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Soap: every man (hopefully) uses it, but few seem to truly appreciate it. Soap can be much more than a basic necessity to mindlessly drop into your shopping cart every month; a soothing, fragrant soap can be the best part of your day if you know which high-quality brands to indulge in.
So if you’re looking to upgrade your aroma game, we suggest you check out our list of the most effective, best-smelling men’s soaps currently on the market.
Our Top Pick
Dr. Squatch Beer Soap Bar
Dr. Squatch is a go-to choice for men interested in organic products with unique scents. Actual beer and distilled hops gives this soap an oddly satisfying, citrus-y aroma while kaolin clay and shea butter provide a smooth salve for the skin. Dr. Squatch soap is also proudly all-natural, which means it contains no industrial substances like SLS and parabens: good news for anyone trying to limit their exposure to the chemicals found in most industrial hygiene products.
Other Great Picks
Pre de Provence No. 63 Men’s Shea Butter Enriched Soap
Pre de Provence is a French brand whose luxurious soaps are produced in the namesake region of Provence. Their No. 63 Shea Butter Soap has a deep, woodsy scent, and like other Pre de Provence products, it’s packed with natural ingredients and “quad-milled” for maximum smoothness.
Baxter Of California Deep Cleansing Bar With Charcoal Clay
This intense looking bar of soap gets its aggressive dark color from activated charcoal: an ingredient often used in soaps to provide a serious clean. As the name implies, this is a powerful exfoliating soap, but it gets its job done without harshness, and leaves a behind smoky aroma that’s rich without being overwhelming.
Viking Revolution Activated Charcoal Soap For Men
Another black soap infused with activated charcoal; Viking Revolution’s all-natural soap provides both an intense clean and a refreshing herbal scent courtesy of peppermint and eucalyptus. This soap also contains “Dead Sea mud”, which not only sounds cool but boasts skin-rejuvenating qualities thanks to its rich variety of minerals.
Marlowe No. 102 Men’s Body Scrub
This soothing, exfoliating soap has a fresh floral scent and an abundance of skin-healing ingredients such as deep-sea algae and green tea extract. It’s also paraben and cruelty-free: a big bonus for the conscientious consumer.
Duke Cannon Big American Bourbon Soap
Duke Cannon’s Big American Bourbon Soap smells exactly like you’d want it to: rich, oaky and defiantly old-fashioned. If you’re into masculine scents with a niche twist, exploring this brand is highly encouraged.
Art Of Sport Compete Scent
Yet another charcoal-infused item, if you couldn’t already tell from the color. Thanks to the inclusion of therapeutic ingredients like shea butter and tea tree oil, this body bar is soothing, moisturizing, and rejuvenating to the skin. And don’t let the black fool you: this soap has a surprisingly fruity aroma with subtle hints of citrus.
Mistral Men’s Bourbon Vanilla Bar Soap
This soap perfect balances its rich “masculine” scents (bourbon, tobacco leaf) with the sweet tones of vanilla, creating a unique and, frankly, amazing fragrance. It’s also triple-milled, which guarantees a velvety smooth lather.
Bossman 4-In-1 Bar Soap
This subtly scented, moisturizing soap is a great all-around product thanks to its functionality (as a shampoo, conditioner, and body wash) and its dependable quality. Bossman’s soap cleans and lathers without harshness, making it a great choice for people looking for an exfoliating soap that’s easy on the skin.
Jack Black Turbo Body Bar Scrubbing Soap
The best thing about Jack Black’s exotic ingredients (including “lava rock” and “blue lotus”) is the fact that they work: this soap is an excellent exfoliant with a smooth lather and an energizing fragrance.
What Is Men’s Soap?
Is there a difference between “men’s” soap and “soap”? Functionally, perhaps not, but in terms of fragrance, yes, there can be a big difference.
Soaps specifically marketed to men often contain aromas that are considered “masculine”. Generally, an aroma is considered masculine if it is earthy, spicy, or invigorating: think pine, tobacco, cinnamon, leather, etc. Floral, fruity scents are usually considered “feminine”, although notes of these aromas can be also present in many male products.
Generally, the skin and hair benefits associated with high-quality men’s soaps are equally effective across genders, although men’s soaps are often advertised for specific male issues, such as cleaning and conditioning facial hair.
Which Soap Is Best For Men’s Skin?
Everyone’s skin is different, which means that the “best” soap in this regard differs from person to person.
Generally speaking, there are two main categories for skin problems: sensitivity-related problems (dryness, irritation) and hygienic problems (acne, dandruff). Although most soaps are designed for both kinds of issues, some may be more geared towards one than the other.
Sensitive skin is best served with soothing, moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter and tea tree oil. When selecting soap for sensitive skin, extra care should be taken to ensure that the soap will not be too drying or harsh. Natural ingredients should be favored over industrial ones, as many common chemicals can excessively strip oils from the skin, leading to increased irritation.
If hygiene is the bigger issue, it might be wise to consider using a bar of soap with special exfoliating properties. Ingredients like activated charcoal should be considered, as they can help clear pores and provide a deeper clean.
Keep in mind that many soap companies also market products intended to address specific skin ailments. Some brands include therapeutic compounds to help treat more serious afflictions such as psoriasis. Although soaps cannot replace medication in cases of severe skin problems, they can certainly assist in calming the skin and aiding in the recovery process, provided they contain high-quality ingredients.
What Is Soap Made Of?
Every soap brand is naturally going to advertise its most appealing ingredients first: butters, oils, extracts, etc. But soap is obviously not just a brick of nice smelling essences. So what is it exactly?
