Now there are more reasons than ever to love bar soap. “Consumers have become more educated about social responsibility, with a focus on limiting unnecessary plastic waste,” says Barbara Paldus, PhD, Codex Beauty founder and CEO. “Bar soaps may once have been seen as a relic of the past, reserved for guest bathrooms and hotel suites, but now, they’re re-emerging as an environmentally friendly option for everyday use.”
Think about all the packaging that bar soaps save compared to their cleanser counterparts. “Bar soaps have a lower carbon footprint, ecotoxicity and ozone depletion than liquid soaps,” says Paldus, “and they require significantly less energy and raw materials to produce.”
Soaps with organic oils or natural fats such as olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter or castor oil will not only cleanse, but also nourish the skin. “Look for a bar with natural clays, charcoal or plant infusions, scented with essential oils,” Paldus says. For greater beauty- boosting power, she recommends choosing bar soap that’s coldprocessed. “During cold-processing, glycerin, which is otherwise removed, is retained as a natural by-product,” she explains. “When a soap is cold-processed, it’s made with a variety of natural oils that will be gentle on skin. The traditional cold-process method preserves the potency and benefits of plant-based butters, oils and essential oils.”
Get on the bar soap bandwagon with these top picks
Codex Beauty Bia Cleansing Soap
These cold-processed soaps with shea butter and charcoal powder are zero-waste, made from ingredients sourced via sustainable biodynamic farming. The final product is wrapped in soy wax paper, sealed with a sticker and placed in a PEFC carton—all of which are sustainable and biodegradable.codexbeauty.com
Juara Skincare Candlenut Bar Soap
Juara is inspired by Indonesian beauty secrets and this soap will leave you smelling like you just came from an island getaway. The deeply hydrating formula with candlenut, coconut and moringa oils, as well as mango and shea butters, moisturizes while delicately cleansing the skin. juaraskincare.com
Meow Meow Tweet Coconut Cacao Body Soap
A gentle lather washes away impurities, leaving soft skin and the scent of cocoa butter and coconut milk behind. There are no essential oils, which may be sensitizing, making it safe for babies and those with sensitive skin.meowmeowtweet.com
HAOMA Earth Bar
This brand new cold-pressed soap features mineral-rich clay and volcanic black sand to gently exfoliate, shea butter and rosehip seed oil to hydrate, activated charcoal to detox and antimicrobial essential oils to guard skin from pathogenic bacteria. Bonus: For every Earth Bar purchased, a tree is planted through trees.org to help with reforestation, plus the packaging is completely recyclable through TerraCycle. haomaearth.com
