Whether you’re looking for a bar soap that smells good all day or one for sensitive skin, it’s important to choose one for your specific needs. Not all skin is made equal, after all! Plus, so many of them are excessively drying.
So, we’ve rounded up the nine best bar soaps for men. Even if you prefer body wash, (learn about the differences here), these top-notch selects are worth considering.
We looked at hundreds of soaps to bring to you our top choices. They’re all mostly non-drying, with different specific offerings so all priorities are represented! Oh, and best of all, you can find all of these on Amazon. Convenient!
Let’s Get Into These Awesome Men’s Bar Soaps
By the way, we also have a list of our favorite body washes, in case you’re interested in that. But for now, let’s check out these bar soaps.
Best Overall
This bar soaps in this variety pack from Dr. Squatch are made with natural ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter, a comprehensive partnership that ensures not just cleansing and hydrating, but also nourishment.
It comes with three different scents, all with varying balances of light and dark aromas: Pine tar, cedar citrus, and alpine sage.
Get ready to raise the bar on your shower with Dr. Squatch Natural Soap.
Another plus? They’re all vegan and cruelty-free. Reviewers rave about how shockingly non-drying this soap is, considering its lack of chemicals.
Best Bar for Dry Skin
Extra dry skin is susceptible to flaking, so if you suffer from it, you need a soap that hydrates as well as smooths. With natural exfoliants like ground almonds, this bar soap does just that, while helping to slough away dead skin cells.
A deep-cleansing foaming bar soap wash that gently exfoliates, hydrates, and nourishes. Great for normal to oily skin.
On top of that, it contains olive oil and glycerin, which draws moisture from the atmosphere for intense moisture-retainment. It also has a soft scent from the peach extract, lotus flower, and eucalyptus. And don’t be scared of the almonds, reviewers mention that it isn’t gritty and quite pleasant to use.
Another Dry Skin-Friendly Alternative
The tried-and-true Dove Beauty Bar is a classic, famous for adding one-fourth moisturizing cream, to hydrate your skin as you cleanse.
With 1/4 moisturizing cream and mild cleansers, Dove helps your skin maintain its natural moisture. Leaves skin softer, smoother and more radiant-looking.
This bar soap is also free of harsh chemicals, sulfates, and other irritants that can be tough on sensitive skin. Reviewers are impressed with how cleansing and moisturizing such an easy-to-find soap can be.
Best for Sensitive Skin
With its ultra-nourishing ingredients, the Aveeno Moisturizing Bar for Dry Skin is an all-around great pick for all skin types.
AVEENO Moisturizing Bar facial cleanser for dry skin, with nourishing oat, cleanses and gently soothes your skin.
It’s made with oatmeal, which naturally soothes and protects irritated skin. It’s also fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog pores. Still, the added glycerin, which again, helps attract moisture, ensures you don’t dry out.
Another Sensitive Skin-Friendly Alternative
This bar soap is another effective option for sensitive skin and for those whose pores clog easily. It’s free of common irritants like fragrances, dyes, and sulfates, and is also non-comedogenic.
Vanicream Cleansing Bar for Sensitive Skin - A mild and gentle cleansing bar for daily use on the face, hands, and body. Leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized.
Users say it leaves their skin feeling clean, despite how mild it is. If you’re looking for a product that’s delicate, but still deep-cleaning, Vanicream is definitely a go-to moderate soap. It’s also dermatologist-recommended.
Best fo yo Face!
Loaded with healthy ingredients, this soap is as cleansing and softening as a face wash. Chalk this up to the coconut oil, shea butter, and oat flour. It also has a refreshing citrus-and-cedarwood scent that’s a perfect balance of brightness and woodsyness.
The Anti-Soap Bar: Bravo Sierra’s Hair & Body Solid Cleanser is an all-in-one body bar and solid shampoo. It’s formulated without soap, sulfates, or drying agents and works into a rich lather.
One Amazon reviewer even mentions that he never used bar soap on his face because of how drying they all are, until he found this one. Makes sense since shea butter softens and smooths dry skin, while coconut oil hydrates, protects, and even provides antioxidants.
Best Drugstore Buy
This bar soap is loaded with non-irritating ingredients like glycerin and petrolatum, which both and protect your skin.
Designed for dry, sensitive skin, Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar cleanses without irritation and moisturizes as it cleans to leave skin hydrated, smooth, and soft.
In fact, dermatologists recommend Cetaphil for its ceramide-containing formula which replenishes your dermal structure and barrier, making it great for skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
Also, it’s affordable and comes in a large size, so it lasts a long time.
Best Natural Soap
Dr. Bronner’s is a popular brand known for their all-natural, vegan, and Fair Trade soaps. While they have a wide variety of bars to choose from, the Pure-Castile Soap is especially gentle and moisturizing thanks to the olive oil and coconut oil.
Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Bar Soaps are made with organic oils that are gentle & effective. Variety pack includes 6 scents: Almond, Baby Unscented, Lavender, Peppermint, Citrus & Rose (140g per bar).
The soap also contains essential oils, which give it a refreshing scent. Users rave about the soap’s lathering ability, which is uncommon with truly organic soaps.
Best Charcoal Soap Bar
Like all the best non-drying bar soaps, this option is made with natural ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and glycerin, which is a moisture magnet.
Scrub away dry, dull skin & absorb toxins with this deep-cleansing charcoal soap bar that will leave your face & body feeling smooth and clean.
What makes this option special is the added charcoal, which detoxifies, as well as cleanses. Unsurprisingly, many reviews mention how great this soap is for acne-fighting.
FAQs About Bar Soap
What bar soap is purest?
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap, unlike many options claiming to be pure, is actually made with all-natural ingredients and doesn’t contain any synthetic fragrances, colors, or other harsh chemicals.
What bar soap do dermatologists recommend?
Dermatologists recommend a variety of bar soaps for different skin types. For dry skin, they may recommend a bar soap that contains glycerin or other moisturizing ingredients. For sensitive skin, they may recommend a bar soap that is free of harsh chemicals and fragrances. And for eczema, they may recommend a bar soap that contains ceramides to help replenish the skin’s natural barrier.
What bar soap smells good all day?
Most soap scents wear off after about 40 minutes. However, there are some bar soaps that contain essential oils which can provide a longer-lasting scent, like the Hawthorne soap. Another bar soap that smells good all day is Dr. Squatch. If you’re looking for an all-day scent, try solid cologne!
The Best Bar Soap for You?
Of course, the best bar soap for you depends on what your skin’s specific needs are. We pinpointed the most common needs on this list, so we hope it was helpful!
Which of these soaps are you going to get? DM us on Instagram with any questions you have about grooming!
