Posted by Kerrieanne Lischka
New to bar soap? Read our Bar Soap Guide for quick answers about lye, germs and choosing the right bar.
Quick answer
Yes. Body wash took over the shower in recent decades thanks to big-brand marketing and convenience, but bar soap never went away. It's growing again because bars use less packaging, often have shorter ingredient lists and last for weeks.
Walk down any drugstore aisle and you’ll see far more bottles of body wash than bars of soap. So do people still use bar soap? Yes, plenty of them, and handmade bars are having a real comeback. Here’s why body wash took over, what changed, and why so many people are switching back to the bar.
A Quick History of Bar Soap
Soap has been made the same basic way for thousands of years: fats or oils are mixed with lye (an alkali), and a chemical reaction called saponification turns them into soap. Early soaps were made with animal fats like tallow, and that tradition is still alive in many handmade bars today. Our own goat milk soap is made with shea butter, coconut oil, beef tallow, lard, sunflower oil and castor oil, plus fresh goat milk. Once the soap is made and cured, no lye remains in the finished bar. Read more in the best oils for bar soap.
Why Body Wash Took Over
For most of the 20th century, a bar of soap sat next to nearly every sink and tub. That started to change as liquid soaps and body washes became widely available, and by the 2010s body wash had become the go-to in many households. A few things drove the shift:
Marketing. Big brands put large budgets behind body washes, with new scents, colors and “moisturizing” promises every season.
Convenience. A pump or squeeze bottle doesn’t slip out of your hand or leave a mushy bar in the dish.
The “germy bar” worry. A 2016 Mintel survey found that about half of US consumers believed bar soap is covered in germs after use, and younger shoppers were even more likely to think so.
Harsh drugstore bars. Many mass-market bars are made with strong detergents and can leave skin feeling tight, which gave “bar soap” a bad name.
Is Bar Soap Unhygienic?
It’s a fair question, and the research is reassuring. In a classic study, researchers deliberately coated bars of soap with bacteria, then had people wash with them. They found no detectable transfer of those bacteria to the participants’ hands, and concluded that washing with a used bar is unlikely to be a hygiene concern. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands with soap and water as one of the best ways to stay healthy.
A few simple habits keep your bar clean and long-lasting:
Rinse the bar after use.
Let it dry between uses on a draining soap tray, away from the shower stream.
Use a sisal soap saver bag for a richer lather and to use up every last sliver.
For a deeper look, read bar soap vs. liquid soap and germs.
Why People Are Switching Back
Less plastic
Body wash almost always comes in a plastic bottle. A bar of soap needs little more than a paper wrap or band. If you’re trying to cut down on bathroom plastic, the bar is one of the easiest swaps you can make. See how the two compare in bar soap vs. liquid soap.
Simple ingredients
Many people are reading labels more closely and want ingredients they recognize. A handmade bar is often a short list of fats, oils, lye and a few additions like goat milk, clay or essential oils. If you prefer to skip fragrance, look for an unscented bar like our Beauty Bare.
How it feels
True handmade soap keeps its natural glycerin, and many soap makers leave a little extra oil in the bar (called superfat). Many people find that a good handmade bar leaves their skin feeling soft and comfortable rather than tight. If you have a skin condition, talk with a dermatologist about the right cleanser for you and patch-test any new product first.
Value and travel
A well-cured bar lasts a long time when it’s kept dry, and it’s spill-proof in a gym bag or carry-on, with no liquid limits to worry about.
The Handmade Soap Comeback
As drugstore bars lost ground, small-batch soap makers stepped in. Farmers markets, local shops and online stores are full of handmade bars made with goat milk, tallow, clays and botanicals. These bars cost a bit more than drugstore soap, but people come back to them for the lather, the simple ingredients and the feel.
At Ollie Skincare, every 5 oz bar is made in small batches in Wisconsin. A few to try:
Goat Milk Soap, including our unscented Beauty Bare
Clay Facial Soap, made with cosmetic clay
Garden Soap, with orange zest for light exfoliation
The Soap Lover Gift Set, if you want to try a few
Still prefer a liquid? Our Shower Oil is an oil-based cleanser that turns milky with water and rinses clean, and it comes in a reusable pump bottle.
So, Is Bar Soap Making a Comeback?
Bar soap never really went away. Body wash won the marketing battle, but the reasons people are returning to the bar are hard to argue with: less plastic, simpler ingredients, a long-lasting bar and a lather that feels good on skin. If it’s been a while since you used one, a handmade bar is a great place to start. Shop our handmade bar soaps.
Curious how soap is made? Read our guide to homemade goat milk soap.
