Soap and cleansers are body and health care staples that we use every day. They touch our skin, affect our health, but they’re also something many of us take for granted. For soaps, there are generally two options – liquid or bar soap, but whichever you choose, you want it to feel good on your skin and align with your values.
A common question we receive is whether bar soap or liquid soap is better for your skin.
Honestly, both can be excellent options if they’re formulated with high-quality ingredients. The difference between high-quality and low-quality cleansers doesn’t have anything to do with the format.
It’s 100% about the formulation.
Soaps contain oils, extracts, surfactants, and preservatives that determine whether your skin feels nourished after using it, or if you’re burdened with skin that feels stripped of its natural oil, irritated, and uncomfortably unbalanced.
Take a look at the science behind bar soaps vs liquid soaps, the ingredients you should look for, the ones you should avoid, and how our favorite ingredient (spoiler alert: it’s sea buckthorn) is our signature superfruit that elevates both bar and liquid soaps.
Bar Soaps Vs Liquid Soaps: What’s the Real Difference
If you’re among the many who have stood in front of an endless variety of soaps in the store, or were browsing online and just found yourself overwhelmed, not knowing whether to choose a bar or liquid soap, you’re definitely not alone. Both liquid and bar soaps can deliver a wonderful, gentle, and effective cleansing experience.
The differences between the two types of soaps involve factors like ingredients, their pH level, texture, environmental impact, and sustainability. By knowing how each type of soap is formulated, consumers are able to make a more confident decision that aligns with their values and unique skincare needs.
How They’re Made: Bar Soaps Vs Liquid Soaps
Bar soaps are crafted through a process called saponification. This is when oils or fats are combined with lye (sodium hydroxide for the chemistry geeks) to form what we know as soap. This is a process that has been used for centuries, and it has been perfected. We know how to make a really good, solid, long-lasting bar of soap through the saponification process.
Bar soaps typically contain ingredients like:
- Plant-based oils (coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil*, and shea)
- Natural butters
- Animal-based oils or fat-like substances, like tallow or lanolin
- Essential oils (or synthetic fragrances)
- Glycerin
- Colorants (some bar soaps)
- Occasionally, preservatives, depending on the formula
A note about palm oil*: Palm oil is often used in soaps due to the properties it creates. However, conventional palm oil production can contribute to the degradation of the environment through deforestation and habitat loss. This is why Sibu only uses RSPO-certified palm oil, which is sustainably sourced, ethically produced, and fully traceable. Sibu proudly displays the RSPO logo on our products. Always make sure your bar soaps containing palm oil have the RSPO certified logo.
Now, looking at liquid soaps, the process is similar, but they are formulated using potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide, which provides a fluid soap base. Some, but not all, liquid soaps also contain detergents, and additional emulsifiers and stabilizers to maintain texture.
Because they contain a higher percentage of water, liquid soaps require some type of preservative.
Differences In How Liquid and Bar Soaps Perform
Lather:
Each type of soap lathers differently. Part of this depends on the formula, but bar soaps tend to create a creamier lather, while liquid soaps offer a lighter lather that dissipates quickly.
pH:
Both can be skin-friendly; it just depends on what goes into the soap and how it is made. Bar soaps tend to be slightly more alkaline, while liquid soaps tend to have a more neutral acidity. This is why some people feel that bar soaps strip their skin of moisture. But, this is not the case with all bar soaps. Sibu’s Cleansing Face & Body Bar with Sea Buckthorn is formulated to nourish and moisturize the skin. No stripping allowed with our formula.
Hygiene & Germs:
Have you heard that bar soaps are dirtier, basically acting as bacterial petri dishes for every germ that touches them? This isn’t true. Bar soaps are just as hygienic as liquid soaps, and while a bar soap may have germs on the surface, they are easily washed away with a little water. If you’re worried, just run your bar soap under water for a second after using it.
Environmental Impact:
Bar soaps generally have a lower environmental impact due to minimal packaging and less water used in the process.
Ingredients to Look For in Both Bar and Liquid Soaps
High-quality oils, butters, and Mother Nature’s bounty are the backbone of high-quality, skin-loving cleansers, in both bar and liquid soaps. Here are a few high-quality ingredients to look for.
Cleansing Bases You Can Trust
Sodium Palmate & Sodium Palm Kernelate: Sibu uses RSPO-certified palm oil as the base of our bar soap. These ingredients create a creamy, rich lather and a long-lasting bar without compromising our ethics and commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, and Coco-Glucoside: Don’t let the long names fool you. These are a group of super-gentle and naturally biodegradable surfactants that form the foundation of our liquid Polishing Facial Cleanser. They are sustainably derived from natural ingredients and are ideal for skin that is sensitive, dry, or reactive to harsh cleansers.
