Submitted 10 months ago by MenacingPerson@lemm.ee to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
I finished pooping and realised my liquid hand soap had run out, so I used a body soap bar to wash them. I had to go outside and use the hand soap in another bathroom to make sure my hands were clean.
Can you use body soap to wash hands properly?
Soap is soap.
I mean, that simplifies it a bit much.
For example, bar soap uses a different soap chemical than liquid soap (typically sodium stearate vs. typically sodium laureth sulfate). It’s a lot better at removing oils/grease, therefore better at cleaning but will also leave your skin dry.
And then there’s shampoos, which will have additives for your hair. For example, various shampoos for longer hair are prepared in such a way that when they get mixed with water, silicone will fall out of the shampoo and stick to your hair, giving it a shine and making it stick together less.
Well, and for completeness’ sake, there’s also cleaning detergents which technically contain soap, but you really don’t want near your skin.
But yeah, having said all that, any soap intended for use on your body, should be safe for skin and hair. If you intend to switch long-term, then you should watch out for dry skin or less healthy/beautiful hair.
It’s not about safety that I was asking, rather effectiveness. Most people seem to have not understood, though. shrug
Do you actually wash your hands? Or, do your hands wash each other and you just watch?
Depends on what chemicals I’ve taken in the last few hours.
This is a really fun neuroscience question, it’s kinda diving into the different functions of the prefrontal cortex (conscious decision-making) and the cerebellum. (has a major role in muscle memory)
The cerebellum is one of the most interesting body structures. It’s actually like one super long ribbon cable that’s been folded up to take up minimal space.
yes, its practically the same thing. Both contain surfactants, which is the stuff that allows you to rinse off oils and fats with water.
I was actually kind of confused at first about the liquid and bar soap thing. I've used bar soap to wash my hands all my life, and for nothing else. To wash the whole body during a shower, I use liquid soap (called shower gel) and I would find bar soap unwieldy. Moral of the story: your insistence on using one vs the other is entirely cultural.
Fun fact: even washing-up liquid (dish soap) can be used to wash your hands in a pinch.
Fun fact: even washing-up liquid (dish soap) can be used to wash your hands in a pinch.
I go to the dish soap first if I have anything greasy on my hands. Nothing (that most people already have on hand) works better!
I always used it after handball practice because it’s the best way to get the “sticky stuff” ( I have no fucking idea what it’s called in english) off your hands. It does suck how much it removes even your natural oils and makes your hands feel dry.
Funny, I’m the opposite! I like a bar of soap in the shower and liquid soap in a little pump for hands
Soap, beside giving a good smell, has one job. It breaks up the water surface tension to enable it cleaning of the skin surface. Normally the water would not reach the wrinkels of the skin and would not take the contamination off it.
So any soap is good to go. The other stuff in soap like smell and moisture effects don’t matter that much in general and are overrated imoho.
I thought a big point of soap is that it can connect with both polar and non-polar molecules. I.e. making it possible for fats “dissolve” in water.
It makes them miscible (able to mix) not soluble (able to dissolve). But yes, you’re exactly right about the mechanism! 🙌
The other stuff in soap like smell and moisture effects don’t matter that much in general and are overrated imoho.
as someone with sensitive skin - hard disagree, you should be glad your hands don't turn bright red and itch for days because you used the wrong soap (that said - it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but there's definitely a difference in quality and some soaps will just strip some peoples' skin)
Honestly not sure whether or not to take this question seriously.
No Stupid Questions
I didn’t say it was stupid, but there have been questions asked here like “is Kim Kardashian a princess” so sometimes the seriousness of the question is unclear.
Hands are part of the body, dude.
Body soap for men should be okay to wash your hands with but body soap for women won’t work since it’s formulated for women.
HAHAHA you actually made me laugh
This
What if it’s Secret? Isn’t that stuff made for a woman, but strong enough for a man?
No, if men use women’s secret, the confidentiality is breached and the FBI will come knocking on your door
What most people forget (myself included) is to moisturise after washing, even your hands. Just a bit of coconut oil like you’ve probably got in your kitchen is enough, you don’t need to grease up like you’re going to the Olympics or anything. Coconut oil is absorbed very quickly and completely by the skin, making it perfect for some quick moisture to keep your skin from drying out so it stays supple (also why it’s used as a “carrier” oil in many topical medications, it ensures swift transdermal delivery of the drug).
Dry skin itches, and because it’s inflexible it cracks and bleeds more easily. Your skin is your largest organ; take good care of it and keep it moist.
I hate the fatty feeling of moistened hand skin. The occasional crack is annoying but I would never switch it for moisturizing.
I hate the greasy feeling as well. What I did was find a lotion that absorbed quickly and didn’t feel oily just after a few minutes from applying. Took a while of trial and error, but once I found a good one, I stuck with it.
Try “gloves in a bottle”. It soaks in immediately instead of leaving your hands greasy.
Me too, but coconut oil absorbs quickly and completely enough that I find I can suffer through it until it feels normal again.
Do you have any idea why I’m getting downvoted? I’m not wrong, it’s good health advice. I know because I moved somewhere much drier than I’m used to, and my skin hurt and itched all the time until I started moisturising a little. I’m just trying to save other people the discomfort if they don’t know…
I support you on the moisturizing thing, but can’t follow you down the coconut oil road. I can’t stand the smell of coconut. Being someone who burns easily in the sun, I chalk it up to many years of smelling shitty fake coconut scented sunblock products.
As a massage therapist, I have to wash my hands constantly. During the colder months I have to moisturize or my skin cracks. Whatever unscented product that doesn’t leave me leaving greasy fingerprints all over the place is usually good enough until I wash my hands again in another hour.
Since hand soap is for hands and body soap is for the entire body the only logical conclusion is to not wash hands as we don’t know what would happen if you would use body wash for that part of the body.
Wait, back up.
Did you wash your hands, or did you just stand there like a creep, watching your hands wash eachother?
Weirdo.
You can even use body wash on your hair, shampoo is a stronger/harsher body wash
Shampoo is not usually as aggressive as body soap, but yes, it’s all the same principle of stripping oils with surfactants (and the rest of the crap just washes away with that). Just make sure to condition after, or your scalp will freak out and produce a lot more oil to compensate for how suddenly dry your head is.
I would say yes, but I tried using Duke Cannon soap on my hands for a while and it dried them out something fierce
Here is something else that will blow your mind: some people use body soap as shampoo.
My grandpa used to use a 3-in-1 bar of soap back then. According to the short description in the packaging, the soap can be used as body soap, washing dishes and washing clothes as well. I hated the smell so I never used it myself though.
Fake4000@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Your hands are part of your body so it should be ok.
Sarsaparilla@kbin.social 10 months ago
Exactly. I think the bigger question here is whether hand-soap is sufficient to use as body wash? 🤔
ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I’m learning about the jurisdiction of soaps today