My friend Amberlina told me a super funny story about a time when she was vacationing with her family. She was giving her kids a bath at their hotel when the kids found the complimentary bar soap on the ledge of the tub. They played with a simple bar of soap for a solid hour because they had never in their lives seen bar soap, having only ever used body wash. They thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Made me wonder. Is bar soap becoming a thing of the past?
The HH and I prefer bar soap {probably because of all those freebies I get from my mom}, the kids… liquid soap/body wash. I think it’s a generational thing and I found a fun article on Treehugger that basically said the same thing. A majority of Americans between 18-24 choose liquid soap over bar soap because they think bar soap is covered in germs and inconvenient. In fact, 60% of consumers between 18 and 24 believe that bar soaps are covered in germs after they’re used, and 31% of older consumers aged 65+ believe the same. And sales of bar soap are slipping.
What do you think? Are you a bar soap user or a liquid soap user? Why? And do you think we’ll see bar soap every disappear completely?
~Mavis
Brenda says
I like bar soap and it keeps my tiny human from pouring out the whole damn bottle in 2 nights! It’s less wasteful since it comes in paper pkg and I don’t have to be the soap dispenser. I always loved this company’s idea but have never purchased from them. http://www.stacksoap.com
AFS says
no need to buy “stacksoap” I have been squishing the tail end of one bar into the new one for as long as I can remember
Melissa M. says
I find bar soap inconvenient to use and store. Plus, it is just gross to find hair or dirty suds stuck to the soap or that gelatinous mess when it has been soaking in water for awhile. I also notice that I no longer deal with shower scum. I’m 47.
Ashley says
I used to work for a cleaning company and there was a definite difference between scrum in bar soap showers vs liquid.
Amanda says
I prefer liquid soap because we have such hard water and I have been unable to find a bar soap that doesn’t make my skin feel dry after showering. Any suggestions on a good bar soap?
Cheri says
I use the Good Bar at Whole Foods for my whole family, per Bea Johnson’s recommendation in Zero Waste Home. She also uses it as facial soap and shampoo. My hair does not like it as shampoo, but it works fine on my face. I have normal/combination skin and live in Colorado where it’s very dry. I also have hard water. So far, so good. If you don’t have access to a WF to try this, you might be able to order some or find some of comparable quality.
Helen in Meridian says
I have been using Beekman 1802 Goat Milk soap for over a year. As soon as I washed my hands with it, I could feel the difference. BTW the Beekman boys have their Beekman 1802 soap in some high end hotels. Maybe your mom could stay in some and get this great soap. It is triple milled, and the bar I am almost out of has lasted since the end of February.
Cheri says
Liquid soaps can’t compare to the elegance of a high-end, fancy soap!
Sandra says
My dermatologist recommended Dove. I have used it for 25 years. It is more moisturizing than other soaps, based solely on how horribly dry the hotel-provided soaps leave my skin.
Dove makes an unscented baby soap that I like also, but I have only found it in Canada.
Lynn says
I use Dove Bar soap also! Doctor recommended for me as I had severe Eczema as a child. I’ve used it for over 34 years. I refuse to use anything else. I wish they made a lavender scent.
nancy from mass says
I also only use Dove soap (my dermatologist told me it was the only soap i should ever use) because I have a horrible skin condition that will die with me (extremely dry). When I’ve tried using the Dove body wash, it’s as if i used a cheap bar of soap. I get way more moisture from a bar.
I keep it in a section of the shower that doesn’t seem to get much water (up high, near the shower head) and it drains nicely and doesn’t get ‘soggy’ and gross feeling.
jennifer says
Lever 2000 or Caress is even more soothing
C Browne says
Goat’s milk soap, GREAT for dry skin. You can get packages of it at your local craft store. Melt, add your fragrance to it and pour into a mold. It has completely helped keep my Rosacea under control.
Katelyn says
Australian Botanical Soap, Goat’s Milk with Soya Bean 6.8 oz (193g) Soap Bar | Shea Butter Enriched – https://amzn.to/3uZbGrW
Heather says
We had a mixed run previously, but have settled on bar soap. My daughter prefers a scented soap, the hubby and I just use Lever 2000. I do not understand all the fear of a germ? Rinse the soap and trust your faithful immune system. On another note, I’ve been told you should take the soap bars out of the boxes and “cure” them on a shelf for longer use.
