How are you using your mildly acidic cleanser?

I don't have particularly sensitive skin, but I wash my face with a mild, pH-balanced cleanser in the morning. I was once deeply into making handmade soap, so I think I tried using all sorts of ingredients that were said to be beneficial, starting with breast milk. I really loved the rich, bouncy texture, and since my skin didn't feel tight after washing, I didn't experience any major breakouts. Most importantly, I liked that it didn't contain chemical additives because it used only the ingredients strictly necessary. I even went so far as to go to great lengths to source expensive ingredients or make my own tinctures to use.

But then, I suddenly had a profound realization. I came to understand that soap is unlikely to function beyond the purpose of washing away bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt. No matter how expensive the ingredients used to make soap are, how much of its active ingredients actually work on the skin? What kind of effect can it offer when it stays on the skin for a mere 20 to 30 seconds (it would likely be even shorter since impatient people like my husband don't rub the soap thoroughly)? Does it even work deep within the skin? Or isn't it just being rinsed away with water before it can actually take effect?

Thinking that there were no advantages to handmade soap other than its moisturizing effect, I stopped making soap back then and have been washing my face with reasonably priced handmade soap. Should I call it moisturizing? It is true that it leaves my skin feeling much less tight than regular soap. My skin still feels moisturized even after drying with a towel.

Recently, I tried a mild acidic cleanser that a friend gifted me, and the user experience was really good. Although it is a bit of a hassle to have to wash it off indefinitely because the slipperiness doesn't wash off easily, the moisture and softness lasted even after applying basic skincare products. Since I have combination skin, I tend to get oily even after waking up, and because I usually layer my skincare products from basics to moisturizer and nourishing cream after my evening cleanse, I used to make sure to wash my face with handmade soap in the morning. However, lately, I have been using the mild acidic cleanser I received as a gift. Since mild acidic cleansers are low in alkalinity, I was worried they might not be sufficient for washing away dirt, so I use a different cleanser for my evening wash.

The biggest advantage of handmade soap is that, above all, it contains no chemical additives other than the exact few ingredients necessary to complete it. I think handmade soap is truly suitable for sensitive skin. My husband has sensitive skin, but he really loves handmade soap. I simply cannot take the soap off the sink, if only because of him. He is too lazy to squeeze out cleanser from a tube, so I have to keep the soap there even more, haha.

I also use that handmade soap for washing my face and showering. However, I feel that the moisturizing effect of the mild acidic cleanser is incomparably better than that of the handmade soap. I buy the handmade soap partly because of my husband, but also because I feel it is good for the skin since it contains no significant chemical ingredients. The mild acidic cleanser definitely contains chemical ingredients. However, the moisturizing effect is exceptional, and I like it so much for my morning wash that I feel I might have to buy the mild acidic handmade soap instead.

How do you all use mild acidic cleansers? Has anyone tried using mild acidic handmade soap?