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Acne is a real scourge that hits a large part of adolescents, but also sometimes adults. And while we are looking for all possible means to get rid of it, we often forget the basis of its appearance: excess sebum and bacteria. This is how the washing step, and therefore more particularly the choice of soap that is used, can be the effective solution to fight acne and pimples. However, not all soaps are created equal. You will then have to turn to a natural product having real effectiveness on acne-prone skin. So, which soap to use to fight against acne and pimples? First, check out our selection of the best acne soaps. Then, learn the criteria to recognize a healthy and effective soap against pimples and acne.

What are the best acne and pimple soaps?

The starting point for treating acne is to have a thorough and deep wash, without stripping the skin. For this, it is necessary to adopt a natural soap, which washes gently and which is rich in ingredients with antimicrobial, purifying and sebum-regulating properties. So, swap shower gels and other industrial micellars made from petrochemical ingredients for artisanal and healthy soaps made from natural ingredients. Before discovering the elements to choose a good soap for acne skin, find out in this first part our selection of the best soaps against acne and pimples.

How to choose an effective soap to fight acne?

You now have in your possession a selection of suitable and effective soaps for acne-prone skin and pimples. However, in order for you to recognize a good acne soap yourself, it is important that you know the criteria that allowed us to select them. In this way, you will be able to recognize and select a soap that is good and effective for your skin, but also healthy for the environment. So learn below the characteristics that a soap must have to fight against acne.

Why do you have acne skin?

Acne is an often painless and benign skin disease characterized by the formation of buttons, blackheads (comedones) or whiteheads (microcysts). In the event that you have pimples, we will speak of inflammatory acne. If you have blackheads or microcysts, we will talk about retentional acne.

This acne skin disease is caused by hyperseborrhea (too much sebum secretion). To explain it another way, the sebaceous glands which are located under the skin, make too much sebum. As a result, imperfections form and the skin becomes more oily and acne-prone. At the same time, this excess of sebum accentuates the proliferation of bacteria naturally present in the skin. And the latter then lead to inflammation which develops physically through the appearance of pimples.

Acne can appear as a result of many factors : hormones, stress, poor diet, pollution, smoking, fatigue, insufficient sleep or even lack of hydration.

skin hygiene also plays a major role in the development of pimples and acne. Thus, a bad skin routine and the use of unsuitable products may cause worsening of acne. Therefore, the moment of washing, and therefore the use of soap of input is essential to limit its development. Indeed, a soap will get rid of sebum and impurities that cause the appearance of pimples. And two, it will purify and cleanse the pores of the skin which are very often clogged and which therefore promote retentional acne.

Which soap to choose against pimples and acne: the selection criteria

You will understand, one of the first steps to get rid of acne and pimples is touse a good soap for acne-prone skin. But beware, not all soaps are suitable! Far from there. Indeed, given that the majority of industrial soaps and / or shower gels are manufactured with ingredients that scour and irritate the skin, the sebaceous glands will react and therefore produce more sebum! As a result, the pores of the skin are blocked and dilated, bacteria grow and pimples appear! This is why, in adopting a mild, non-irritating and non-stripping soap with regulating, antimicrobial and purifying active ingredients, you will quickly see the decrease in acne and pimples on your skin!

So, how to recognize a soap adapted to fight acne and pimples?

1 - The type of soap to fight against pimples

Surgras soap, syndet soap, Marseille soap, Aleppo soap, soap resulting from cold or hot saponification, shower gel etc ... are just as many names and types of different soaps that can become a problem to choose one suitable for your acne-prone skin. In order to make your job easier, we've listed the types of soaps that are suitable for acne, and those that are not.

Soaps suitable for acne-prone skin or pimples:

• Cold saponified artisanal soap. The cold saponification process preserves the benefits of the active ingredients found in the composition of the soap. It then contains a large part of natural vegetable glycerin (and not animal like most industrial soaps use), which nourishes and leaves a soft touch on the skin. In addition, this process does not use any surfactants which are irritants and strippers. Many recipes for artisanal cold saponified soaps exist. Note that the goat milk soap is one of the most suitable for fighting acne and pimples.

• Marseille soap or soap from Aleppo. The manufacture of these soaps is different since it uses the hot saponification process. However, they are equally suitable for acne-prone skin since they wash without irritating or stripping and their formulation is made with active ingredients of natural origin and gentle on the skin. These types of soaps are effective in combating acne and pimples due to their purifying and regulating properties. However, be careful with their composition when choosing them. Victim of their notoriety, some manufacturers do not hesitate to change certain basic components and replace them with other oils that are much less qualitative, for example with palm oil or animal fat. To avoid being fooled, we recommend that you buy them in organic stores, from small artisans or from trusted sites such as for example Slow Cosmetics.

• The surgras soap suitable for acne-prone skin. Surgras soap is a conventional solid soap enriched with oil and therefore fat. Its role is to protect the skin by replacing the sebum that the skin lacks. A classic surgras soap will therefore not be suitable for your acne-prone skin since it will overload your skin with oily and will therefore cause the appearance of pimples. However, a surgras soap suitable for acne-prone skin may be suitable for you. Indeed, when the oils formulated in the soap have cleansing and regulating properties, it can treat and reduce your acne. To be sure that your soap matches your skin, check that it is marked for "oily skin" or for "acne-prone skin". In these cases, it should contain sebum-regulating ingredients (which you can find in the last part).

