Saponification is a process where fats and oils react with an alkali, such as sodium or potassium hydroxides. Perfumes and coloring are then added to make soap. Soap is designed to attract oil and dirt from the skin to cleanse it by dissolving it into water.
Alkalis give soap a higher pH, whereas the skin has a lower pH. This can be harmful to your skin because:
- Alkalis can weaken the skin's natural protective defenses. The acidic pH that is naturally created by the body in the skin helps to maintain this and protect against the stresses of environmental pollutants and bacteria.
- Natural oils can be stripped away, causing dryness due to higher pH levels.
- The skin can become more vulnerable to inflammation and infectious bacteria if its barrier is weakened.
Soap-free cleansers also pull oil and dirt from the skin but without the use of alkalis, instead opting for plant-based or synthetic ingredients that aren't as damaging to your skin or its natural barrier. Their pH levels tend to match those of the skin, making them more gentle and less likely to cause irritation.
Our soap-free cleansers are available in two beautiful scents, including Geranium, Parsley, and Bitter Orange, as well as Rose Absolute, Neroli, and Seabuckthorn. Made with the milk of cows, goats, and camels, the lactic acid helps to refine the texture of the skin and give it an even tone, while fatty acids help to strengthen its natural protective barrier to prevent the generation of painful bacterial infections, acne, or breakouts. Added fruit extracts provide deep purification and nourishment. Our customers love these gentle and effective soap-free milk cleansers.
Our cream cleanser is also free of soap, but it has a thicker consistency than our cleansing milks. Both options are very gentle and won't damage your skin's natural protective barrier. They're both excellent for people with combination, dry, and sensitive skin types, as well as people with chronic conditions like rosacea.
Cream Cleanser Face Wash for Acne-Prone Skin
Sometimes when it comes to treating acne, you might feel like you can't do right for doing wrong. If you feel that everything you try makes the acne come back with a vengeance, it might help to look at what you're doing wrong and what you need to do to improve the situation. Here are some things you could be doing to exacerbate your acne:
- Using soap to try and get rid of acne spots and blemishes: Your face is the most sensitive part of your skin. Using soap could upset its pH balance and produce excess oils and bacteria, resulting in more spots. It can also dry out your skin, making it easier to see the acne.
- Not sticking with an acne treatment and switching it up each week: With this approach, you're not giving your skin enough time to feel the effects of a single treatment, and your skin is getting irritated, resulting in, well, more acne. Try to use our intensive body balms or cream cleanser for 6 to 8 weeks but expect complete clearance at around 3 to 4 months.
- Only cleaning your spots: Prevent acne from appearing on other parts of your face by cleansing your entire face, not just the area that currently has blackheads, pimples, and excess oils.
- Sleeping in makeup: Use our cream or milk cleansers each night to remove any makeup and impurities before you go to bed. If you're drunk or too tired, try to use gentle makeup removal wipes and make sure to do a proper cleanse as soon as you wake up.
Can Fragrances in Soap-Free Cleansers Cause Skin Concerns?
The term fragrance-free is often used by dermatologists and the skincare industry, but few people know what it actually means. It doesn't mean that you won't be able to detect any smell from a product. Everything has a scent after all. Our soap-free milk and cream cleansers have a lovely aroma due to the natural fruity ingredients we add to them. In essence, they can be considered a fragrance-free cleanser face wash, even though they are scented. We simply don't include any harsh chemicals to manufacture a specific fragrance.
Cleansers and soaps containing harmful chemicals to create fragrances can lead to dryness, redness, and other health problems, including asthma attacks, headaches, and irritated eyes. At IKKARI, our aim is to remove toxins from our bodies, which is why we rely on Mother Nature to select the ingredients we add to our skincare products and their aromas, because Mother knows best!