Natural always sounds better ... but is there really a benefit to using natural soaps over conventional soaps? The short answer is usually yes! In general, natural soaps don’t contain the artificial, super-harsh ingredients lurking in the mass-produced soaps you might find from big companies. Instead, they use natural ingredients, base oils (like coconut oil, avocado oil, and shea butter), essential oils, and plant extracts to provide you with a satisfying clean.
Plus, if you use natural bar soaps you're not only getting the best ingredients for your hair, body, and face but also helping the environment by reducing your plastic waste. Bottles of body wash and shampoo are full of plastic and are contributing to our plastic pollution crisis. With bar soaps, it's possible to have good hygiene without all of the plastic. Sounds amazing, right?
The top ingredients to avoid when it comes to bar soaps aren't always easy to find in an ingredient list because they tend to go by specific product or chemical names. Typically, artificial fragrances, parabens, sodium sulfates, and triclosan are the worst ingredients in bar soap to date. But, instead of scouring soap ingredient labels at the store, make life easy and take a look at the best bar soaps that we've gathered together in one list for you below.
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An all-natural moisturizing bar soap that washes away germs and hydrates skin, leaving skin clean, soft, and silky.
You trust Mrs. Meyer’s products to clean your home, now trust them when it comes to your personal care. This Mrs. Meyer's Bar Soap is made without parabens, is Leaping Bunny certified, and is made from thoughtfully chosen ingredients. Plus, it’s available in the garden-inspired scents you know and love from Mrs. Meyer’s, such as Lavender, Plum …
Don’t leave your skin high and dry—get a glow-ready complexion with this grapefruit-scented Peach Hydrating Facial Cleansing Bar for dry and normal skin that uses super-hydrator hyaluronic acid to replenish and revive dry skin.
Skin types: Dry and normal
Scent: “Sipping-something-on-a-patio” Grapefruit
Also formulated with an …
Say no to boring, conventional bar soap and hello to a moisturizing, naturally derived alternative that's still easy on the wallet. This little bar packs a big punch with cleaning and hydrating powers channeled from one of Mother Earth’s most useful fruits — the coconut. From the flesh to the husk, almost all aspects of the coconut get their time …
Whether you say “to-may-to” or “to-mah-to,” there’s one thing we all agree on — this Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Clear Skin Bar Soap is strong enough to detoxify, while still being soft enough to use on delicate skin. It’s paraben-free, sulfate-free, triclosan-free, nut-free, and soy-free, leaving you worry-free with every use.
Step up your grooming game with method Men's Bar Soap and leave your stinky side behind. Each naturally derived bar of soap is made with plant-based formulas and nature-inspired scents that make your body smell just swell. Quick-lathering and clean-rinsing, it's a no-fuss, no-muss solution to cleaning up your act in an instant. Just later and …
Bring a deeper meaning to your skincare routine with this Peach Exfoliating Bar Soap - Hand & Body. It’s made with pink Himalayan sea salt (a natural exfoliant rich in 80+ trace minerals) to buff dead skin and wash away bacteria.
Scent: “Summer-every-day” Raspberry
Plus, this natural bar soap is made with a base of coconut oil and shea butter …
Invigorate your senses — and your skin — with Ursa Major Morning Mojo Bar Soap. This energizing bar soap exfoliates with pumice while it soothes your skin in a rich, creamy lather. The herbaceous aroma is derived from an essential oil blend of rosemary, eucalyptus, and peppermint, leaving behind a crisp scent that gets you ready to tackle the day. …
Refresh and energize dull skin with our exfoliating soap made with 100% natural Peppermint fragrance and color.
Activated Charcoal, Spirulina and Volcanic Sand work in tandem to purge your skin of dead skin cells, sweat and bacteria and reduce excess oil, keeping breakouts at bay.
In addition to its invigorating scent, Peppermint Oil helps …
Get a clear complexion with Marie Originals Acne Control Soap. This natural treatment will send those zits packin' and bring back your face's curb appeal. We're not just talking vanity. Those buggers really hurt. Get 'em gone with this organic herbal blend. Not only will it smooth out the rocky terrain, but this good stuff also has bentonite clay …
The effects of this versatile exfoliating body bar by The Seaweed Bath Co. are two-fold. First, the moisturizing bar soap exfoliates dead skin cells, using Arabica coffee and cinnamon to soften and smooth away blemishes and wrinkles — even scars. Next, it detoxifies and purifies with charcoal powder and a nutrient-rich formula of bladderwrack …
A plastic-free hand & body soap bar with aloe vera to revitalize and hydrate skin.
