As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
10 Best Bar Soaps for Men
You probably haven’t had the desire to switch to a bar soap since your Mom introduced you to them when you were little and have always been reluctant to pick one up in a hotel or guest bathroom. But they’re one of the most underrated bathroom essentials out there.
Once you learn how to grip them properly (which will be a hell of a lot easier now you have bigger hands), they can make you feel cleaner than ever before without being harsh on the skin. With the majority of the ingredients sourced from nature, bar soaps are more gentle on the skin and the environment.
Best Buy
1. Jack Black Turbo Body Bar
This exfoliating bar soap from Jack Black means business. It naturally exfoliates the skin with lava rock whilst moisturizing with murumuru and shea butter. Exfoliating dead skin cells can seriously soften and brighten your skin.
Our skin naturally sheds millions of dead skin cells a day but sometimes they can get trapped on the surface of our skin, especially if you suffer from oily skin which works like a Venus flytrap. A build-up of dead skin cells can cause the skin to appear dull. Using an exfoliating bar soap will help to remove any of the remaining dead skin cells for healthier, more radiant skin – so we say get scrubbing already!
2. Le Labo Bergamote 22 Bar Soap
Who said a bar soap couldn’t be luxurious? While a block of soap may seem like the least glamorous thing that you could own, Le Labo put their signature twist with sustainable palm oil featuring Le Labo’s Bergamote 22 fragrance. Simply lather onto wet skin to smell sensational.
A real man always has a signature scent, and this could be the one you’re looking for. Everyone likes to smell absolutely irresistible, right? The formula is rich in vitamin E for antioxidant properties, olive oil extract to moisturize, and shea butter to deeply hydrate and soothe the skin.
3. Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Hydrating Soap
Looking for a bar soap that’s gentle enough to safely use on your face? Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Hydrating Soap has you covered. If you’re a fan of a quick morning shower in exchange for laying in bed a little longer in the morning, a bar soap that can be used from head to toe is essential. And no, you can’t use all bar soaps on your face.
The skin on our face is more sensitive than the skin on our body, even if you don’t have particularly sensitive skin, so it’s important to choose a bar soap that’s free from harsh chemicals and irritants. This bar soap will leave your skin feeling extra hydrated as it’s formulated with 1/4 moisturizing cream to maintain moisture levels for long-lasting hydration.
4. Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Body Scrub
Scrub off dead skin cells with an invigorating aroma infused with natural ingredients to cleanse and relieve rough, dry skin. Oat bran soothes and conditions the skin, while oat kernel meal and volcanic rock act as naturally sourced exfoliators for silky-smooth results. Watch your shower experience change from a chore to something you look forward to with Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Body Scrub.
5. Marlowe Men’s Body Scrub Soap
Marlowe Men’s Body Scrub Soap is another bar soap that can be used on your face and body. It’s specially formulated with a unique natural combination of passionfruit flower, green tea, and willow bark that work together to revitalize, nourish and soften the skin. If you’re a fan of manly, musky fragrances, you’ll be a huge fan of this scented bar soap with agarwood, sandalwood, and musk.
Showers aren’t usually life-changing (unless you have a groundbreaking shower thought, but how often do those really happen?). When you invest in Marlowe Men’s Body Scrub Soap, you help Marlowe to change the lives of others as they’re a proud supporter of Clean the World, an organization that delivers soap and other toiletries to people at risk for hygiene-related illnesses. Tick off your good deed for the day before you’ve even left the house in the morning with this feel-good bar soap.
6. AESOP Body Cleansing Slab
AESOP is always looking for ways to be eco-friendly and their veggie-based Body Cleansing Soap hits the spot. A simple, luxurious, and effective bar soap with a low-foaming, pH-balanced formula. It’s completely free from foaming boosters which can strip the skin of natural oils and dry it out over time.
Fragrant notes of Tahitian lime give it a ridiculously refreshing scent and feel – get ready to feel cool, refreshed, and rejuvenated after just one use. AESOP Body Cleansing Slab is a must-have on a hot summer day.