Coco-Betaine: Look for this omega-rich ingredient as a gentle surfactant that boosts lather without stripping any of the skin’s natural oils.
The Botanical Hero: Sea Buckthorn
While every ingredient in Sibu’s cleansers is intentional and formulated to nourish the skin, the star of our products is sea buckthorn.
Sea buckthorn contains more than 190 bioactive compounds to nourish, protect, and heal the skin. Sea buckthorn is abundantly rich in:
- Omega-7 fatty acids
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Skin-friendly vitamins A, C, and E
- Carotenoids
- Antioxidants
- Anti-inflammatory compounds
Sea buckthorn supports skin barrier repair and hydration, providing skin resilience and beautiful, natural radiance.
Skin Soothing Ingredients
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour:
Calms irritation, reduces redness, and lends a luxuriously silky feel to bar soap
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil:
Lusciously lightweight, jojoba oil works as an emollient in liquid cleansers, providing a gentle, moisturizing cleansing experience without heaviness
Glyceryl Oleate:
A natural lipid that replenishes the skin barrier
Glycerin:
A nourishing humectant that draws moisture into the skin and protects against that dreaded post-wash tightness
Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5):
Helps to soothe, hydrate, and support skin repair
Soymilk Powder:
Loaded with amino acids that help to soften and nourish the skin
A Note About Fragrance: Bar and Liquid Soaps
Scent can play an important role in soap formulations. It can add something to the cleansing experience for those who are not sensitive, but the right scents can serve more than one purpose.
Synthetic fragrances and harsh fragrancing chemicals should be avoided, but there are many natural essential oils that add to the benefits of soap formulas. Citrus essential oils are wonderful in soap formulas. Lemon, tangerine, orange, bergamot, and grapefruit offer natural aromatherapy benefits, along with gentle astringent and brightening properties.
The Naughty List: Bar and Liquid Soap Ingredients to Avoid
Harsh Sulfates: Ingredients like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate) are harsh ingredients that can strip skin of its natural oils. When added to soaps, sulfates can cause dryness and irritation. SLS and SLES never make their way into our Sibu formulas. We use only gentle, plant-derived surfactants in our high-quality soaps.
Synthetic Fragrances & Dyes: Artificial fragrance blends can trigger sensitivity and dermatitis. At Sibu, we use only pure essential oils for a light, refreshing, natural scent, with formulas that avoid synthetic dyes.
Non-Sustainable Palm Oil: Palm oil has gotten a negative reputation in recent years. Palm oil itself is not harmful. It’s the irresponsible production that makes unsustainably sourced palm oil an ecological disaster. Sibu uses only RSPO-certified palm oil, which assures that your soap is aligned with ethical, eco-friendly standards.
Petroleum-derived oils: Mineral oil and petrolatum offer zero nourishing value for skin. It’s common to notice a heavy feeling when petroleum-derived oils are added to soaps.
Harsh Preservatives: Inferior soaps will use harsh ingredients like formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, parabens, methylisothiazolinone, and methylchloroisothiazolionone as preservatives. These aren’t necessary and actually degrade soap quality. Sibu uses naturally derived preservatives that don’t cause irritation or sensitivity.
Sea Buckthorn: The Star Ingredient in Sibu’s Cleansing Products
If you’re familiar with Sibu, you already know how we feel about sea buckthorn. This miraculous little berry is at the heart of every Sibu formula. Bright orange in color, the sea buckthorn berry is one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods on earth.
The benefits make sense when taken as a supplement, but what about when it’s used in soap?
Sea buckthorn has a unique ability to nourish the body, including the skin, from both the inside and the outside.
For starters, sea buckthorn is naturally rich in omega-7 fatty acids. Omega-7 feels like it was made for supporting skin health, with its ability to support a healthy skin barrier, maintain hydration, and protect elasticity. Sea buckthorn is the most abundant source of omega-7 fatty acids, which is just one reason why we love it.
Sea buckthorn also brings antioxidants to the table. This includes vitamin C, which works overtime to brighten the skin and support collagen production. There’s also vitamin E to moisturize the skin and protect it against environmental stress. Then, there are carotenoids, flavonoids, and other anti-inflammatory compounds that soothe inflammation and redness, while also protecting sensitive skin.
The unique and powerful nutrient profile of sea buckthorn makes it one of the best ingredients to include in soaps that are formulated to cleanse, heal, and protect the skin.
Sea buckthorn, combined with other gentle ingredients, like coconut oil, shea, aloe vera, and essential oils, along with botanical extracts, is what makes both our Sibu Cleansing Bar and Polishing Facial Cleanser so gentle and effective for all skin types.
Why Sibu Avoids Harsh Chemicals
Including harsh chemicals and synthetic additives has never been an option for us. Sibu believes that skincare should nourish the skin, and this means it needs to be clean, effective, gentle, and transparent.