Anita Burns says
I agree. There are germs, EVERYWHERE. If they were all gone, we would die. Soap of any kind (except the now mostly banned antibacterial soap) works by loosening germs on your skin so they can be washed away by water and scraped off by a towel. People should be more afraid of they towel than their soap.
As for curing, commercial soap has been cured, sometimes for months or years before you ever open it. These bars are in storage in big warehouses for a loooong time. I cure my homemade soaps for a few days. Curing lets excess water evaporate so the soap becomes harder.
Diana says
The airing cupboard is a good place to cure tablets of soap and the side benefit is the good smell when you open the cupboard door.
Tammy says
We use bar soap for bathing. For hand washing, I buy liquid soap. I buy it not because I am afraid of germs being left on the soap, but because it is less mess.
Cheri says
I recommitted to bar soap after reading Zero Waste Home and realizing that I had access to the bulk soap that is recommended–the Good Bar at Whole Foods. It is much more economical than a similar-quality body wash, I believe. The fancier bulk soap at WF may be, too, but I stick with the Good Bar because it’s 3 for $6 and lasts a long time. Regarding sanitary issues, I am skeptical. Bar soap has been used for a very long time without much problem. Unless I’m dealing with meat or really “dirty” dirt, I don’t think it’s something to worry about. With meat or “dirty” dirt I will use liquid dish soap.
Pamela says
Bar in the shower, liquid at the sink I don’t feel clean when I use scented body wash in the shower. I don’t like having a soap dish next to the bathroom sink.
Alison says
Same here.
Anita Burns says
I’m a bar soap user. Perhaps because I make my own and know that there are no harmful ingredients in it. I like how my skin feels from using bar soap vs the liquid soap–even Dr. Bronner’s pure castile soaps. It just isn’t the same. I don’t need nearly as much moisturizing lotions with bar soap. So, shea butter, coconut oil, or olive oil bar soap for me. Plus making my own bar soap from melt-and-pour base that contains no Sodium Laurel Sulphate, nor any other of the many questionable ingredients in commercial soap–liquid or bar, saves money. Well, I guess, if I bought soap from the 99 cent or Dollar Store that wouldn’t be the case. It costs me about 1.25 for a good size bar of silky smooth, skin-nourishing bar of soap.
jennifer says
I just love bar soap and would miss it terribly. My kids use hypoallergenic soap from the dollar tree and it lasts awhile. My husband and I use whatever is on sale. I have found that my kids waste anything that pours so bar soap is the way to go for us.
Crystal says
Bar soap for me, and I’m in my 20s. But it is what I grew up with.
Linda says
I dislike bar soap for showering. And it seems to leave a residue, soap scum, all over the bathtub. My dad used bar soap for years before I convinced him to switch. We just stayed a hotel where they had bar soap at the sink. It was so weird. I’m going to have to bring my own liquid soap next time!
Emily says
I have my teenagers wash with both. Bar soap first then follow up with the body wash. I tend to do the same.
FarmGirl says
I think the movement away from bar soap leaves people less in tune with their bodies? If you are using a loofah wouldn’t you be less likely to find any abnormalities you might find with using a bar soap? I don’t think you would feel any lumps or bumps that are irregular. Just my opinion… Have a great day! 🙂
Julia says
We use both. Now I’m wondering which would harbor more germs. The bar soap or the pump you tough to dispense the liquid soap… My theory would be that the plastic pump has more germs. Any of your kids need a science project?
Dayna says
Liquid soap was marketing genius! More is washed down the drain than gets on your body. Total waste of money for the consumer but awesome for retailers!
Anne says
Amen ! Dayna . That right there is exactly why I utterly refuse to use liquid hand soap or liquid body washes for that matter. I am not ashamed to say that I am a hard core bar soap user;and I love the stuff! I will never ever use a liquid body wash or hand soap ever!!!
Miriam says
A lot of bar soaps leave a residue that I can feel on my skin, but I have rarely found a body wash that does the same. That is the reason I like it in the shower.
By the sink, I like that I don’t need to have a drippy soap dish that I have to clean out.
Julie says
We use Dove bar in the shower and liquid at my sinks. I grew up with Dove soap and when my daughter was dealing with skin issues, her dermatologist told her to wash her face with it as well.
rachel says
I grew up using bar soap and remember finding out people used body wash and was like, “I am so doing that when I’m an adult — it’s seems luxurious!” and I’ve never looked back. I always was dropping the bar of soap and hated sharing it with siblings and when it gets down to that odd little bit left . . . I know, first world problems.
