will be no problem with long-term use.

3. Disadvantages of amino acid facial cleanser

Difficult to foam, expensive raw materials, high amino acid cost, and difficult formulation process. The cleansing power of pure amino acid facial cleansers is not as strong as that of soap-based ones, and some people feel that they cannot cleanse the skin thoroughly.

3. Purchase suggestions

Amino acid facial cleansers are generally acidic. Compared with soap-based facial cleansers, the acidic ingredients are more skin-friendly, gentle and non-irritating, so if you have dry skin or allergic skin, it is recommended to use amino acid facial cleansers. If you have oily skin and feel that amino acid facial cleansers are not enough to clean your skin thoroughly, you can consider buying a soap-based facial cleanser.

Of course, there are now some facial cleansers that combine the gentleness of amino acid facial cleansers and the cleansing ability of soap-based facial cleansers. This type of facial cleanser has the advantages of both amino acid facial cleansers and soap-based facial cleansers. Therefore, such products can also be given priority.

When purchasing, it is recommended to choose regular big brand products. Big brand products are more trustworthy in terms of quality standards. Products such as Estee Lauder, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Canyun, Lancome, Dior, Olay, L'Oreal, DHC, MayPlus, ORZ, and Freeplus can be considered.