The best bar soap you can buy

Why you’ll love it: Need something extra gentle? The Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar uses “5 nourishing ingredients” to cleanse without drying out or irritating skin.

Do you suffer from scaly skin in the winter (or, like, always)? The Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar is made with you in mind. Another “soap-free,” soap, this one is suitable for eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis-sufferers.

If your skin burns at the mere thought of added fragrance or fancy ingredients, this is the bare-minimum cleanser you need to have in your bathroom. It boasts “nourishing ingredients to gently cleanse skin without over drying.” These include glycerin to soften and sodium cocoyl isethionate to cleanse.

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar is an Amazon’s Choice pick with a 4.5 rating based on 939 reviews and has been featured by Allure, which calls it “a godsend for dry, itchy skin” as well as Gear Patrol, Bustle, and Real Simple.

“Best for everything. I don't get acne often. Usually around that time of the month. Haven't had any since I use only this on my face for cleansing and it's the best soap for sensitive skin. Sooo soft and moisturizing. This is hands down the best soap ever. If you have eczema or psoriasis, or just dry or sensitive skin this is the best,” writes one shopper.

Pros: Works for sensitive skin, eczema, psoriasis, very gentle

Cons: Strong scent, pricier than Dove

Buy Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar (3-pack) on Amazon for $8.45

Why you’ll love it: The Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar uses high-end ingredients to unclog pores.

Acne-prone skin types or those with perpetually clogged pores will love the Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar. Stocked with detoxifying Dead Sea mud and charcoal, the bar is formulated to “draw out impurities and visibly reduce pore size.”

With a price tag of $38, this is definitely on the high-end side. That said, it comes highly rated, so if you struggle with congested skin and want to invest, it could be a great option.

Sephora shoppers rate it 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on 72 reviews. The bar has also been featured by Allure, Gear Patrol, and Stylecaster, whose reviewer describes it as “[almost] a magnet for makeup, impurities and dirt.”

“This is a perfect second cleanse soap. Takes away everything but doesn't leave skin feeling stripped (and this from a 60 year old woman)! I know it's expensive, but it lasts forever. Comes in a nice plastic container, too,” says one Sephora reviewer.

Pros: Gentle but detoxifying, suitable for acne-prone skin, comes with plastic container

Cons: Very expensive

Buy the Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar on Sephora for $38

Why you’ll love it: Dr. Bronner’s Organic Castile Bar Soap takes the brand’s iconic all-in-one formula and puts it in convenient solid form.

Can’t be bothered to do soap, shampoo, conditioner, and face wash? Just stock up on Dr. Bronner’s Organic Castile Bar Soap. It’s a true all-in-one product.

Castile is defined on the Dr. Bronner’s website as “any vegetable oil-based soap.” The name basically means you’re getting a gentle, plant-based soap not made with harsh detergents. That’s not to say that synthetic ingredients are inherently bad, but if natural and vegan is your thing, this is a great pick.

Plus it’s ideal for the laziest among us — Dr. Bronner’s Organic Castile Bar Soap can be used on body, face, and even hair in a pinch. The product description even suggests “you can dilute it in various recipes for anything from a pest spray to laundry wash.”

The Dr. Bronner’s Organic Castile Bar Soap has a 4.6 rating on Amazon based on 515 reviews and has been featured by Total Beauty and Gear Patrol.

“The absence of synthetic ingredients is a plus for those with sensitivities, but the pH of this soap (around 9) may be irritating to those with sensitive skin,” notes Gear Patrol.

Pros: Vegan, vegetable-based, multiuse

Cons: Some reviewers found it too harsh for face

Buy Dr. Bronner’s Organic Castile Bar Soap (2-pack) on Amazon for $11.09

Why you’ll love it: Meow Meow Tweet Pink Rose Clay Facial Soap is a plant-based, vegan bar soap that gently cleans, detoxifies, and exfoliates skin.

You shouldn’t judge a bar soap by it’s packaging, but Meow Meow Tweet makes that principle difficult to abide. Luckily, the brand’s Pink Rose Clay Facial Soap is as good as it looks — which is saying something, because cats on the box.

The formula is truly outstanding, packed with plant-based, good-for-your-skin ingredients like olive and coconut oils and shea butter. French pink clay gently detoxifies, while crushed rose petals softly exfoliate. Essential oils from lavender and geranium tone the skin while giving the soap a light, pleasant scent.

I think the Pink Rose Clay Facial Soap is criminally underrated. It’s vegan, smells delightful, and feels greats on the skin, which I know from first-hand use. The rose petals can feel a little harsh if used directly on active blemishes, but otherwise I find them gentle enough for my sensitive complexion.

While there are only nine reviews currently on the Target website, most of them rate the product 4 or 5 stars. It’s been featured by Allure, Bustle, and PopSugar. Bustle calls it “a fancy way to start your morning,” and I have to agree.

One happy customer writes, “Love this soap! I was looking for a good zero waste soap but was having trouble finding one with high quality ingredients and not drying. This soap delivers!” Another says, “After switching to this facial soap, my skin feels a lot better, and I breakout less. I was initially [sic] worried that the smell would bother me, but it is pretty light and it doesn't linger on your skin.”

Pros: Plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free, detoxifying and exfoliating

Cons: Expensive

Buy the Meow Meow Tweet Pink Rose Clay Facial Soap on Target for $8