You probably know you need to exfoliate. But the idea of adding another step to your skincare routine sounds exhausting. What if we told you it was unnecessary? You can just use the best exfoliating bar soap while you’re in the shower and exfoliate while you cleanse.
But how do you exfoliate with soap when most bars were just meant to clean - and they barely even do that? You choose the bar of goat milk soap that does it all. Oshun brings together natural chemical and physical exfoliants alongside other ethically-sourced ingredients to replace everything else in your routine. It cleanses, exfoliates, hydrates, and restores in one step.
Learn all about exfoliating with Oshun below.
Why You Need to Exfoliate
Your skin knows how to take care of itself. It replaces itself on a recurring schedule. That happens once every 28 days (give or take a few) in your 20s. But turnover can stretch to 40 days or longer as you get older.1 Exfoliating helps jumpstart that process.
Dead cells that linger longer than they should start building up and trapping oil while muting your skin’s texture. Other products in your routine can’t absorb because they just sit on top of a layer of dead skin cells.
Exfoliation sloughs the gunk away to reveal a clean slate. Regularly exfoliating pays off in smoother texture with better product absorption. But not all forms of exfoliation are made equal. Chemical peels can be really irritating. Harsh physical exfoliants have a learning curve.
That’s why more and more people are exfoliating with bar soap instead.
Is Bar Soap Exfoliating?
To be clear, most soap is not exfoliating. The average bar of soap simply cleanses the skin by lifting away oil and debris using surfactants. Then, the filth is rinsed away (so are your skin’s natural oils, but that’s a conversation for another day).
That’s great when you’re trying to get clean after a long day at work or tough exercise. Does soap exfoliate skin underneath that surface layer, though? Only if the formula has something in it specifically designed for exfoliating.
One example of this is alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). These break apart the bonds that let dead cells hold onto the layer of live cells underneath them.2
Or the soap could have beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) such as salicylic acid. These are oil-soluble, so they can actually work their way into the pores and clear buildup beneath the surface that is preventing new skin from popping through.3
Some bars rely on physical exfoliants like salt or ground oatmeal to actually buff away the outer layer. There are even bars that combine exfoliant methods for a more well-rounded approach. So that being said, how do you exfoliate with soap?
How Do You Exfoliate With Soap?
There are two ways you can exfoliate with soap. We’ll start with the simple way, because that’s probably all you’ll ever want to do once you see how much easier it is than the alternative.
The Simple Way: Use an Exfoliating Bar Soap
Fewer products = less complexity. That’s what everyone wants in their skincare routine. Yet, the beauty industry constantly sells you more. There are some bar soaps out there capable of consolidating your cleansing and exfoliating steps, like Oshun.
Exfoliating with these soaps is as simple as lathering, washing, and letting the soap do the rest. Let the ingredients sit on your skin while you take a moment to be present. All the while, AHAs dissolve the bonds holding dead skin cells on the surface, speeding up your body’s turnover.2 BHAs handle the stuff within your pores that AHAs can’t reach.3 Rinse off and pat your skin dry.
The Two-Step Approach: Regular Cleanser + Body Scrub
You’ll have to add a separate exfoliating scrub if your bar of soap just cleanses. We get asked all the time, should you exfoliate before or after soap? After, always. You need to clear all the surface oil first so the scrub can work to its full potential.
The appeal here is you get more control over the intensity and frequency of exfoliation. The trade-off? Another product to vet, another step in your routine, and the discipline to stay consistent.
If you decide to learn how to exfoliate face with soap this way, make sure your scrub has fine particles only. Your facial skin is much more delicate than that of your back or the rest of your body, so it doesn’t tolerate abrasion as well. Twice a week is usually enough.
The Other Option: Exfoliating Separately From Your Cleansing
There is a third option. Exfoliating out of the shower. This takes even more time and further complicates your routine. But, in the interest of helping you weigh all your options, we want to touch on it.
Chemical exfoliants are meant to go on after washing, once you’re out of the shower and dry. You can add a glycolic acid toner or salicylic acid serum to your regimen. The upside is precision in how you exfoliate, but it’s the same downside we just spoke to - more asked of you.
There’s a growing trend of people deciding enough is enough. You can join the movement and simplify your skincare routine with the best goat milk soap at Oshun.
Oshun: One Bar That Replaces Everything Else in Your Ritual
So, how do you exfoliate with soap? You replace everything on your counter with one intentional, hand-crafted bar from Oshun. It brings together Mother Earth’s finest ingredients from across the globe, handpicked for a specific purpose.
You get lactic acid from Nubian goat milk. White willow bark has salicin at 25%, which converts to salicylic acid upon contact with your skin. There’s also Himalayan pink salt for gentle physical exfoliation.
Meanwhile, kaolin clay pulls out impurities without stripping moisture. Manuka honey calms the skin and helps it recover. First cold-pressed olive oil and Ghanaian shea butter round out the profile to make this the most skin-nourishing soap you’ll ever try.
We let the bar cure for 8 weeks to make sure what reached your doorstep was as concentrated as possible. No filler, fragrance, or anything that doesn’t serve your skin.
What remains after you rinse? Your skin, finally unburdened. Doing what it was always meant to do before it was buried under buildup. Discover the Oshun difference today.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to exfoliate?
We don’t think most people need a separate exfoliating step. In fact, a lot of people who try to exfoliate their skin end up causing more harm than good. A bar containing gentle exfoliants such as AHAs, BHAs, and physical particles simplifies your routine while preventing you from getting in your skin’s way.
Can I exfoliate with regular soap?
No. Regular soap just cleanses by lifting oil off the surface. So how do you exfoliate with soap? You look beyond the mainstream options and choose a bar that has real exfoliating ingredients in it.
What soap is best for exfoliating?
Oshun. It brings a trifecta of exfoliation to your daily cleansing ritual - AHA and BHA chemistry with a physical exfoliant. But exfoliating is just the tip of the iceberg. Oshun hydrates and restores your skin, replacing not just your current cleanser and exfoliant but also your moisturizer, toner, and more!
Related Resources
Does goat milk soap actually clean? | Does goat milk soap lather?
Sources
- Grove GL, Kligman AM. "Age-associated changes in human epidermal cell renewal." Journal of Gerontology. 1983;38(2):137-142. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6827031/
- Tang SC, Yang JH. "Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin." Molecules. 2018;23(4):863. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29642579/
- Arif T. "Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive review." Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2015;8:455-461. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26347269/
