Anecdotally I find soap strips the seasoning. When food gets stuck to the pan, it also technically becomes part of the pan in the sense the atoms of the food be

Anecdotally I find soap strips the seasoning. When food gets stuck to the pan, it also technically becomes part of the pan in the sense the atoms of the food become bonded with the atoms of the pan, just like how seasoning technically becomes part of the pan. When you use soap and put copious amounts of oil, and wait for the heat to release the food, of course it’s possible to cook, because the oil forms a barrier between the pan and food. You’re basically creating a half assed seasoning layer However the notion that soap can unstick bonded food atoms but doesn’t also unstick bonded polymers is an oxymoron. You can still use soap, just know it will strip food and seasoning both. Even using metal scrubbers and metal utensils can strip the seasoning, in my experience, which is why I re-season frequently. Anecdotally acidic foods strip large amounts of seasoning, happened just the other day with taco seasoning for me. I can definitely tell the difference between a good seasoning layer and a layer of oil simply poured. It’s better for the cooking process and better for the flavor to “properly” season in my subjective experience