Sibu says no to sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and unnecessary fillers. Instead, we prioritize plant-based, ethically sourced ingredients that work for your skin and allow you to feel good about the cleansing products you’re using.
Sustainability, From Packaging, to Palm Oil and Beyond
Let’s talk about sustainability.
The sustainability of soap is something that often slips off the radar of even the most eco-conscious consumer.
We use soaps every day, and most people are going to prioritize how well a soap performs and how it makes their skin feel over whether it’s a sustainable product. But soap is also one of the most common products in every household, and the ecological impact it makes is important.
Packaging: Bar Soap Vs Liquid Soap – Which Is More Sustainable
For consumers who prioritize minimal packaging, bar soaps come out ahead of liquid soap in terms of sustainability. Bar soaps require minimal packaging, and eco-conscious companies prioritize sustainable, recyclable, or easily degradable packaging on top of this.
On the other hand, liquid soaps require plastic bottles. Depending on the formula, a liquid soap can be packaged into a glass bottle and accessed through a pump, but then the pump still contains plastic parts. Plastic is just hard to get away from with liquid soaps.
Liquid soaps also require more water in their production, which places additional strain on the earth’s water resources. Plus, comparing a single bar of soap to a single bottle of liquid soap, the liquid soap weighs more and takes up more space in shipping boxes, which contributes to increased transit emissions.
Palm Oil Sourcing
Palm oil is a common ingredient in bar soaps, but not all palm oil is the same. Palm oil that isn’t sustainably sourced is problematic for the environment. Palm oil is one of the biggest contributors to deforestation in the world. The effects have been rapid and far-reaching.
Not only does this deforestation disrupt or eliminate the natural habitats of many species, some of which are already endangered, but it also wipes out the plant life and alters the soil to the point that the deforestation is a contributor to climate change.
Palm oil isn’t just found in soaps, but many other consumer products, from cosmetics and toothpaste, to baked goods, buttery spreads, chocolates, and an endless list of consumable products.
While the use of palm oil isn’t bad, how we acquire it can be. This is why Sibu is committed to using only RSPO-certified palm oil that doesn’t harm ecosystems, wildlife, or contribute to worsening greenhouse gas emissions.
What Is This RSPO-Certification We Keep Talking About?
RSPO stands for the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil, and is an initiative to ensure the sustainable growth and harvesting of palm oil. The RSPO logo on a product designates that it supports ethical farming practices, protection of natural habitats, and traceable, transparent sourcing.
To be RSPO certified, palm oil harvesting must:
- Not result in the clearing of forests that are ecologically important
- Not involve the use of child labor in the growth or harvesting
- Prioritize small, sustainable farmers
- Be inspected by independent agencies
- Undergo continuous monitoring of the palm oil supply chain for complete transparency and traceability.
Palm oil is more commonly found in bar soaps, but it is also sometimes used in liquid soap formulas. The key to choosing sustainable bar soaps is to always look for the RSPO certification if the product contains palm oil, insist on ingredient transparency, and prioritize brands that are committed to sustainability and ethical sourcing.
Choosing the Right Cleanser for Your Skin Type
Is bar soap or liquid soap better for your skin?
In truth, it’s more about what’s inside than the form the soap takes. It’s important to consider your skin type and skin needs, including any skin conditions, such as eczema, acne, or psoriasis, you may have.
Some soaps work beautifully for a range of skin types, from super sensitive to dry or problematically oily. When you’re checking out the ingredients label, here are a few key things to look for in each formula.
Dry/Sensitive Skin
Sea buckthorn for moisture and skin protection
Aloe vera Shea butter
Glycerin
Gentle surfactants
Avoid sulfates and synthetic fragrances
Oily & Acne Prone Skin
Sea buckthorn to fight inflammation and balance oil production
Balancing botanicals
Non-comedogenic oils
Anti-inflammatory ingredients
Combination Skin
Prioritize clean, gentle ingredients that work to support healthy skin without stripping, drying, or irritation. Sea buckthorn is a powerhouse ingredient in soaps for all skin types.
Bar Vs Liquid? The Choice Is Yours
Whether you like the simplicity of a high-quality bar of soap or the lighter feel of a liquid cleanser, what really matters is what’s on the inside. Good soap isn’t about fancy packaging or synthetic ingredients that alter the way it feels or performs. High-quality cleansers begin with sustainably sourced plant oils, humectants, gentle surfactants, and a load of antioxidant-rich botanicals that truly make a difference in how your skin looks and feels.
At Sibu, we believe cleansing is nourishing and restorative. We’re intentional with our formulas and ingredients, and we’re committed to promoting the benefits of sea buckthorn, as one of the most powerful superfruits that supports skin health at every level.
Clean, natural, sustainable, transparent, and effective. That’s our promise to you when you choose Sibu products that honor your skin and your values.