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The best plastic-free bar soap & body wash
Liquid body wash is water sold in a plastic bottle. A good bar soap is the oldest, easiest swap there is — no bottle, no pump, and it lasts longer than you'd think.
What to look out for: Bar soap in paper/no packaging; if you want liquid, look for refill or a bar-based wash.
Quick answer: The most-recommended bar here is Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Bar Soap ($5.49). Our Purra Pick is the EcoRoots Sisal Soap Saver Bag ($5.99) — the little accessory that makes any bar soap last longer.
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Common questions
Is bar soap as hygienic as liquid soap?
Yes — an often-cited study found germs didn't transfer from a used bar to the next person's hands. Rinse it and let it dry between uses, which is what a draining soap dish is for.
Does a bar really last longer than a bottle?
Kept dry between uses, a good bar outlasts a comparable bottle of body wash — which is mostly water you paid to ship in plastic.
What about shampoo and conditioner bars?
Same swap, same logic: concentrated formulas without the bottle. Give your hair a week or two to adjust when switching.
9 vetted plastic-free bar soap & body wash
Sisal Soap Saver Bag
A woven sisal pouch that holds soap scraps, exfoliates in the shower, and hangs to dry.
Why we trust it · 2 independent sources
Pure-Castile Bar Soap, Peppermint
The famous fair-trade castile bar that works as body soap, hand soap, and more.
Why we trust it · 3 independent sources
Oh So Body Soap
A gorgeous handmade body soap from a physician-founded Colorado brand known for obsessive ingredient quality.
Why we trust it · 3 independent sources
Moisturizing Body Wash Bar - Hidden Waterfall
A rice-water body wash bar that lathers like bottled body wash but comes as a solid bar in a cardboard box.
Why we trust it · 2 independent sources
Activated Charcoal Soap Bar
A creamy goat-milk detox bar made on a solar-powered Tennessee farm.
Why we trust it · 2 independent sources
Bamboo Soap Shelf
A slatted bamboo dish that lets bars drain and dry so they last far longer.
Why we trust it · 2 independent sources
Natural Loofah Sponge
A cross-section of real loofah plant that works as a body scrubber or a draining soap rest.
Note: price estimated; URL found via search results
Why we trust it · 2 independent sources
Pine Tar Natural Bar Soap
A woodsy, heavy-grit bar soap made with organic oils that turned millions of men off bottled body wash.
Why we trust it · 1 independent source
Olive Oil Marseille Soap, Set of 3 (3 x 100 g)
Traditional Savon de Marseille body soap cubes made in France since 1900 from 72% olive oil, with no colorants, synthetic fragrance, or preservatives.