Lisa L says
Bar soap! All the way! If I get it as a gift, I’ll occasionally use shower gel, if it’s nicely scented. I feel cleaner if I use bar soap though.
Carrie says
I’m 29 and have been using bar soap for 10 years. I started in college because I never felt clean using body wash. I always seem to get body wash as gifts so I use it to shave.
How long does a bar of soap last y’all?
My husband and I go through one a week!!!!! I love the Whole Foods Good Soap but I can’t spend that much on soap so I buy Ivory (10 bars for under $4) most of the time and the Good Soap as a treat. I remember Lever 2000 lasting me a month in college. Maybe the man scrubs too hard????
Laura says
In the summer I (age 40)use bar soap and in the winter I use liquid soap. My husband (age 39) only uses bar soap and only Dr Bronners. My son (age 16) uses mostly liquid soap and he prefers Old Spice brand soap. In the bathrooms we have both bar soap and liquid soap. I usually use the bar soap for hand washing. In the kitchen I use dishsoap to wash my hands.
Catherine Foster says
If they stop making bar soap, how am I going to make my Mavis homemade laundry soap? I save all the little bits of soap in a mason jar and grate them up to make it. Thanks for all these suggestions. Next time I’m in a town with a Whole Foods (nearest one is three hours away), I’ll buy their soap. Right now I’m an Ivory and Dove gal.
GBMAXX says
Ivory bar soap for 40+ years, I buy it by the brick, 10 bars… Love it1
Cheryl says
Dove unscented, bar in the shower, and liquid at the sink. If the dogs don’t give me all their germs, how is a bar of soap that I use exclusively going to affect me?
Practical Parsimony says
I grew up with bar Ivory soap. In college I switched to Dove and have been using it for over 40 years. Other bar soaps dry my skin. At least my skin is not smooth and feels tight. Of course, I tried body wash and hated it because my skin did not feel like it had been washed and it felt slimy and too slick.
At one point I bought a pump with liquid soap. However, I was not willing to buy another plastic pump bottle. For many years I have used shampoo in the pump at the bathroom sink. If there were children here, there is no way I would have a pump full of liquid.
Basically, the shampoo at the sink in the pump is free. First, I used shampoo that my hair hated. Then, I used any shampoo that was free with a coupon.
Bar soap does have germs. However, when I had bar soap at the bathroom sink, I gave the soap a rinse after I washed my hands. I cannot stand the swirl of dirt left by the ex on soap at the sink. I think it is only polite to remove hair, dirt or whatever a person deposits on bar soap.
Bar soap does not kill germs! It just makes it easier to get the germs off hands. I read that plain water and lots of rubbing will remove most germs. Lacking soap or water, just rubbing hard and wiping the hands with a cloth will remove germs, too.
No, bar soap will never go away.
Teckla says
For the most part, I use bar soap for showering. I’ve found that liquid soap/body wash is much too oily slick for my safety in the tub, even though it may be good to my skin. Way too easy to slip and fall. I use liquid soap for hand washing, though. The preference comments are really interesting. It boils down to each individual. Some of the brands mentioned by others as NOT causing skin to feel dry are exactly the opposite for me. We each have different skin types which makes a lot of difference. I love to hear other’s experiences and have found many things that help me avoid potential problems, though. There’s a lot of experience and good advice out there! So thanks again, Mavis, for the community sharing.
Angie W says
Liquid soap all the way. Having a molecular biologist dad and 2 sisters who are nurses will change your mind about not caring about germs. Bar soaps are very germy and the point of washing your hands is to wash away the germs, not leave them somewhere else to pick up again later. Or heaven forbid, pick up someone else’s germs. You know where that hand has been when they go to the bathroom. Do you really want that passed on to you or would you prefer that down the drain? I know what I would prefer.
Jenny Young says
I’ve switched to all liquid soaps because bar soaps are so messy, The residue they leave is harder to clean.
Linda says
I use Ivory bar soap. I don’t think it leaves any residue and my husband refuses to use the liquid soap.. I also use homemade soap that my sister makes. I feel that the bar soaps are more economical in the long run.
Shari K. says
I have been making my own bar soap for about a month after using store-bought liquid soaps for several years. The homemade soap is soooo far superior in every way and has eliminated dry skin issues for my husband and I in our arid Colorado climate! I won’t ever go back!
Dionna M Gregory says
As a housekeeper in an Assisted Living Facility, I have grown to detest and despise bar soap more than I already did. I am beyond tired of scraping soap off of sinks and shower ledges. Some of my residents use soap dishes, but the majority don’t.
