eli5 Why does the handwash/soap only kill the microorganisms but not our own skin cells?

Question

I read how soap kills the microorganisms like bacteria by tearing apart their cell membranes.

Does that affect our skin cells also, does the top most layer of our skin also dies and we are just too big on cellular scale that we don’t feel anything?

P.S. i know millions of cells die in our body everyday so it doesn’t matter still just curious does soap also kill outer most skin cells?

In: 64

Answer 1

You have a layer of dead, keratinized cells overlaying the living skin cells. This offers some protection from chemicals. Notice that when you have a cut and this barrier is no longer intact, soap stings.