Jul

Bar Soap Beats Liquid Soap Hands Down. Stay Clean & Green.

Did you know that we use almost seven times more liquid soap (2.3 g) than bar soap (0.35 g) on a typical trip to the sink? That adds up quickly and impacts your purse and the planet. Research by scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Here at Urthee we’ve been researching which is best. Let us explain….

Which kind is better? Well, it depends on what is most important to you. If ecology and living with a lighter impact are important to you then bar soap wins. If the decision is financial, bar soap wins again by a significant margin. Washing your hands with bar soap is about a third of the cost as using liquid hand soap.

Liquid soap is often a better moisturiser. However, from a purely health-conscious standpoint, bar soaps contain fewer chemicals. They also do just as good a job in preventing the spread of germs as their liquid counterparts.

Bar soap leaves a significantly smaller ecological footprint than liquid soap. If you want something that’s completely ethically sourced (and comes in vegan options), then add a natural bar soap to your shopping list.

But even if you’re not sold on the natural bar soaps, buying commercially produced bars is still better than picking up a bottle of liquid soap. Studies have shown that liquid soaps have up to 10 times the carbon footprint of bar soaps. That’s not only because of their excess plastic packaging, but also their chemical composition.

Looking strictly at the soaps themselves, bar soap vs liquid soap, both are equally hygienic.

However, the name of the game here is cross-contamination. Think about what you use to dispense and lather your soap—those objects might not be hygienic.

So, bar soap might have a slight edge over liquid soap in the hygiene department, simply because liquid soap pumps aren’t always that clean. On the other hand, contrary to popular belief, bar soap does not grow bacteria. Even if you’re sharing a bar of soap with someone (or multiple someone’s), the chances of bacterial cross-contamination are almost non-existent.

Bar soap is more eco-friendly – Overall the carbon footprint for liquid soap is ten times higher than with bar soap. When you buy liquid soap, you are primarily paying for water. And transporting water, or water-based products, is hard on the planet because all the extra weight involved in its movement. The heavier the shipment, the more fuel it takes to get it from point A to point B. What’s more, liquid soap is almost always sold in plastic containers, and plastic places a huge ecological burden on our planet.

Bar soap, on the other hand, requires far less packaging and shipping resources. It can even be sold “naked,” that is, without any packaging.

Bar soaps last longer – According to Research by scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology use seven times more liquid soap than bar soap during a thirty second hand wash. On average, individuals use 2.3g of liquid soap. In comparison they only use 0.35g of bar soap. This means that bar of soap will last you significantly longer than the bottle of liquid soap. You can even extend the life of your bar by cutting it in half.

Traveling with bar soap is easier – Most of us have had the unfortunate experience of having a soap or shampoo bottle explode in our suitcase during travel. This problem is completely avoidable if you are traveling with bar soap. Pop it in a bag and be confident that the soap won’t be all over your clothes when you reach your destination. Traveling light? You don’t have to worry about the liquid limits for carry-on when traveling with a bar.

Bar soap tends to be more natural – Liquid body washes often contain chemicals to maintain the shelf stability while bar soap is naturally shelf stable and doesn’t require extra preservatives. Bar soaps are generally made of food grade oils and other botanicals. Liquid soaps are more likely to contain harsh detergents or other chemicals. The synthetic ingredients that go into the making of liquid soap accounts for a large portion its carbon footprint, which is 25 percent greater than that of bar soap, according to a 2009 study by the Institute of Environmental Engineering.

Glycerin is naturally occurring in bar soap – Glycerin is important for locking moisture in your skin. Luckily it is naturally occurring in bar soap! You can’t always find this fabulous ingredient in liquid soap and if you do it’s because it’s been added.

Bar soap is more cost effective – if you look at the cost per use of handwashing with bar soap rather than liquid soap, you’ll see that bar soap comes out way ahead there as well. A session at the sink with bar soap will cost you an estimated 0.4 pence, compared to liquid soap, which comes in at a hefty 3.5 pencevper wash.

Don’t fear the Bar – But let’s face it, a lot of people are afraid to use bar soap. In our consumer culture of personalised convenience products, we’ve been conditioned to feel a little icky about sharing a bar of soap. The notion that bar soap is more likely to harbour and transfer bacteria is largely unfounded. Either way, the soap itself and the scrubbing process in a proper handwashing procedure should take care of any of that lingering bacteria.

When considering liquid soap vs. bar soap, which is the better option? Both have their pros and cons. But if you are looking for the greener choice, bar soap wins every time. If you want to use liquid soap, I suggest investing in a well-made hand pump, rather than the plastic ones that come prefilled. Or, if you already have one of the plastic ones, feel free to refill and reuse it.

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