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