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Our picks at a glance
- 1Best OverallDove Beauty Bar Sensitive, Unscented4.827,755 ratingsSee it on Amazon
- 2Best Cold-Process BarDr. Squatch Natural Men's Bar Soap, 3 Pack4.587,416 ratingsSee it on Amazon
- 3Best Deodorant BarIrish Spring Original Deodorant Bar Soap4.840,794 ratingsSee it on Amazon
These three bars cover sensitive skin, cold-process soap and a classic deodorant bar. Dove's Sensitive Beauty Bar is fragrance-free and made with 1/4 moisturizing cream. Dr. Squatch says its bars are cold-process soaps; this pack has three scents. Irish Spring Original is a deodorant bar with a bergamot and green mint scent. All three are rated 4.5 or higher.
How we picked
We searched Amazon for bar soap and set aside sponsored results, soap holders and bags, antibacterial bars, skin-brightening bars and listings rated below 4.3 or on fewer than 200 ratings. Then we saved each finalist's title, bullets, ingredients, seller and return terms.
Prefer a liquid? See the best body wash for men or the best body wash for dry skin.
Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive, Unscented
It ties for the highest rating here, 4.8 across 27,755 ratings, and is the only fragrance-free bar. Dove calls this a Beauty Bar rather than ordinary soap, made with 1/4 moisturizing cream and a plant-based cleanser, pH balanced and free from sulfate cleansers, parabens and phthalates. This version is unscented, Dove calls the formula hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, and the ingredient list shows no fragrance. Dove says it can be used on face, hands and body, and calls itself the #1 bar recommended and used by dermatologists.
What the listing says
- Fragrance-free, unscented
- 1/4 moisturizing cream (per Dove)
- Free from sulfate cleansers, parabens, phthalates (per Dove)
- Face, hands and body
- 24 bars of 3.75 oz
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com, with free 30-day returns, per the listing.
Dr. Squatch Natural Men's Bar Soap, 3 Pack
The most rated of the three, at more than 87,000 ratings. Dr. Squatch says its bars are made by a traditional cold process with ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter and kaolin clay, that they are 98-100% natural in origin, and that they are made without parabens, sulfates, phthalates or silicones. The listing does not publish a full ingredient list. It is marketed for men, and this pack has three 5 oz bars: Birchwood Breeze, Fresh Falls and Wood Barrel Bourbon.
What the listing says
- Cold process (per Dr. Squatch)
- Coconut oil, shea butter, kaolin clay
- No parabens, sulfates, phthalates or silicones (per Dr. Squatch)
- No full ingredient list on the listing
- Three 5 oz bars in three scents
Sold by Dr. Squatch and shipped by Amazon, with free 30-day returns, per the listing.
Irish Spring Original Deodorant Bar Soap
A deodorant bar soap with a bergamot and green mint scent. Irish Spring says it is made with a 98% naturally derived formula, keeps you feeling fresh for 12 hours, and is paraben, phthalate and gluten free. Its title markets it for men, and its description says it suits all skin types. The listing says it can be used as a hand soap, face wash or body soap. The pack size is unclear: the title says 3 bars of 3.7 oz, the bullets say twenty-four 3.7 oz bars, and the variant selector says a pack of 24 at 3.75 oz.
What the listing says
- Deodorant bar soap (per Irish Spring)
- Bergamot and green mint scent
- Paraben, phthalate and gluten free (per Irish Spring)
- Hand, face or body
- Pack size stated three ways
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com, with free 30-day returns, per the listing.
Side by side
| Bar | Scent | Made without (per brand) | Pack (as listed) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive, Unscented | Unscented | Sulfate cleansers, parabens, phthalates | 24 x 3.75 oz | 4.827,755 ratings |
| Dr. Squatch Natural Men's Bar Soap, 3 Pack | Birchwood Breeze, Fresh Falls, Wood Barrel Bourbon | Parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones | 3 x 5 oz | 4.587,416 ratings |
| Irish Spring Original Deodorant Bar Soap | Bergamot and green mint | Parabens, phthalates, gluten | 3 or 24 bars | 4.840,794 ratings |
What to look for
Scent or none
Dove Sensitive is unscented. Dr. Squatch names its three scents and Irish Spring names bergamot and green mint.
Bar type
Dove calls its bar a Beauty Bar and contrasts it with ordinary soap. Dr. Squatch describes cold-process soap. Irish Spring calls itself a deodorant bar soap.
Ingredient list
Dove and Irish Spring publish full lists. Dr. Squatch names only a few ingredients.
Pack size
Bar counts vary a lot, and Irish Spring's listing gives three different counts, so check the selected variant before you buy.
The bottom line
Dr. Squatch, bars it says are cold-process, with coconut oil and shea butter.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dove a bar soap?
Dove calls it a Beauty Bar and says it is unlike ordinary bar soap, though its title also says bar soap. Its ingredient list starts with sodium lauroyl isethionate.
Which bar is best for sensitive skin?
Of these three, Dove Sensitive is the one its listing describes for sensitive skin: unscented, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, per Dove.
Is Dr. Squatch soap all natural?
Dr. Squatch says its bars are 98-100% natural in origin. The listing does not publish a full ingredient list, so we cannot check that ourselves.
How many bars come in the Irish Spring pack?
The listing says three different things: 3 bars in the title, twenty-four in the bullets and a pack of 24 in the variant selector. Check the selected variant on Amazon.
Why are the ratings different from what I see on Amazon?
Ratings change over time. The figures here are what each listing showed on the date at the top of this page.
Ratings and listing details were checked on Amazon on the date shown at the top of this page. We have not used these; everything above is from their Amazon listings.
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