How to Choose Your Solid Face Cleanser

Maybe you've already made the switch from liquid body wash to our solid soap bars or liquid hair care to our solid shampoos and conditioners. But your skin care routine is still a series of bottles and jars. Our solid face cleansers are an easy swap for any routine!

Our solid face cleansers are very different from bar soap. I've talked about the pH difference between soap and face products before in this article, but to summarize, hand and body soaps are too alkaline for your delicate facial skin. While your hands and body can handle higher pH changes, your face skin must stay more acidic to maintain the acid mantle. The acid mantle is the protective barrier on our facial skin that keeps bad bacteria at bay, our skin hydrated, and operates as a defenseive mechanism against pollutants. Both our Moonstone Magic Solid Face Cleanser and our Obsidian Warrior Solid Face Cleanser are formulated to be in a safe pH range (around 5.5).

Each solid face cleanser is made from three main categories of ingredients to produce a balanced, effective cleanser. Cleansing agents, emolients, and active additives combine to tailor them to different skin types. 

• Cleansers are surfactants, which act like a soap (although are able to function in a lower pH environment unlike soap) by combining with dirt, oils, and pollutants from your skin and washing away with the water. They do so in a way that does not strip your skin of beneficial oils or disrupting your acid mantle. Fun fact: combining multiple surfactants (cleansers) makes a formulation more mild. 
• Emollients provide a nice slip and skin feel. They cover the skin to lock in moisture and soothe skin.
• Active Additives are usually used in small amounts, but are very potent ingredients that target specific results.

To decide which one is right for you, let's take a little dive into the ingredients used for each one.

The Moonstone Magic Solid Face Cleanser is recommended for normal to dryer skin types.

We use a combination of mild cleansers derived from coconuts to give this cleanser a creamy lather. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is so mild, it is often used in baby products and is an approved cleanser for all the green beauty certifications. It gives a lacey, silky lather. We combine Cocamidopropyl Betaine, another green beauty favorite, to make the cleansing combo even more mild.

The emollients in the Moonstone Magic Solid Face Cleanser are decadent and rich, yet light and refreshing. We use Mango Butter and Babassu oil to help melt away makeup and dirt while leaving a soft, velvety feel. Mango Butter is an exception to the butter family; it plays very well in skin care. Most butters, like shea and cocoa, are too comedogenic (pore-clogging) for face care products (IMHO). Mango Butter is moisturizing and emolient, but does not clog pores. Babassu Oil imparts a rich, silky feel but is not greasy in the slightest. These properties make it one of my favorites in a skin care product.

Frankincense essential oil gives this cleanser a soft, clean scent. It is often used to soothe irritated skin and to quiet a cluttered mind. I thought it was the perfect essential oil to include in a product used as an essential daily ritual.

The Obsidian Warrior Solid Face Cleanser is recommended for sensitive, oily, or acne-prone skin.

The cleansers in this formulation give a very mild, yet effective lather. Again, we use Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, derived from coconuts and a favorite for baby products and green beauty formulators. We add Foaming Oats (Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids), which is created by the acylation of oat amino acids. This ingredient features a dense, creamy, non-drying lather that is perfect for sensitive skin.

The emollients in this formulation actually double as active additives in a way as well. High linoleic safflower oil and a wax made from ultra refined pure olive oil (Hydrogenated Olive Oil (and) Olive Oil (Olea Europaea) (and) Olive Oil Unsaponifiables) work to remove excess oils while balancing the oil products of your skin. You see, usually when the skin over-produces oils it is because the types of oils created are out of balance. We have oleic and linoleic acids that contribute to healthy skin, providing our own moisture and protective barrier. However, when the skin is producing too much oleic acid, we get oily skin. This cleanser features high-linoleic ingredients to counter this overproduction and restore a more even oil production. So, the high-linoleic safflower oil delivers those linoliec acids while the wax made from olive oil helps deliver these active ingredients into the skin.

The Activated Charcoal is technically the additive in this formulation, but it also works with the cleansers to provide a deep clean. It is known for its drawing properties to help cleanse away pollutants, and its granual consistensy provides a very mild exfoliating experience.

 Which one sounds like it's right for you? I usually tell people who aren't sure what type of skin they have, the Moonstone Magic Solid Face Cleanser is probably best for you. When you have oily skin, you know. When you have sensitive, breakout-prone skin, you know. So, if your skin falls in the low-maintenance to dry range: pick the Moonstone Magic. If your skin produces excess oils, is sensitive and easily irritated, or prone to breakouts, the Obsidian Warrior Solid Face Cleanser is for you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly to ask!

Thanks for reading,

Angela Mayorga

Alchemist and Owner

Silver Stone Apothecary

angela@silverstoneapothecary.com