Which is more harmful to skin: soap or detergent?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Docscientist
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Skin
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparative harm of soap and detergent to human skin, exploring definitions, properties, and potential irritative effects. Participants engage in a mix of curiosity and academic inquiry, with references to personal experiences and concerns regarding skin irritation.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that detergents are more harmful than soap based on their common usage for bathing versus washing clothes.
  • Another participant questions the nature of the inquiry, asking whether it is a homework question or a matter of curiosity.
  • Definitions of soap and detergent are debated, with one participant noting that soaps are typically made from natural fats while detergents are synthetic.
  • A participant expresses confusion over a claim that soaps cause skin irritation while detergents do not, questioning the validity of this statement.
  • There is a discussion about the chemical nature of soaps and detergents, with one participant clarifying that sodium stearate is indeed a soap and discussing the basic nature of soap solutions.
  • Concerns are raised about the oversimplification of "natural is safe" versus "artificial is harmful," emphasizing that safety should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • Another participant argues that the mechanism of action for soaps and detergents is identical, questioning how one can differentiate between them based on their effects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definitions and effects of soap versus detergent, with no consensus reached on which is more harmful to skin. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the need for clear definitions of soap and detergent, as well as the importance of considering individual chemical properties and effects on skin. There is an acknowledgment of the complexity surrounding the classification and safety of these substances.

Docscientist
Messages
101
Reaction score
11

Homework Statement


Amoung soap and detergent,which is more harmful to our skin?

Homework Equations


None

The Attempt at a Solution


Soap is what we use for bathing so if it is harmful we wouldn't have used it.The detergents are used for washing clothes more often.
So I think detergents are harmful.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Hi, Doc. Is this a homework question, or are you asking out of curiosity?
 
First of all - how do you define soap, how do you define detergent? Are the definitions exclusive, or overlapping?
 
Drakkith said:
Hi, Doc. Is this a homework question, or are you asking out of curiosity?
It's both,Mr Drakkith.
I have got my finals tomorrow.There was this one topic where I found something quite disturbing.It said "Soaps do cause irritation to skin while detergents do not."
But wasn't that supposed to be the other way round?
 
Borek said:
First of all - how do you define soap, how do you define detergent? Are the definitions exclusive, or overlapping?
Soaps are the calcium or potassium salts of higher carboxylic acids. Detergents are the ammonium or sulphonate salts of higher carboxylic acid.Soaps are made from vegetable oil or animal fats while detergents are made from hydrocarbons.
 
So sodium stearate is not a soap?

I was always under impression that detergent refers to the mode of action, and technically soaps are detergents.

Beware: seems like you are falling into a trap of "natural is safe, artificial is harmful". It doesn't work this way. Some things are safe, some are harmful, some are natural, some are artificial - these are completely unrelated classifications, and there is no correlation between them. Plenty of natural, dangerous things, plenty of artificial, perfectly safe ones. Each should be judged separately.

Solution of typical soaps - salts of higher carboxylic acids - are always basic (have high pH, because of hydrolysis). That never works well for the skin. Artificial detergents are not limited this way, solutions of some of the are neutral, or can work even when slightly acidic - and that's much better for the skin. It doesn't mean every artificial detergent is good, again - each should be judged separately.
 
Borek said:
So sodium stearate is not a soap?
I was always under impression that detergent refers to the mode of action, and technically soaps are detergents.
Sorry Mr Borek.Careless mistake.Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of higher carboxylic acid.Sodium stearate is a soap.
No Soaps are not detergents.Only one thing they have in common is that they are both good in cleansing action in soft water.
 
So lithium stearate is not a soap?

Docscientist said:
No Soaps are not detergents.Only one thing they have in common is that they are both good in cleansing action in soft water.

Do you understand that their mechanism of action is identical? How are you going to tell what is a detergent and what is not, if they work the same way?
 

Similar threads

Ion-Ion Repulsion in Micelle Formation: Understanding Soaps
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Chemistry problem with molarity and ions
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
8K
Delta T is making my solution come out negative
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
Medical Why doesn't soap or oil destroy your skin's epidermis?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Germline mutations are more harmful than mutations in somatic cells?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Why Does Detergent Cause a Cotton Loop to Expand on Water?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Skin depth of multilayered (2-layer) wire
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
Find molarity, seemingly simple but I can't do it.
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
5K
Solve Stoichiometry Help: Making a 405g Bar of Soap
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
5K
Is Peanut Oil Amphipathic or Hydrophobic?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K