Bar soap is slimy, germy, hairy and did I mention slimy?
And with the number of residents that use bar soap, I have to think that the percentage of older users you quoted is WAY off.
Cheri says
I can see why this would be frustrating enough to switch to liquid soap only; however, I have used enough bar soap to know that there can be big differences between them. I have used the slimy, messy stuff before, but the soap I use now does not get that way. It must have to do with ingredients. I prefer bar soap for my family, but in the case of a lot of people using the same soap, I would choose liquid soap, too.
Suzan says
Our family does use a liquid soap. We first swapped when we found that it made far less scum. Our water is extremely hard. The person that scrubs the sinks prefers it. The three of us have skin issues which means there are two different washes in the shower and two different shampoos too. It was completely different at our holiday home as it was all soap. There was even a soap in basket to shake to make bubbles to clean the dishes.
Soap can be yucky to look et etc but there are studies to show it is effective. Cleaning using water, friction and detergent does a great job. It takes a little time and care and either method will do. When I nursed I had a reaction to the antimicrobial cleansers and was dispensed soap leaves to use instead.
nancy from mass says
I also only use Dove soap (my dermatologist told me it was the only soap i should ever use) because I have a horrible skin condition that will die with me (extremely dry). When I’ve tried using the Dove body wash, it’s as if i used a cheap bar of soap. I get way more moisture from a bar.
I keep it in a section of the shower that doesn’t seem to get much water (up high, near the shower head) and it drains nicely and doesn’t get ‘soggy’ and gross feeling.
My son, on the other hand (17yo) uses a ‘manly’ scented body wash but will also use the Dove on his body at times.
it’s funny, sometimes i think of the Friends episode where Joey and Chandler were talking about bar soap in the shower. Joey said “think about it, what is the last thing I’ve washed in there and what is the first thing you wash” (butt and face!)
Because of that, i kind of ‘rinse’ the bar under the full spray when i am done washing (even though I use facecloths in the shower and rub the soap on the cloth to wash)
Cheri says
Several people now have mentioned that their dermatologists want them to use Dove. There are a lot of really good facial cleanser products out there, some of them completely natural and vegan/cruelty-free. What is it about Dove that dermatologists like so much?
nancy from mass says
I’ve tried other natural soaps and although they are fine for my hands, when i’ve used them on my body, i dry out almost immediately. I do buy hand made soaps from farmers markets or WF from time to time (or Kiss my Face too) but i tend to use them in my downstairs bathroom for hand washing since they dry my skin too much.
i’m not sure why they recommend it more often than other soap but it works for me consistently.
I also have body lotion that i use after I shower (used to be prescription lotion) and when i use other soap, then use the lotion, within 10 mins my skin is tight and dry. the dove soap does not have that effect on me.
Dana says
We use coconut oil bar soap. I’m always trying to cut down on the amount of garbage and recycling we produce and the amount of plastic bottles in the bathroom, – shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deep conditioner, etc. – was way out of hand. LUSH makes great fancy bars of shampoo and conditioner, and Dr Bronner’s makes fantastic bar soaps. The reduction of garbage and recycling due to reduced packaging is remarkable.
Next on the list are those Thinx underwear for menstruation. (Yes I can already hear all the ‘Ewwwwwwwww’s!’, but stop a minute and ask yourself where a lifetime of tampons and sanitary pads end up)
Garbage and recycling free one small thing at a time!
Cheri says
You might enjoy handmade cloth napkins instead of the underwear–Etsy has lots of vendors for them, and you help small businesses too. Just an idea, if you didn’t know about them.
Dana says
Thanks. I will check them out!
Mavis says
I’ve heard great things about LUSH!
Carrie says
Just wanted to let everyone know that the Good Soap at Whole Foods will be on sale for $1/bar September 16-18!!! So funny that everyone was talking about it last week and I saw the flyer over the weekend. This is in NC, hopefully other locations are having the sale as well.
Cheri says
That’s the only kind of soap I buy–thank you for the heads’ up!
Julie C says
I now use Ivory bar soap on my face and the rest of my body.
There was a time when I was really into the body washes, but after a while, I really couldn’t afford them anymore. Plus, I prefer a good terry cloth washcloth rather than one of those poof thingies, and the shower gels just don’t lather as well on a washcloth.
The kids do like liquid body wash, so I usually buy them a couple of bottles for Christmas/birthdays.