1. Tandi’s Naturals / 2. Farmaesthetics / 3. Christina Maser / 4. Dr. Bronner’s / 5. Beautycounter / 6. Paleo Skincare / 7. Poofy Organics / 8. Soapwalla
When it comes bar soap, the good news is that there are tons of safe options for organic soap. The bad news is that many of these soaps are difficult to find, as they are produced by small manufacturers and not sold in most drug or grocery stores.
Thank goodness for Dr. Bronner’s (see review below), which you can find almost anywhere.Dr. Bronner’s is great option, although it does score a 1 on Skin Deep.
All other soaps below score a 0, or have not been reviewed by Skin Deep, but I put them at a 0 based on ingredients.
The list of Good Stuff below is by no means exhaustive. You can find many more safe soaps via a search on Skin Deep, although it always feels a little overwhelming to me.
Bar soaps were much easier for me to review than shampoos and other products; unless a soap really dries out my skin or smells offensive, I feel that it’s done its job!
My Top Pick for Best Bar Soap
I know it’s not cheap, but the most luxe bar soaps I’ve ever tried are the ones by Farmaesthetics. And the bar lasts a really long time, making the cost-per-use low.$12.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now
Depending on the brand, conventional bar soaps might contain any number of noxious chemicals, but two to look out for are:
A bunch of you asked about this brand, and I’m pleased to find that it’s Good Stuff. Aspen Kay soaps are made with only organic ingredients, all of which are 100% natural.
Where to Buy: I’ve only found these on Amazon.
My favorite bar soaps are made by Tandi’s Naturals. Tandi uses local ingredients–including beef tallow, although she does offer vegan options as well. Tandi’s soaps contain no concerning ingredients, are scented with essential oils, and come in delicious flavors like Minty Cocoa Swirl.
Where to Buy: Gimme the Good Stuff’s online store or local farmers’ markets in Lancaster, PA.
$7.00 — or subscribe and save up to 8%Buy Now
Unfortunately, this brand no longer exists.
Soap for Goodness Sake makes tons of different formulas, most of which score a 0 on Skin Deep (a couple score a 1, due to ylang ylang oil, which carries some additive exposure concerns). Some of their soaps are organic.
Where to buy: Amazon.
This line of handmade soaps are crafted from food grade olive, palm, coconut, sweet almond and castor oils, natural clays, goat’s milk, honey, herbs, grains and natural pigments, and scented with only pure essential oils. They contain no synthetic ingredients, no phthalates, no chemicals of any kind. These soaps are hand poured in small batches, cut, and wrapped by hand.
Where to Buy: Gimme the Good Stuff’s online store.
$7.49 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now
Another great brand that no longer exists! 🙁
Pangea makes great bar soaps, and they smell delicious. Note that the Canadian Pine with White Sage soap scores a 2 on Skin Deep because it contains clove oil, which the EWG considers an immunotoxin (who knew?). Note: Pangea has added sodium benzoate to many of their products so we are no longer carrying this line in our store. Their soaps, however, do not contain the controversial preservative.
Where to buy: Amazon.
Dr. Bronner’s is a great go-to soap because of its wide availability. All the varieties score a 1 on Skin Deep. The only ingredients of slight concern are tocopherol (Vitamin E) and citric acid, but I feel comfortable with both of them. The yummy scents include almond, lavender, rose, peppermint, tea tree, citrus orange, and eucalyptus.
Where to buy: Natural food stores as well as many mainstream grocery stores and pharmacies, plus Amazon.
These bars are organic and handmade, which helps to explain the higher price point. I’m a sucker for the pretty packaging on these soaps, but more important is the short list of ingredients–they change their formulas seasonally, but I’ve never seen anything of concern in any of their soaps.
Where to Buy: Gimme the Good Stuff’s online store.
$12.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now
Beautycounter’s soaps look pretty on your counter or in your shower, and feature safe ingredients like organic shea butter and an array of essential oils.