7. SCRUBD Charcoal & Black Pepper Organic Triple-Milled Soap Block
So, what’s triple-milled? We’re glad you asked. The triple milling allows the key ingredients to be evenly distributed across the bar soap, and therefore across the skin. With every touch, you can ensure the best of the bar soap is in contact with your skin for maximum results.
SCRUBD Charcoal & Black Pepper Organic Triple-Milled Soap Block is enriched with vitamin E and shea butter to moisturize, heal and strengthen the skin’s barrier. It’s naturally scented with invigorating charcoal and spicy black pepper essential oils.
8. Malin+Gotez Bar Soap
Malin+Gotez Bar Soap is another triple-milled cleansing bar with their signature dark rum scent – it’s never too early for alcohol in a bar soap. Suitable for all skin types, it effectively purifies the skin from dirt, bacteria, and excess oil.
This bar soap is rich in glycerin, which is a humectant that can attract and retain water in the area it’s applied to. Regular use will increase moisture levels in the skin for a healthy, naturally bright appearance. Don’t settle for a harsh, stripping bar soap when you can use Malin+Gotez Bar Soap.
9. Anthony Exfoliating & Cleansing Bar
Anthony Exfoliating & Cleansing Bar contains coconut-derived surfactants to remove excess oil, dead skin, and impurities from the skin without causing any irritation whatsoever. Jojoba spheres exfoliate and shea butter, squalene, and coconut oil moisturize.
It also includes cucumber extract to soothe and cool the skin. If you struggle to wake up in the morning, this bar soap is rich in grapefruit essence to awaken your senses no matter how many times you pressed snooze on your alarm.
10. Every Man Jack 2-In-1 Body Bar
The scent of citrus is an instant mood booster that many of us could use in the morning (especially Mondays). Every Man Jack 2-In-1 Body Bar has a juicy citrus fragrance that’ll complement any start to the day. Cleanse and exfoliate with one bar soap made with as many natural ingredients as possible featuring shea butter for a moisture barrier and aloe vera for intense hydration and soothing.
Bar Soap FAQs
The most obvious difference between the two is how they’re presented and applied. Bar soap is a naked solid block of soap that can be lathered straight onto the skin, whereas a shower gel has a thick jelly-like texture that needs to be squeezed out of a bottle. This is where most people think their differences end, but there are a few others that you may not know.
They both use surfactants, the chemical agents surrounding oil and dirt, to dissolve the outer layer for them to be easily washed away by water. But their other ingredients tend to be quite different. Most shower gels contain more potent smelling and super moisturizing ingredients which make them the better choice during winter months.
Because bar soaps aren’t usually moisturizing, they’re ideal for people with oily skin. They’re typically made with essential oils, butters, vitamins, and natural extracts – if you care for the planet as much as you do your skin, bar soap is the one for you.
- They last a long time
We go through shower gels so quickly, and one of the reasons is because it’s hard to master the perfect amount of shower gel we need, before we know it we’ve over-poured it and can’t put it back in the bottle. A bar soap allows you to use only what you need.
- Natural ingredients
Bar soaps favor natural ingredients which are more beneficial for your skin and the planet.
- No added water
Water is one of the main ingredients in a shower gel, and while water is used while making bar soap, it’s removed after the curing process has been completed making it more concentrated.
- Handy size
Whether you’re traveling or rocking a small bathroom, bar soaps can fit into the smallest of spaces giving you room to dance around in your shower without knocking everything over.
- A scent that doesn’t knock your cologne
While they’re not as overpowering as shower gels can be, they still have a subtle scent that might not complement your cologne. If you have a woody cologne, choose a woody scented bar soap, if it’s fruity and floral, choose a similar bar soap.
- Go for moisturizing ingredients if you have dry skin
Bar soap isn’t the most moisturizing way to wash your skin, but some of them pride themselves on being one of the very few that are. Look out for glycerin, shea butter, and vitamin E as they’re great for adding moisture to dry, dehydrated skin.
- Purpose of ingredients
The majority, if not all, ingredients in bar soaps are natural so you don’t need to spend too much time worrying about how good they are for your skin. But what you do need to look out for is what they do for your skin. Each natural ingredient has a different purpose and you need to find the benefits that match what you’re looking for other than being clean.
