Bar Soap vs Body Wash: Which Is Better?

Both bar soap and body wash clean your skin well. The differences are mostly about ingredients, feel, cost and packaging.

The key difference: soap vs detergent

Many body washes are not soap at all. The FDA notes that many cleansers are synthetic detergent products. Some bars are also detergent-based "beauty bars." So the real question is often true soap vs syndet, not bar vs bottle.

Side-by-side

• Ingredients: true soap bars can have very short ingredient lists; body washes usually contain water, detergents, thickeners and preservatives.
• Skin feel: body washes often include moisturizing ingredients; true soap is alkaline and may feel more drying to some people.
• Hygiene: both are hygienic. A study found washing with a contaminated bar did not transfer bacteria to hands.
• Cost: bars usually cost less per wash because they contain no water.
• Packaging: bars often come in paper; body washes come in plastic bottles.
• Travel: bars are not limited by airport liquid rules.

Which should you choose?

• Very dry or sensitive skin: a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser of either type; a syndet may feel milder.
• Want fewer ingredients or less plastic: a true soap bar.
• Like lots of lather and a loofah: body wash.

Dermatologists generally recommend gentle, fragrance-free cleansers and moisturizing right after bathing for dry skin.

Cost per wash: a simple way to compare

Prices vary too much to give exact numbers, but you can compare any two products yourself:

1. Note the price and size of the bar or bottle.
2. Track how many showers it lasts (a strip of tape with tally marks on the bottle works).
3. Divide the price by the number of showers.

Many people find bars last longer than they expect when kept dry, because bars contain no water and pumps tend to dispense more than needed.

Bar soap and body wash for specific needs

• Eczema-prone skin: choose a fragrance-free, gentle cleanser, either a syndet bar or a mild body wash, and moisturize right after.
• Acne on the back or chest: some people use a medicated wash. Ask a dermatologist for advice.
• After the gym: either works. A bar travels better; a body wash is easier with a loofah.
• Kids: a mild, fragrance-free cleanser is a safe default.
• Shaving legs: a creamy body wash or a well-lathered bar both work. A dedicated shaving soap gives more glide.

Using bar soap hygienically

A bar does not become dirty just because others use it. Research on contaminated bars found no transfer of bacteria to hands. Rinse the bar before use, keep it on a draining dish, and replace it if it gets cracked or slimy. Body wash bottles have their own hygiene trade-off: a damp pump and loofah can harbor microbes too, so rinse and dry loofahs and replace them often.

Which is better for the environment?

Bars usually need less packaging and are lighter to ship because they contain no water. Body wash refills and concentrates can reduce plastic if you prefer liquid.

Keep bars in good shape

Use a draining dish so your bar dries between uses and lasts longer.

Related: soap pH explained and sodium lauryl sulfate vs soap.