Scent: “Cooling-Off-in-the-Shade” Green Tea Twist
Put an end to the itch with all-natural Marie Originals Eczema/Psoriasis Relief Soap. This good stuff is crafted to soothe irritation, while also nourishing and moisturizing thirsty skin. It's gentle yet powerful, and it’s also formulated with anti-inflammatory ingredients found in nature to provide long-lasting relief from dry, itchy skin caused …
An itchy or flaky scalp can be irritating, not to mention embarrassing. This HiBAR Soothe Shampoo Bar is made for soothing dandruff-sensitive skin while cleaning your hair. Formulated with plant-derived ingredients such as coconut oil, shea butter, kukui nut oil, and white willow bark extract, this salon-quality shampoo is also color-safe. Best of …
Charcoal is one of the best detoxifiers bar none, so why wouldn’t you want to incorporate it into your hair routine? This Soapbox Detoxifying Charcoal Shampoo Bar removes toxins and dirt from your hair and scalp for a deep clean that encourages healthy hair growth. Plus, it’s shea butter–infused to hydrate your hair with each wash. It’s also …
The ultimate facial detox all wrapped up in a bar. This Terra Beauty Bars Marble Activated Charcoal Facial Bar with Brazilian Yellow Clay draws out impurities and toxins before cleansing and moisturizing your skin. Created as a daily skin balance, this facial soap is also paraben-free, sulfate-free, naturally fragranced with orange essential oils, …
There's no right answer to this question ... it really depends on what you need from your daily cleansing product. However, there are some benefits to bar soap (especially natural bar soap) that do make it better for you (and the planet).
Bar soap tends to use less energy to create and less plastic to package it. Solving the plastic crisis isn't easy but by switching to bar soap in sustainable packaging you can create less household waste while still smelling great.
The theory that body wash is more hydrating and moisturizing than bar soap can be debunked by natural bar soaps that use the same base oils and essential oils that body wash uses to moisturize skin, such as coconut oil, hazelnut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter. And any worries about bar soap being less sanitary than body wash or liquid soap are also easy to squash as long as you lather with bar soap for the required 20 seconds to kill germs and you store the bar soap correctly.
If you're currently a body wash fan due to dry skin, try a moisturizing bar soap (we have a couple in our list) to see if it does the trick. Sometimes making the switch is simply as easy as testing out a new product. Or, if you're looking for exfoliating or acne-clearing options, check out bar soaps that include charcoal or seaweed. For those trying to find bar soaps for sensitive skin, look out for soaps that include lavender and colloidal oatmeal.
Most bar soaps, in general, last longer than body washes as long as you store them correctly. Here are a few key facts to remember about how long bar soaps last:
Unfortunately, when people think of bar soap, they usually think of dry skin too. That's because, historically, bar soaps did tend to dry out skin (especially when compared to body wash). Commercial bar soaps still include skin-drying chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) in their ingredient lists. These sulfates are known to strip skin of its natural oils.
Now, many bar soaps, especially natural bar soaps, use the same hydrating and moisturizing ingredients that body washes use. Base oils like cocoa butter, shea butter, and coconut oil are key parts of moisturizing body soaps so that your skin stays moist and smooth, especially during cold winter months.
If you have sensitive, dry skin, colloidal oatmeal and argan oil are essential bar soap ingredients to help your skin stay calm. To make sure that the bar soap you're choosing has as much moisturizing power as your previous body wash, avoid soaps that have harsh chemicals and choose soaps that are natural, include moisturizing agents, like glycerin, have low PH levels, and feature a clear, easy-to-read ingredient list.
At Grove, we take the guesswork out of which products are good for you and your home. Every product meets strict standards for being nontoxic, effective, sustainable, and cruelty-free. Once you find products you love, we ship to your home on a flexible, monthly schedule.
If you're ready to make the transition to natural cleaning, beauty, and household products, shop Grove Collaborative's natural products for the eco-friendly tools to tackle the job.
