Bar Soap Is Back—and So Much Better Than You Remember

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If you're anything like [checks notes] pretty much every dude we've ever met in our lives, there's a good chance that there was some point in your formative years when you decided that you had crossed the rubicon into adulthood and were now a Body Wash Guy. In all likelihood, it happened in your teens, because we're all a little gross and very terrified and deeply susceptible to the kind of marketing that says shit like, "Bar soap is fine for babies and kids and whatever, but body wash is sexy." Sure.

Quick point of order: Body wash is still great. Enjoy it liberally! But it ain't the only game in town. And if you've internalized the idea that bar soap is going to dry out your skin, or leave behind residue, or generally wreck your life in some unforeseen manner, know this: You've been sold a bill of goods. The best modern bar soap does all the things you want it to do—whether that's hydrating or exfoliating or just smelling really great—but it happens to come in a bar instead of a bottle. It also tends to last longer, which is good news for anyone who's economically minded, looking to cut down on single-use plastic, or simply motivated by convenience.

Sold on the prospect yet? We should hope so. But if not, just give any one of the options on this list a try and you'll be a bar soap convert in short order. So fresh, so clean, et cetera. Happy scrubbing.

'Stone' Bar Soap

Harry's has a few different iterations of its in-house bar soap, but the fresh mineral scent of the "Stone" fragrance might just be the best.

'Deep Clean' Bar Soap (6-Pack)

If you're looking for a lot of bang for your buck, you really can't do better than Dove's moisturizer-packed face and body bars.

Blue Charcoal Oars Bar Soap

Oars + Alps is a relative newcomer to the grooming space, but the brand's product is so well-executed you'd be forgiven for assuming it's been around for a minute.

Grooming Solutions Exfoliating Bar Soap

And speaking of having been around for a minute: Kiehl's has been perfecting its approach to keeping your skin clean and happy since 1851. It shows.

Vitamin Cleansing Bar

Does the stripe of green down the center actually make this soap smell better? We have no idea. But it really does smell fantastic.

Body Cleansing Slab

It's a slab. To cleanse your body. It also keeps your skin moisturized and happens to have a very pleasing fragrance, but honestly: we just love that Aesop calls it a "slab."

Bar Soap

A warm, woody scent that transports you from your basic ass bathroom to a luxury spa somewhere in Spain.

Lime Basil and Mandarin Soap

Caffeine is good, but waking up to the pleasingly bracing scents of basil and citrus might be even better.

Rum Bar Soap

For a deep lather and cleanse that'll leave you smelling so good, you'll want to get right back in the shower.

Rose 31 Body Bar

If you thought Le Labo's fragrances smelled good...just you wait. See what happens when you use the brand's body bar every day.

Do Son Perfumed Soap

Ah, the folks at Diptyque. Master perfumers, who have expertly funneled their glorious fragrances into a bar soap.

Turbo Body Bar Scrubbing Soap

This gets the job done by exfoliating and cleansing your skin in one go. Say hello to baby-soft, smooth skin.

J'Adore Silky Soap

Luminous, soft, moisturized skin and a fun font? Yeah, you'll adore it.

Why You Can Trust Esquire

We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to bar soaps, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting picks that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved. We’ve had to go through a lot of trial and error, and these body bar soaps are the ones that are simply the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of using different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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