# "Soap-Free" soap **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748 "2009-01-30T18:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/1 "2009-01-30T18:29:32Z")
Due to a skin irritation, I was told by a doctor to use Purpose brand liquid soap on my face in the shower. ([First one here.](http://www.purposeskincare.com/productGuide.jsp)) However, this stuff is kind of expensive ($7 for 6 oz.). So, does anyone know any equivalent products? What the doctor actually said was to use “soap-free” soap, and that Purpose was an example of this. Even better: What does “soap-free” mean? How can I figure out if a cleaner is soap-free by looking at the ingredients list? Curiously, the doctor also said to look for fragrance free products, but Purpose has “fragrance” listed as an ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/2 "2009-01-30T19:01:15Z")
Ask your doctor if you can use [Cetaphil](http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=16824&catid=21222) instead. It’s $9 for 16 oz, and this is what my dermatologist recommended for me. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/3 "2009-01-30T20:49:17Z")
Thanks for the recommendation, **Zipper**. [Duane Wayne](http://www.duanereade.com/) carries a generic for Cetaphil and not for Purpose, so I would definitely prefer this. I’m not going to ask the doctor, since that would require time/money, and I know I can’t ask for medical advice, so let me put it this way: If Purpose is “Soap-Free”, is Cetaphil also “Soap-Free”? Also, since this is **GQ** : How can soap be “soap-free”? (My biggest academic regrets are that I know nothing about Poetry and Chemistry.) ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/4 "2009-01-30T21:24:09Z")
If I had to guess, “soap-free” soap means non-ionic surfactant soap. There are a number of other things it might mean, but non-ionic soap is definitely the least irritating. Ask your doctor if baby shampoo will work. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/5 "2009-01-30T22:00:41Z")
> [@](#): > > [Detergent - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detergent) > > A detergent is a material intended to assist cleaning. The term is sometimes used to differentiate between soap and other surfactants used for cleaning. > > Terminology > Sometimes the word detergent is used to distinguish a cleaning agent from soap. During the early development of non-soap surfactants as commercial cleaning products, the term syndet, short for synthetic detergent was promoted to indicate the distinction. The term never became popular and is incorrect, because most soap is itself synthesized (from glycerides). The term **soapless soap** also saw a brief vogue. There is no accurate term for detergents not made of soap other than soapless detergent or non-soap detergent. See also [Soap - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap) [Castile soap - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap) [Glycerin soap - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerin_soap) etc ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/6 "2009-01-31T00:43:41Z")
You may look into goat milk soap. My sister started making and selling it a couple of years ago. I don’t know the details of it’s ingredients, but it’s used by a lot of people who can’t use regular soap. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/7 "2009-01-31T09:03:24Z")
You could also try . [Phisoderm](http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=16695&catid=21234) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-free-soap/483748/8 "2009-01-31T09:36:51Z")
I highly recommend either of these two Cetaphil face cleansers. [Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser](http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=16824&catid=21222) is a non-sudsing cleanser. It’s an opaque lotion-like cleanser, and at first it’s odd because it doesn’t lather like you would expect, but it is great. I have very sensitive facial skin, and this is what I use every day. Also, most drug stores have a cheaper, generic version of this if you want to spend less. [Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, Normal to Oily Skin](http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=86118&catid=21222) is a mildly sudsing/foaming facial cleanser that is a clear gel. This is good if you have oily skin. Both of these are very mild soap-free cleansers and are awesome. And also, both are fragrance-free.