“Soap” is broadly defined as the “salt of a fatty acid”. The unique property that allows soap to work as a cleaning agent is its ability to make particles more soluble, which means dirt and grime can be easily washed away with water after soap has been applied. Soap is also able to disrupt the membranes of microorganisms, which accounts for its ability to effectively disinfect surfaces contaminated with harmful bacteria.
Modern domestic soap is made by combining triglycerides with a strong alkaline substance, such as lye. The triglycerides used to make soap can be derived from a variety of substances, including coconut oil, palm oil, and animal fat.
When triglycerides are combined with an aqueous alkali, it induces a conversion process known as “saponification.” Saponification splits the triglycerides into two distinct substances: fatty acid salts (soap) and glycerol.
Glycerol (also called glycerin) is usually stripped away and used for other products, such as lotions, but some manufacturers choose to keep it in the soap. Some consumers prefer to use soaps that include glycerol, as these soaps are thought to be more moisturizing to the skin.
Additional chemicals, such as parabens, are often added to industrial soaps. The main purpose of these chemicals is to prolong the shelf-life of the soap. Despite FDA approval, the health effects of these substances are a subject of controversy amongst consumers.
Does Soap Expire?
Despite being a cleaning agent, soap actually does expire. Some of the natural ingredients in soap have the capacity to go bad over an extended period of time.
However, it’s important to note that this “extended period of time” means several years: far longer than the average person would be using the same bar of soap. The existence of an expiration date should not put anyone off using soaps with an abundance of natural ingredients.
What Is Triple-Milled Soap?
Certain high-quality soaps often advertise themselves as being milled multiple times (usually “triple-milled”). This means that, during the soap-making process, soap crystals were passed through a roller miller several times to produce a smoother product. This is a process often associated with French brands, which is why triple-milled soap is sometimes called “French-milled” soap.
What Is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal is a common ingredient added to modern soaps. Soap bars with activated charcoal tend to be easily identified by their black color.
Activated charcoal is a fine carbon powder that has been treated to maximize porosity. Activated charcoal is often used in medical settings to treat overdoses, due to its powerful ability to absorb substances.
In theory, activated charcoal’s absorptive nature makes it an ideal skin-cleansing agent. It is thought to work in tandem with soap to facilitate better pore-clearing.
What Are Sulfates?
Sulfates are the salts of sulfuric acid. Sulfates are occasionally added to domestic cleaning products.
The most common sulfate used in soaps is SLS, or “sodium lauryl sulfate”. SLS is a surfactant that acts as a foaming agent; it is often used in soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.
The health effects of sulfates are often debated. According to the FDA, SLS is safe in controlled concentrations for use in foods, cosmetic products, and cleaning products. Although occasional irritation has been associated with SLS use in animal studies, no link has been officially established linking SLS with any serious ailments.
Despite FDA approval, skepticism remains over the health effects of consistent exposure to SLS. If chemical agents like SLS are of concern to you, there are plenty of all-natural soap options available without sulfates.
What Are Parabens?
Parabens are preservatives used in many cosmetic products. Similar to sulfates, parabens are deemed safe in controlled concentrations by the FDA.
Some mild estrogenic activity has been associated with parabens, but the activity observed is thought to be trivial. Paraben use has not been officially linked to any serious side effects.
What Is The Best Smelling Men’s Soap?
When choosing a soap, you should obviously consider what smells that you, in particular, enjoy.
Men’s soaps typically use “masculine” scents of varying potency. Some brands tend towards milder, more universally desirable scents while others proudly favor bold, niche aroma profiles.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of exploring high-quality soaps is the opportunity to experiment with several different scents. The more soaps you try, the more you will be able to identify your taste for particular essences. It’s prudent to take note of the ingredients in the soaps you use so you can better determine which fragrances hold a particular appeal.
What Is Natural Soap?
“Natural” is a general term applied to soaps that use an abundance of natural ingredients and/or forgo popular chemical additives.
It should be noted that “natural” is not the same as “all-natural”. Unfortunately, “natural” is a fairly vague descriptor on its own, as even the most industrialized soaps contain at least a few natural ingredients. Additionally, the presence of natural ingredients does not guarantee that these ingredients are “organic”.
If you are concerned about the chemicals that may be present in your soap, it is important to personally review a product’s ingredients, as terms like “natural”, while sometimes helpful, can often be misleading.
Especially conscientious consumers may also want to look out for a “cruelty-free” designation, which asserts that a product was created without animal testing.
What Is A Soap Bar?
The soap we know today comes in both a solid and a liquid form. Interestingly enough, the liquid form is a (relatively) recent invention that first appeared in the late 19th century, while solid soap first appeared several thousand years ago. Solid soap bars, therefore, can be considered the “classic” form of soap.
Liquid soap is sometimes preferred over bar soap because of the belief that sharing a bar of soap means sharing germs. However, several studies have shown that bar soap does not actually transfer germs between multiple users.
Bar soap, on the other hand, is sometimes preferred for its convenient shape and its attractive aesthetic. It also has several advantages in terms of environmental impact, thanks to a lack of plastic packaging and an overall lower energy expense.
The Best Men’s Soap
These are our picks for the best men’s soaps currently available. While these products are our personal favorites, there are plenty of other unique scents out there waiting to be explored.
So if you find you’ve got the bug for high-quality soaps after trying some of these out, feel free to keep experimenting with new products and brands. And remember, smelling great is a hobby all your friends and family get behind, so indulge away!