Olay of Olay Moisturizing Bar Soap is a cleansing bar that is basic soap. It has no paraben preservatives and an abundance of detergents. The bar includes many moisturizers to keep skin softer and to keep skin from drying out, like non-moisturizing bars tend to do. Other than water and fragrance there are 20 ingredients in the soap.

Cleansing agents are detergents that clean the surface area of skin and hair. Sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium cocogylceryl ether sulfonate, coconut fatty acids, sodium isethionate, lauric acid and sodium cocoate work as cleansing agents in this Olay bar soap. Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a mild cleanser derived from coconut, according to the Cosmetics Cop website. Sodium cocogylceryl ether sulfonate has foaming properties, while lauric acid can also be a fragrance, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. Sodium isethionate makes the detergent work well in hard or soft water.

Emulsifiers help compounds and formulas stay well-blended. Magnesium cocoate is an emulsifier that also works like an anti-caking device, keeping the soap from flaking on skin. Both magnesium laurate and sodium laurate are emulsifiers that are also anti-caking agents as well, according to the Health Canada website. magnesium stearate and sodium stearate are the last two emulsifiers in the mix.

Binders, or binding agents, keep the chemicals bound together in the compound. Sodium chloride and PEG-90M are the two binding agents in this product. Sodium chloride is common table salt and can be abrasive. PEG-90M is also an emulsion stabilizer.

Thickeners like the paraffin found in Olay soap help keep the product from becoming too thin. Paraffin is a petroleum derivative. Sodium sulfate is also a thickener in Oil of Olay bar soap.

Hydration keeps skin moisturized and prevents over-drying and flaking. Glycerin is the hydrator in this product, according to DERMAdoctor.

Emollients are those agents that keep skin soft and smooth. Stearic acid is a fatty acid that is the emollient in this soap.

Trisodium EDTA can be a chelating agent, which is an agent that binds to metal to keep a product from binding to other additives, but is also a water softener. This keeps the soap working well in hard water. Trisodium Etidronate is a calcium regulator to keep the calcium buildup from the soap and water regulated.

Titanium dioxide is a sunscreen that will help block out UVA and UVB rays, while also serving as a thickener and a whitening agent. It is a natural earth mineral.