If you’re looking for a great body soap - and trying to help the environment - you may decide that a high-quality, organic bar soap might be the right choice for you.
But, as with any skincare product, there’s no one-size-fits-all bar soap out there, and the right choice will depend largely on your skin type and your most prevalent skincare concerns.
Here’s what you need to know to make the best choice for all skin types and concerns.
Normal Skin Type
The Skinny on this Skin Type
If you have normal skin - congratulations! Often known as the holy grail of skin types, normal skin type is generally:
- Matte in appearance, and neither oily nor dry.
- Free of severe sensitivity or redness
- Even in tone and texture
- Free of large or visible pores
Ingredients That Work On Normal Skin
If you have a normal skin type, you can’t really go wrong, and you don’t have any particular issues to address.
Your goal, then, should be to maintain, balance, and make sure that you don’t throw your skin out of whack. That means using gentle body soap products that hydrate while helping maintain your skin’s natural barrier. Some go-to ingredients here can include:
- Shea butter: A natural hydrator, shea butter is loaded with good vitamins for skin, as well as, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids - that’s why it’s been such a go-to for hydrating, improving eczema, and soothing the skin. For normal skin, though, it’s an excellent protector and all-around moisturizer, particularly in dry months or cold conditions.
- Goat milk: A natural and soothing emollient, goat milk is rich in proteins, loaded with vitamins - including vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and vitamin E - hypoallergenic, and rich in lactic acid. What’s more, it’s the same pH as human skin, which means it won’t irritate skin. For normal skin, it’s a nutrient bomb that will keep your skin exfoliated, soft, and nourished.
- Oats: Oats are a natural and gentle exfoliant, meaning they can slough away dead skin and lead to more even, softer skin. They’re also rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce itching, lipids to hydrate, saponins to unclog pores, and more.
Additionally, if you’re looking for a little more oomph, you can also focus on prevention and incorporating products that help prevent and address free radical damage, UV exposure, loss of collagen, and the development of fine lines and wrinkles. This could include active ingredients like vitamin C, peptides, and glycolic acid.
Find it all in Hometown Honey bar soap and Spicy Rum Punch bar soap.
Dry Skin Type
The Skinny on this Skin Type
This is one of the most confusing skin types out there, as it can be difficult to identify a truly dry skin type. On one hand, people can often have dehydrated or stripped skin and think that they have a dry skin type (but the culprit could really be dehydration or stripping skincare products).
Plus, everyone’s had a bout of dry skin at some point -- whether it was due to a sunburn, a long day outside, or a harsh hotel soap that totally made your skin raw -- and this can further the confusion.
That said, if you have a truly dry skin type, you’ll notice:
- Nearly invisible pores
- Red or flaky patches
- Lack of elasticity
- Visible lines
- A dull or rough complexion
In any case -- whether your skin type is truly dry or you’re just experiencing some life-related dryness -- you should look for restorative and moisturizing ingredients in your bar soap.
Ingredients That Work On Dry Skin
The most important ingredients for dry skin are humectants and occlusives. The humectants, on one hand (like hyaluronic acid), will draw moisture into your skin, while occlusives like oil and silicone will help seal that much-needed moisture in.
Look specifically for ingredients like:
- Coconut oil: This is a tricky one since coconut oil can often be comedogenic, but, when used alongside other good-for-your-skin ingredients, this can be one of the most effective moisturizers out there.
- Goat milk: The proteins in goat milk nourish skin, providing a moisture barrier that encourages deep hydration. The milk also contains lactic acid, an AHA that will break down dead skin cells, revealing fresh glowing skin.
- Oatmeal: Oatmeal contains anti-inflammatory compounds that can calm redness and soothe itchy or inflamed dry skin.
- Olive oil: Rich in antioxidants like oleic acid and polyphenols, olive oil is an excellent choice for its anti-aging properties and its ability to improve the texture and skin tone.
Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that you use products that protect your skin and help restore your stripped natural barrier. Translation? Ceramides and peptides. Ceramides, on one hand, rebuild your skin’s natural lipids, while peptides increase protein content and improve your skin’s resilience over time.
Find it in: Hometown Honey bar soap.
Oily Skin Type
The Skinny On This Skin Type
Like dry skin, oily skin is also often misdiagnosed.
This can be a vicious cycle: in an effort to achieve a poreless, matte look, people use harsh or over-stripping products and chemicals. In response, the skin tries to protect itself and undo the damage by overproducing sebum and oils. Not great. This becomes a “chicken or the egg” conundrum that it can be really tough to regulate.
Truly oily skin, though, will include characteristics like:
- Enlarged pores
- Blackheads, pimples, and other blemishes
- A dull, shiny, or thick complexion
Now, while the right skincare routine will differ depending on if your skin is truly oily vs oily because it’s overcompensating, you can use the same body wash for both conditions.
More specifically, look for a bath bar that is lightly hydrating and consistently exfoliating.
Ingredients That Work
- Exfoliants: Get micro-exfoliation with natural luffa (nature’s loofah - but it’s a fruit and grows on trees).
- Shea butter: Shea butter is loaded with natural vitamins (A, E, F) and antioxidants. These can not only smooth wrinkles and prevent scars, but also soothe and regulate oily skin.
- Kaolin clay: A naturally occurring soft clay, kaolin clay works like a magnet, holding impurities to its surface without stripping away the skin’s natural oils. This allows for gentle purification without destroying the skin’s natural barrier.
Find it in: Spicy Rum Punch, Rainbow is My Favorite Color
Combination Skin Type
The Skinny On This Skin Type
If you have combination skin, you’ve probably noticed a ton of different areas of concern, including oiliness in some areas (particularly your t-zone), incremental dryness, larger pores, and breakouts.
As a result, you want skincare products that will solve one problem without exacerbating others. That means you should look for balanced, clarifying products that don’t over-dry the skin.
Ingredients That Work
Look, in particular for:
- Kaolin clay, which has the ability to exfoliate and unclog pores without disturbing the skin's natural sebum balance.
- Goat milk proteins, which nourish skin, providing a moisture barrier that encourages deep hydration
- Shea butter, an outstanding moisturizer that’s loaded with natural vitamins that can smooth wrinkles, prevent scars, and even address skin allergies.
Find it in: Rainbow is My Favorite Color, Hometown Honey
Sensitive Skin Type
The Skinny On This Skin Type
If you have sensitive skin, you’ll notice that it’s often reactive or uncomfortable. You’ll also experience:
- Redness
- Itching
- Burning
- Dryness
If this is the case, you want to play it safe with products that don’t exacerbate redness, breakouts, rosacea, or eczema.That means you’ll want to be on the lookout for ingredients to avoid in skincare, such as synthetic colors, synthetic fragrances, and common skin irritants.
Ingredients That Work On Sensitive Skin
This includes nutrient-rich ingredients that will soothe your skin and fortify your skin’s natural barrier like:
- Oatmeal
- Shea butter
- Goat milk
- Olive oil
Find it in: Hometown Honey
Don’t know where to start? Treat all of your changing skin concerns with the Pass the Bar bar soap gift set.