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.
BEST AFFORDABLE BAR SOAP
Harry's ‘Stone’ Bar Soap
BEST MULTIPACK BAR SOAP
Dove Men+Care ‘Deep Clean’ Bar Soap (6-Pack)
BEST CHARCOAL BAR SOAP
Oars + Alps Blue Charcoal Oars Bar Soap
BEST EXFOLIATING BAR SOAP
Kiehl's Grooming Solutions Exfoliating Bar Soap
BEST NOURISHING BAR SOAP
Baxter of California Vitamin Cleansing Bar
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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.
BEST AFFORDABLE BAR SOAP
Harry's ‘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.
FragranceJapanese yuzu, charcoal, bergamotWeight4 ouncesSkin typeDry, normal
BEST MULTIPACK BAR SOAP
Dove Men+Care ‘Deep Clean’ Bar Soap (6-Pack)
Now 29% Off
$15 AT WALMART$7 AT KMART.COM$5 AT SHOPFOODEX.COM
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.
FragranceLight, clean scentWeight3.75 ouncesSkin typeOily, acne prone
BEST CHARCOAL BAR SOAP
Oars + Alps 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.
FragranceWitch hazel extract, coconut, blue-green algaeWeight6 ouncesSkin typeOily, acne prone
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BEST EXFOLIATING BAR SOAP
Kiehl's 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.
FragranceWoodyWeight7 ouncesSkin typeNormal
BEST NOURISHING BAR SOAP
Baxter of California 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.
FragranceItalian lime, pomegranateWeight7 ouncesSkin typeNormal, sensitive
BEST GENTLE BAR SOAP
Body Cleansing Slab
$30 AT NORDSTROM$28 AT WALMART$39 AT AMAZON
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."
FragranceBergamot, ylang-ylang, Tahitian limeWeight10.9 ouncesSkin typeSensitive, normal
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BEST DESIGNER BAR SOAP
Loewe Bar Soap
A warm, woody scent that transports you from your basic-ass bathroom to a luxury spa somewhere in Spain.
FragranceWoody, patchouliWeight290 gramsSkin typeNormal, dry
BEST CREAMY BAR SOAP
Jo Malone London Lime Basil and Mandarin Soap
Caffeine is good, but waking up to the pleasingly bracing scents of basil and citrus might be even better.
FragranceLime, basil, mandarinWeight3.52 ouncesSkin typeNormal, dry
BEST EVERYDAY BAR SOAP
Malin + Goetz Rum Bar Soap
$16 AT MALIN+GOETZ$18 AT SPACE NK
For a deep lather and cleanse that'll leave you smelling so good you'll want to get right back in the shower.
FragranceDark rumWeight5 ouncesSkin typeNormal
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BEST FANCY BAR SOAP
Le Labo 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.
FragranceRoseWeight5 ouncesSkin typeNormal, dry
BEST-SMELLING BAR SOAP
Diptyque Paris Do Son Perfumed Soap
Ah, the folks at Diptyque. Master perfumers who have expertly funneled their glorious fragrances into a bar soap.
FragranceTuberose flowersWeight5.29 ouncesSkin typeNormal
BEST BAR SOAP FOR A DEEP SCRUB
Jack Black Turbo Body Bar Scrubbing Soap
$16 AT NORDSTROM$13 AT WALMART$11 AT ULTA BEAUTY
This gets the job done by exfoliating and cleansing your skin in one go. Say hello to baby-soft, smooth skin.
FragranceNatural blue lotus, shea butter, ginkgo bilobaWeight6 ouncesSkin typeOily, acne prone
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BEST LUXURY BAR SOAP
Dior J'Adore Silky Soap
Luminous, soft, moisturized skin and a fun font? Yeah, you'll adore it.
FragranceYlang-ylang, nectarWeight5.2 ouncesSkin typeNormal, dry
Why You Can Trust Esquire
We're not going to say something is great unless it's actually great. Every product in Esquire's roundups 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 care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.