• Organic shower gel or organic liquid soap without toxic ingredients. The main advantage of shower gel is that it is liquid. Thus, its formulation is made from surfactants and therefore without saponification. For the soap to have a real effect on your acne, it will have to be gentle on the skin. In other words, natural, certified bion and without sulphated surfactants.

• Dermatological bread, also known as "soap without soap" or "syndets". However, beware. We advise you to alternate with one of the types of soap seen previously. Indeed, the formulation of these soaps is based on synthetic detergents. Over time, they can strip the skin and lead to the appearance of pimples. Their only advantage, not negligible however, is that it is the type of soap that has the most similar pH to that of the skin. In other words, it maintains skin balance.

Soaps not suitable for acne or spotty skin:

• Shower gels or industrial soaps. Often filled with harmful components, irritants, strippers and allergens, this type of soap is not suitable for acne-prone skin. And yet these are the ones that are found in greater numbers in stores and in bathrooms.

• Surgras soaps not suitable for acne and pimples. As seen previously, not all surgras soaps are suitable for acne-prone skin. Be careful to choose one that says it is suitable for acne or pimples.

• Soaps for "dry skin". Dry skin lacks fat. Thus, the soap will be developed to meet this need for lipids which does not correspond at all to your needs. If you have the impression that in addition to pimples and acne, your skin is dry, this is probably a misdiagnosis. Your skin will lack water and therefore hydration. In this case, it will be necessary to use non-comedogenic moisturizers to remedy this problem.

2 - A soap without harmful ingredients to avoid acne and pimples

There are many components incorporated into the soaps, presenting toxic risks, both for the skin and for human health and the environment. Perfumes, preservatives or synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, allergens, sulphates, polymers… and the list goes on! All of these can be strippers, irritants and dryers at the same time and endocrine disruptors suspected of being carcinogenic.

To avoid this and choosing a good soap to fight acne and pimples, here are some recommendations we can give you:

Choose a certified organic soap

To choose a soap that will fight effectively against acne and pimples without being harmful, we advise you as a first step, to adopt one certified organic. This mention guarantees you a soap with natural and healthy components in their formulation. Indeed, composed with natural and non-toxic ingredients, they are generally much less stripping and irritating than industrial soaps or shower gels.

An organic soap must respect a strict organic charter. As a result of this, he will obtain a Label. Here are the Labels ensuring that it is a good organic soap: Ecocert, Cosmebio, Ecolabel, Cosmos Organic, Nature & Progrés, Fleur Européenne, Natrue or even Vegan.

Choose a cold saponified soap or with mild surfactants

Soaps using the cold saponification method or using mild surfactants are the most recommended for combating acne and pimples. Indeed, they present the least risk to the skin since their formulation is made from ingredients that do not irritate and do not strip the skin.

How to recognize a soap truly resulting from cold saponification? You will find in its composition:

• at the beginning of the INCI list, saponified vegetable oils and / or butters. To recognize them, it's simple. You will find them written on the composition in this form: “Sodium” followed by another name ending with the ending “ate”. For example, for saponified olive oil you will find it under the formulation "Sodium Olivate".
• glycerin "Glycerin" naturally occurring in oils.
• on the packaging, you will be able to read the concepts: "cold saponified" or "cold method". The SAF logo or the ASSAF logo are also good indicators.

How to recognize a soap with mild surfactants suitable for acne? Mild surfactants must be derived from sugar (INCI name “Glucoside”) or derived from the amino acid glutamate (INCI name “Glutamate”). The mildest surfactants and therefore the most suitable in a soap for acne-prone skin will be: "Coco Glucoside", "Decyl Glucoside", "Lauryl Glucoside", "Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate", "Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate" and "Coco -Betaine ”.

Learn to recognize dangerous components

To avoid ending up with the wrong soap for acne skinMany ingredients should be avoided. So what are they?

• sulfated surfactants which irritate and scour the skin. Thus, they participate in the accentuation of acne and pimples. You will find them under the following names: "Sodium Laureth Sulfate", "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate", "Ammonium Laureth Sulfate".
• oils of animal origin, non-sustainably traded palm oil, and animal fat ("sodium tallowate"). Animal fat, in addition to not being ecological and respectful of the animal condition, has a reputation of clogging the pores of the skin and aggravating pimples and acne.
• certain additives that you may find under the names “EDTA”, “PEG”, “BHT”, etc .;

3 - A soap with antimicrobial and regulating active ingredients

To close this article, note thatan effective soap to fight against pimples and acne may contain in its formulation purifying, regulating and / or antimicrobials. Indeed, certain ingredients naturally have properties to fight against acne. Thus, when they are formulated in soaps for acne-prone skin, their virtues will be diffused when they come into contact with your skin. So, what are these "magic" ingredients to find in a soap for acne-prone and spotty skin :

• Sebum-regulating and purifying vegetable oils: Jojoba, Hazelnut, Nigella, Carrot, Sweet Almond, Neem, Macadamia.
• Antibacterial, astringent and purifying essential oils: Tea Tree, Palmarosa, Geranium rose Egypt, Rosemary verbenone.
• Some additional ingredients: vegetable glycerin, witch hazel floral water, goat milk, aloe vera.