Beauty The Best Natural Bar Soaps By Elizabeth Swanson Elizabeth Swanson Elizabeth is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Published on July 10, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Courtesy of Senteurs d’Orient’s Soap (and bar soap, specifically) used to get a bad rap: it's drying, it's messy, and it's too irritating and harsh to use on your skin. That's not quite the case anymore. In fact, many brands are creating bar soaps that are gentle enough to use on your face, yet effective enough to replace your standard face wash. Like conventional liquid face and body washes, they're formulated to eradicate a variety of issues, from acne and oily skin to redness, dryness, flakes, and dullness. Not to mention the fact that they're very environmentally friendly: no plastic packaging means you're making a great choice to reduce your carbon footprint. If you're worried about your bar soap making a mess in the shower or disintegrating and falling to pieces, we have some practical advice that will ensure your cleansing bar lasts longer. We suggest cutting off pieces as you go and leaving the rest in the wrapping. Keeping the rest of the bar out of water will make it stay fresher for longer and will help you avoid any slime on your bathroom ledge. You can also get a chic soap holder—we love the marble soap plates by Senteurs d'Orient (pictured here in pink marble). They act as a luxe piece of décor, along with serving a helpful purpose in your bathroom. Natural ingredients in bar soaps are also becoming more common. Free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and other chemicals that are questionable for your health, there literally is not a downside to switching to bar soap. If you need any more convincing, here we've rounded up a variety of the best natural soaps on the market. 01 of 08 Dr. Bronner's Courtesy of Dr. Bronner's Whether you have kids or just sensitive skin yourself, this fragrance-free soap is filled with olive oil for hydrated, cleane skin that won't get easily irritated. And it works for your hair too! Dr. Bronner's "All-One Hemp" Baby Unscented Pure Castile Bar Soap, $4.75, amazon.com . 02 of 08 Osmia Courtesy of Osmia Organics This soap contains charcoal and black clay, both of which help purify, unclog pores, and pull toxins from the skin. The two can normally be drying, but it isn't so with this soap, which contains a slew of moisturizing ingredients like cold-pressed avocado oil to ensure it won't make your skin flaky. Osmia "Oh So Detox" Soap, $18, osmiaorganics.com . This is Why People Are Obsessed with Charcoal Beauty 03 of 08 Saipua Courtesy of Saipua Aside from the amazing floral scent, this one also contains tons of antioxidants, which are essential for your skin when protecting against the aging effects of free radicals. Saipua Rose Geranium Soap Bar, $18, follain.com 04 of 08 Schmidt's Courtesy of Schmidt’s Cleanse and exfoliate with this bar soap, which uses jojoba seeds to slough off dead skin, plus calming lavender to soothe. Schmidt's Lavender + Sage Bar Soap, $5.49, schmidts.com . 05 of 08 Joanna Vargas Courtesy of Joanna Vargas Whether you drink it or apply it onto your face, green tea has a plethora of antioxidant, skin-loving benefits. That's the star ingredient in this bar soap, which improves circulation (increased circulation means more radiant skin) and detoxifies, for a clean, refreshed complexion. Joanna Vargas "Ritual" Bar, $22, joannavargas.com . How to Get Smooth, Glowing Skin Naturally 06 of 08 Senteurs d'Orient Courtesy of Senteurs d’Orient’s We didn't know we could lust over a bar soap to this degree until we heard about Senteurs d'Orient. They're handcrafted by artisans in Lebanon, and have the best scents, from jasmine and cedar to rose and orange blossom. We want them all. Senteurs d'Orient "Cedar of Lebanon" Hammam Soap, $36, senteursdorient.com . 07 of 08 Knours Courtesy of Knours This soap is gentle and formulated so that you can use it everywhere, and we mean everywhere. It contains fermented extracts to purify skin, gingko biloba to moisturize, and mugwort to calm and moisturize. Knours "Body+V Zone" Soap, $18, knours.net . 08 of 08 Ursa Major Courtesy of Ursa Major We love that this is a one-size-fits-all soap: it's beneficial for every skin type, from acne-prone and oily to dry and sensitive. Ursa Major "Morning Mojo" Bar Soap, $14, credobeauty.com . Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit