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The 16 Best Natural Soaps For Men That Are Gentle & Actually Work

Jamie Schneider
Author:
April 20, 2022
Jamie Schneider
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
By Jamie Schneider
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
April 20, 2022
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

You likely know this, but let's just cover our bases while we're here: Skin care shouldn't be gendered. Anyone can benefit from a high-quality cleanser that nurtures their skin barrier, regardless of marketing or packaging. 

With that out of the way, some do prefer gentle, plant-based formulas with a more masculine-geared experience. If that sounds like you, you've come to the right place. You see, natural-leaning soaps generally use plant-based surfactants (often coconut-derived) for a foamy lather, which tend to be far more soothing than traditional detergents and sulfates. As a result, they effectively clean your skin without stripping it dry—no "tight" feeling post-rinse. (Still, make sure to follow up with a body lotion to trap in all that moisture.) 

Quick note: All of these picks below rely on naturally derived ingredients, but not all of them are completely 100% natural. Some do include safe synthetic preservative systems, as no one wants bacteria in their body wash, but you can trust that the cleansing agents and actives are plant-derived. 

Best body washes & soaps for men:

  1. Oars & Alps Body Wash ($18); oarsandapls.com
  2. Necessaire The Body Wash ($25); sephora.com
  3. Ren Skin Care Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash ($29); renskincare.com
  4. Basd Body Care Invigorating Mint Body Wash ($11.99); ulta.com
  5. Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash Refillable Glass ($35); bathingculture.com
  6. Ursa Major Morning Mojo Bar Soap ($14); credobeauty.com
  7. Plant Apothecary Calm Down Natural Aromatherapy Spearmint Body Wash ($25); amazon.com
  8. Common Ground Natural Body Wash ($19); amazon.com
  9. SheaMoisture Face and Body Bar Soap ($12.70); amazon.com
  10. Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap ($9); amazon.com
  11. Odele Clarifying Body Wash ($11); target.com
  12. Native Citrus and Herbal Musk Body Wash for Men ($11.29); target.com
  13. Disco Invigorating Body Wash ($22); letsdisco.com
  14. Soapwalla Activated Charcoal & Petitgrain Soap Bar ($18); amazon.com
  15. 100% Pure Eucalyptus Shower Gel ($20); dermstore.com
  16. Public Goods Body Wash ($4.95); publicgoods.com

Oars & Alps Body Wash

This skin care brand offers body and facial products for men, crafting products that work together to craft an easy, low-lift routine. The body wash is blended with oils like jojoba and vitamin E to nourish the skin—while the scent is a clean, citrus-forward melody that inspires visions of a California beach. 

Pro: Great for dry skin

Con: Citrus may irritate sensitive skin

Oars & Alps Body Wash ($18); oarsandapls.com

Oars & Alps Body Wash
Oars & Alps

Necessaire The Body Wash

This body wash builds up a nice soft lather with bio-based surfactant, while the cocktail of actives gets to work soothing and hydrating the skin. The primary one is niacinamide, or vitamin B3, which can help brighten tone and support the barrier. We also love the easy, gender-neutral smells of eucalyptus or sandalwood. 

Pro: Helps even out skin tone

Con: Thin texture

Necessaire The Body Wash ($25); sephora.com

Necessaire The Body Wash
Necessaire

Ren Skin Care Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash

Made with several skin-loving ingredients, this will transform your skin into as supple, hydrated, and soft as you've ever felt. First up, there's Atlantic kelp extract to revitalize skin, magnesium to brighten tone, and plankton extract to nourish. It's all housed in a 100% post-consumer recycled plastic—20% of which comes from ocean plastic. 

Pro: 100% post-consumer recycled plastic

Con: Price point

Ren Skin Care Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash ($29); renskincare.com

Ren Skin Care Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash
Ren Skin Care

Basd Body Care Invigorating Mint Body Wash

Perfect for the morning showerers out there, the refreshing mint aroma certainly helps start the day off right. The formula itself combines hydrating and anti-inflammatory aloe along with caffeine. The latter, sourced from organic green tea, can help stimulate circulation in the skin, supporting tone and texture.

Pro: Great for morning showers

Con: Very subtle scent

Basd Body Care Invigorating Mint Body Wash ($11.99); ulta.com

Basd Body Care Invigorating Mint Body Wash
Basd Body Care

Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash Refillable Glass

A sustainable favorite of ours, this refillable cleanser is made with a blend of organic and biodegradable ingredients. Here are a few of our favorites: hydrating coconut oil, conditioning olive oil, soothing aloe vera, and softening shea butter.  

Pro: Very hydrating

Con: Glass bottle isn't great for traveling

Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash Refillable Glass ($35); bathingculture.com

Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash Refillable Glass
Bathing Culture

Ursa Major Morning Mojo Bar Soap

This is no ordinary bar soap: It's made with Volcanic Rock that offers exfoliation, a tingly sensation, and added grip. As for the oil base? It's made from a responsible and certified sustainable palm oil (RSPO). Then the scent of eucalyptus and mint is practically ahh-inducing.  

Pro: Sustainable option

Con: Not the most hydrating

Ursa Major Morning Mojo Bar Soap ($14); credobeauty.com

Ursa Major Morning Mojo Bar Soap
Ursa Major

Plant Apothecary Calm Down Natural Aromatherapy Spearmint Body Wash

For those who prefer a rinse in the evening, perhaps as part of their wind-down routine, may we suggest this chamomile and lavender number? Fragranced with the soothing and warm essential oils, this will lull any stress away. 

Pro: Aromatherapy

Con: Doesn't lather much

Plant Apothecary Calm Down Natural Aromatherapy Spearmint Body Wash ($25); amazon.com

Plant Apothecary Calm Down Natural Aromatherapy Spearmint Body Wash
Plant Apothecary

Common Ground Natural Body Wash

This rich wash leans heavily on avocado oil—and the result is decadent. Avocado oil is high in vitamin E and fatty acids, so it protects skin via its antioxidant properties and nourishes your barrier with lipids.

Pro: Has antioxidants

Con: Thin consistency

Common Ground Natural Body Wash ($19); amazon.com

Common Ground Natural Body Wash
Common Ground

SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Soap

A shea butter bar makes for the creamiest cleanser (as opposed to traditional bar soaps, which are often associated with that dreaded "tight" feeling). Because the ingredient is so rich and dense—packed with triglycerides, fatty acids, and vitamins—it simultaneously softens dry, chapped skin. Add frankincense and myrrh essential oils for an invigorating scent, and we're sold. 

Pro: Great bar option

Con: Strong scent

SheaMoisture Face and Body Bar Soap ($12.70); amazon.com

SheaMoisture Face and Body Bar Soap
SheaMoisture

Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid Soap

A true multitasker: Castile soap has a variety of uses, from body wash to shampoo to hand soap to shave gel. Plus, this vegetable-based cleanser is super gentle on skin—even delicate baby skin, as you can see from this baby-safe option. Castile soaps made with more moisturizing oils like coconut and jojoba are even more nourishing, and you'll find both among the ingredient list. 

Pro: Safe for sensitive skin

Con: Large bottle

Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid Soap ($9); amazon.com

Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
Dr. Bronner's

Odele Clarifying Body Wash

Tea tree extract and a blend of AHAs (glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and citric acid, to be exact), make this one great exfoliating cleanser. It's sulfate-free, so it won't strip your skin dry, but my favorite perk is the 100% natural fragrance—you'll catch light whiffs of orange peel, eucalyptus, bergamot, rosemary, tunisia, and mint with every wash. 

Pro: May help body acne

Con:Not good for dry skin

Odele Clarifying Body Wash ($11); target.com

Odele Clarifying Body Wash
Odele

Native Body Wash

Thanks to coconut-derived surfactants, this body wash froths up like a dream—truly, it rivals the foamy experience of traditional, sulfate-laden formulas. It comes in 10 gorgeous scents, but we find this citrus and herbal musk number to be equally bright and woodsy. 

Pro: Devine scent

Con: May irritate hypersensitive skin

Native Citrus and Herbal Musk Body Wash for Men ($11.29); target.com

Native / Target

Disco Invigorating Body Wash

While skin care shouldn't be gendered, this brand does cater toward the gents with a more "masculine" sensorial experience. If you're looking for a simple, soothing wash, you'll appreciate this hydrating and gentle formula, laced with aloe, chamomile, and horsetail extract.

Pro: Gentle formula

Con: Doesn't have a thick lather

Disco Invigorating Body Wash ($22); letsdisco.com

Disco Invigorating Body Wash
Disco

Soapwalla Activated Charcoal and Petitgrain Soap Bar

Another purifying option, this bar includes activated charcoal to draw dirt and oil from the pores, along with antibacterial tea tree oil to combat body acne. But a rough, gritty bar, this is not: The brand describes the experience as "liquid velvet," and honestly? We couldn't agree more.  

Pro: Helps with clogged pores

Con: Slightly drying

Soapwalla Activated Charcoal & Petitgrain Soap Bar ($18); amazon.com

Soapwalla Activated Charcoal & Petitgrain Soap Bar
Soapwalla

100% pure Eucalyptus Shower Gel

This rich shower gel calls on three of our favorite natural humectants, honey, aloe, and algae, to deeply hydrate parched skin as you lather up. Rose hydrosol (a fancy term for rosewater) also adds a gentle toning effect, thanks to its mildly astringent nature, while green tea extract soothes and protects with antioxidants. 

Pro: Invigorating scent

Con: Not vegan

100% Pure Eucalyptus Shower Gel ($20); dermstore.com

100% Pure Eucalyptus Shower Gel
100% Pure

Public Goods Body Wash

This sulfate-free wash works to cleanse skin without irritation or over stripping. It may be under $5, but you wouldn't know it given that it's also free of parabens and phthalates. Naturally scented with a blend of essential oils including citrus and rosewood, this wash is perfect for a refreshing morning rinse.

Pro: Affordable

Con: Not as hydrating

Public Goods Body Wash ($4.95); publicgoods.com

Public Goods Body Wash
Public Goods

mbg's review process

At mbg, high standards are earned—and there are no shortcuts. Our beauty editors stay up to date on the latest ingredient research and innovation. It's a dynamic, continuously evolving space, and it's important we look into the science so we can make informed choices about which formulas earn our stamp of approval (figuratively speaking).

Our high standards also come from testing products—many, many products. Our editors and writers rigorously test and research the products featured in our roundups to offer you the best, most informed recommendations. When we write reviews, you can trust we spend quality time with the formulas: We don't simply rave about products we've slathered on the back of our hand. We endorse products we've tried and loved. 

Learn more about our testing process and clean beauty standards here

The takeaway.

Although body washes don't need to be gendered, we understand that some people prefer a typically "masculine" scent or experience when it comes to fragrance. Here, our list of body washes that are great for anyone and free of iffy ingredients. This way you can take care of your skin and enjoy the fragrance that comes along with it. If you're one to shower in the morning, citrus and mint scents may be best to help wake up the senses. If you're looking for a relaxing, evening cleanse, then reach for a body wash that has eucalyptus or lavender. And if you're wondering if you should be showering in the morning or the evening, we asked the pros so you don't have to.

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