The Citrus Mimosa Body Bar is marketed for head-to-toe use, and Rose Neroli Hand Soap is meant for hands, but I think you can use either for both hands and body.
Where to Buy: Gimme the Good Stuff’s online store.
Poofy’s line of vegan soaps include fun flavors like Creamsicle and Cotton Candy. The only ingredient that isn’t totally on the up and up is that vague “natural flavors.”
We just started carrying this incredible line of bar soaps, which are formulated for the face, but which work beautifully for the body as well. These are hands down the best-smelling natural soaps I’ve found, and well worth the $14 a pop!
Where to Buy: Gimme the Good Stuff’s online store.
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Lever 2000 bar soap gets an 8 from Skin Deep because of fragrance, retinyl palmitate, and BHT.
Dial is perhaps not quite as bad as Lever, but does contain fragrance, and several other mildly concerning ingredients, such as PEG-12 and PEG-9.
Lots of you ask about Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive Skin, because it seems a lot of dermatologists recommended it. While it’s better than most conventional soaps, it contains cocamidopropyl betaine, which is on my personal Never list.
Fresh soap is expensive and it smells nice, but it has a bunch of gross ingredients, including BHT.
Although Ivory claims its soap is “clean and simple, and free of unnecessary ingredients,” it contains fragrance and–in some cases–artificial dyes.
Mrs. Meyers bar soaps–like the rest of the the Mrs. Meyers line–contains synthetic fragrance, making it Sneaky Stuff.
Neutrogena is the brand most recommended by dermatologists, but contains fragrance, cocamide DEA, and triethanolamine.
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View Comments
What do you think of Kirk's original coco castile bar soap (the no fragrance kind)?
I don't know that one but will add it to the list when we update this Guide!
thank you, Maia!
I am also curious about Kirk's Original Coco Castile soap, as it is readily available at stores like Walmart and Smith's/Kroger. The label says, "Natural, Hypoallergenic Skin Care with No Animal By-Products or Synthetic Detergents." The ingredients are listed as: Coconut Soap, Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Coconut Oil, and Natural Fragrance.
Hi! So sorry I couldn’t figured out how to leave a comment but the reply button worked...I was wondering about the bar soap that Whole Foods sells-it’s just called “good” soap & it’s engraved on the actual bar! Do you know if it’s truly good stuff?! Thank you 🙂
Please women, be cautious when using the Castile soaps. My sister recommended Castile soap for stripping the oils, etc., out of my hair. It was great for this but I ended up using it when I showered as my husband liked it as well. I ended up with a horrible vaginal problem because the Castile bar was stripping all of the oils out of my vagina area, and the miserable problem lasted for months. Thinking it was a yeast infection, I kept seeing my doctor who told me I did not have this problem. I finally figure out on my own what was happening as I had experienced a similar problem years before with my then very young daughters who were bathing with a then popular liquid bath soap for kids. We used to shave off pieces of a bar of Castile Soap to put in our laundry. That is how strong it is.
In my previous comment, I should of said that I was using the Kirks Original Coco Castile Soap. It has been around for years.
What are you using now instead of castile soap that doesn't strip the oils in the vaginal region? Thanks!
Real Castile Soap is 100% pure olive oil and has a 0 cleansing factor. Therefore there is no way what you were using was all natural Castile Soap. I have been making it for years and there is a zero chance it caused your problem if it was pure. Castile is also not a laundry soap, laundry soap (bars) are made with borax, which is not Castile Soap. Either what you were using is not 100% Castile Soap properly made. Or it had chemicals in it that caused your issue. Heavy lye soap (also laundry soap) will do what you described as well. The popular kids liquid soap would have been nothing more then SLS, and chemicals too.
Oh and no reputable soap crafter would use a fragrance oil with phthalate or ingredients such with Parabens. And no, not all fragrance oils have Phthalates. This article is riddled with misinformation and basically an advertisement.
Traditional soap is NOT skin friendly.
