Is Bar Soap Good for Sensitive Skin? What to Look For

The short answer

It can be. Whether a bar is gentle depends on what's in it, not on the fact that it's a bar. Look for a short ingredient list, nourishing oils and butters, and no harsh detergents. Skip antibacterial and "deodorant" bars, and go easy on heavy fragrance if that's a trigger for you.

I started making soap because of sensitive skin in my own house. So I hear this question a lot, usually from someone who grew up with a harsh bar in the shower and swore off bar soap forever.

I get it. But a bar is just a shape. A bar can be very gentle or very harsh, and so can a bottle of body wash. What matters is what's inside.

Why bar soap got a bad reputation

A lot of the bars many of us grew up with were made to be strong: lots of foaming detergents, added antibacterial ingredients, strong perfume, and a "squeaky clean" finish. On sensitive skin, that combination can mean tightness, itching and redness.

Handmade soap is a different thing. It's made by combining oils and butters with lye (the lye is used up in the process, so none is left in a finished, properly cured bar). What comes out is soap plus glycerin, a natural moisturizer that big manufacturers often remove and sell separately.

What to look for in a bar for sensitive skin

A short ingredient list. Fewer ingredients means fewer things that might bother you.
Oils and butters you recognize. Olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter and similar ingredients are common in gentle bars.
Milk or other creamy additions. Goat's milk, for example, adds natural fats and makes the lather creamier.
No sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). It's a strong foaming detergent that bothers a lot of sensitive skin.
Gentle on fragrance, if scent bothers you. Not everyone with sensitive skin reacts to fragrance, but if you do, choose lightly scented or unscented bars.

What to skip

Antibacterial or "deodorant" bars, unless a doctor told you to use one.
Bars with a very long list of ingredients you can't pronounce.
Anything that leaves your skin feeling tight or squeaky afterward. That's your skin telling you it lost too much oil.

How to try a new bar without a flare-up

Patch test first. Wash a small spot on the inside of your forearm once a day for 2 or 3 days. No redness or itching? You're good to go.
Start on your body before your face. Facial skin is thinner and more reactive.
Change one thing at a time. If you switch your soap, lotion and laundry detergent the same week and something goes wrong, you'll never know which one caused it.
Use warm water, not hot, and moisturize right after.

One more tip: keep it dry

A bar sitting in a puddle gets soft and mushy and wears away fast. Use a soap dish that drains, and keep it out of the direct spray. Your bar will last much longer.

If your skin is very reactive, or you have a diagnosed skin condition, check with your dermatologist before trying new products.