If they both clean, then does the difference between soap and detergent really matter?
Well, that depends on what you are cleaning.
When attempting to get a big greasy stain out of your favorite shirt, then a hard-hitting surfactant-rich detergent sounds like it would be perfect!
Would you use that same detergent to wash your body potentially stripping it of your skin’s natural oils?
Yikes. Probably not.
Skin is an organ that demands attentive decision-making. It doesn’t need the extra enzymes and brighteners that are in laundry detergents either.
It must be remembered that commercial bar soap at the grocery store is actually categorized as detergent by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
For the purpose of this article, I’ll specifically talk about the bar soap we use to clean our bodies.
Therefore, knowing the difference between a soap product and a non detergent soap really comes down to soap ingredients and detergent ingredients.
Non detergent soap is NOT the commercial bar soap you get at the store.
Non detergent soap is natural handmade soap that consists of fatty acids and alkali.
For this reason, the FDA does not regulate naturally made soap that contains these ingredients. It only oversees commercial soap products.
Commercial soap products can be labeled as a soap but are really considered detergent.
The label on a bar of natural or handmade soap has very few ingredients.
As opposed to a commercial bar of soap where the ingredients are long and synthetic.
If a soap label has synthetic ingredients, which are the hallmark of detergent soap, they are not natural or non detergent soaps.
What are detergent ingredients that set them apart from natural soap?
A predominant detergent ingredient is synthetic surfactants. This sets commercial soaps apart from handmade natural soaps.
sur·fac·tant /sərˈfaktənt/
noun
a substance which tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved.
Here is the nutshell explanation.
When water hits a surface…any surface….it beads up and then streams.
Ever notice a flower petal or leaf when it is raining?
You might have noticed water droplets. Water likes to stick together.
Because of this, water does not spread out and makes things as wet as they could be.
Enter surfactant.
Surfactants break up the tension (water droplets) in water and make it spread out. This way, water can cover more of the surface.
Simultaneously, as the water spreads, the surfactant molecules attach to the water with one end of their molecule and dirt and oil with the other end.
Under those circumstances, the surfactant helps the water “pick up” dirt and grease so that it can rinse away.
Detergent enlists the help of synthetic surfactants.
Because of the artificial or synthetic nature of these surfactants, they are chemical and have to be regulated by the FDA.
The FDA helps keep the general public safe by approving or disapproving of these chemicals.
There are many FDA-approved chemical surfactants used in varying household and skincare products.
The FDA also defines the difference between soap and detergent.
Why do soap products include synthetic surfactants?
First of all, surfactants are naturally occurring in handmade soap!
They are created through the emulsification of fatty acids (oils and fats) and alkali (lye).
Nothing fake or chemically created.
Once fatty acids and alkalis are all mixed up and emulsified, they begin to saponify.
That is just a fancy word for two ingredients that solidify into soap.
Secondly, natural soaps do just as well to clean your skin as a commercial detergent soap.
Some of the reasons to use synthetic surfactants in soap products are:
- The lather properties can be controlled. (Think really sudsy soaps and cleaners.)
- Commercial bars of soap leaves less scum in showers and sinks.
- Detergent soap products work well in both hard and soft water equally.
- Stronger “oil picking up” power.
Another reason soap bars have become detergent with synthetic ingredients is the large scale in which they can be produced.
This infographic shows the most common synthetic surfactants and what products they are typically used in.
Protect your skins natural oils by using the best product.
Everyone has oil in their skin called sebum.
Sebum is unique to each individual. Some of us have less and some have more.
You may notice that some people have shiny skin while some people have dry flaky skin.
Consequently, the oil amount changes as the day goes on and with what skincare products we use.
Fighting our skins natural oils is frustrating especially during the awkward acne-prone teen years.
Although having too much sebum wreaks havoc on the psyche and skin appearance, we shouldn’t wish it all away!
Sebum has a job to do.
It is designed to keep our skin hydrated and healthy. It also protects skin from oxidative stress, UV rays, bacteria, and has anti-inflammatory properties
We don’t want all of this natural safeguard stripped away by harsh detergent soaps!
Mild cleansing products like natural handmade soap increase the odds of softer, more hydrated skin.
There are many more benefits to handmade soap over commercial soap.
The difference between natural handmade soap and detergent is defined by the FDA and solely depends on the ingredients used.