No reputable soap crafter would use a fragrance oil with phthalate or ingredients such with Parabens. And no, not all fragrance oils have Phthalates. This article is riddled with misinformation and basically an advertisement.
Also, you would have to be a complate idiot to believe there is an essential oil called Cotton candy. It's a fragrance oil, and if phthalate free it should be safe. Essential oils come from plants and natural materials, not Cotton or Cotton candy or Creamsicle. Lol. Come on people, you can't be that naive.
Also ANY store soap is basically harmful chemicals. SLS, Parabens, Phthalates are a few ingredients they may contain.
Also Citric acid and borax are used to lower the PH. Levels of liquid soap by many soapers. The wrong amounts can do more as much harm as leaving the PH. High.
Just my professional two cents.
You should not use any soap or washes in the vulva or vaginal area, period. Even if they claim to be pure, or gentle, or pH balanced washes. Water and friction are all that is needed. Or a bath with epsom salt. Washes/soaps can change the pH balance, even if they claim to be pH balanced themselves, frequently making the vulva and vagina more alkaline instead of acidic, and leading to irritation, yeast overgrowth, or bacterial vaginosis.
Thank you, A REAL ARTISAN SOAP CRAFTER. I am also a professional soaper and the term "fragrance" is not necessarily a bad thing and depends upon the supplier. MOST soap-safe fragrance oils are now phthalate free—particularly from legit vendors. Generally speaking, handmade (from scratch), artisan soaps do not contain SLS, parabens, synthetic detergents and foaming agents, etc and should have clearly marked ingredients...important for those with allergy/sensitivities, also. Additionally, a reputable soaper will typically disclose on their website and marketing materials that their ingredients are responsibly sourced, phthalate- and paraben-free, organic (when applicable), Non GMO....if that is part of their branding.
Hello!! What are your thoughts on Dove sensitive skin bar soap? Thanks for all of your research and ability to translate into layman's terms! Your website has been very helpful to our family.
Sneaky Stuff, unfortunately!
My doctor does not like this one. Besides, I can't pronounce half the stuff in it.
Don't use the soap, just threw mine all out. Just read today that it carries ingredients that are cancer causing.
what about Dove??
I don't like the ingredients in Dove soap; it's so easy to make a safe, effective natural bar soap, but Dove's contains lots of synthetics of questionable safety.
When a soap lists "essential oil", what brand/type/who makes them? Does the label show that information? (Disclosure: I'm an independent distributor for Young Living and that's why I ask - I like to know how pure the oils are).
Thanks!
Hey I hate to be a pest but it really seems you've done your research, how do you feel about Chandrika soap? The ingredients seem very lean but "vegetable oils" has me wondering if they could contain something sneaky....
http://www.chandrikasoaps.com/ChandV01/products/
Don't worry about being a pest! After a cursory look, I think this brand looks fine:).
How's Ivory? The 99.44% pure, clean, simple one? Sneaky too?
Yes, unfortunately Ivory contains synthetic fragrance.
I am extremely frustrated looking for a nontoxic with NO tea tree, lavender, hemp or grapefruit essential oils due to medications I am taking. Are there any soaps, shampoos or conditioners like this?
This doesn't appear to have any of those? https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/acure-organics-lemongrass-argan-stem-cell-shampoo-for-all-hair-types/
And neither does this soap: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/paleo-skincare-tallow-and-herb-soap-for-babies/
Thanks for clearing up these mysteries! What are your thoughts on Iron Lion Soap?
http://www.ironlionsoap.com
Looks like Good Stuff to me!:)
This has been so helpful! I'm so disappointed about Ivory soap.
Hi, what do you think of Good Soap by Alaffia? Thank you so much for your time.
I just took a quick look, and didn't see anything concerning.
I LOVE Alaffia's Good Soap!!!!! Just took advantage of Whole Foods ! a bar on Alaffia"s Good Soap. I purchased a few varieties though and now I am left wondering what the best way to store them is. Thoughts?