Bar soap

by Megan Stoddard

Created on: December 19, 2009   Last Updated: January 31, 2010

Newfangled body wash comes in fancier packages than old fashioned bar soap, and at higher prices for comparable amounts. Both are about equally effective at getting the body clean. But body wash, as well as being more expensive, is much more heavily promoted. And the more heavily promoted something is, the bigger a ripoff it is.

Body wash is promoted as better than bar soap for several reasons. It does not break or slip away if dropped in the shower. It is harder to drop in the first place, because unlike soap, a bottle of body wash isn't that slippery. Since nobody touches body wash except for what they use, whereas everyone who uses a bar of soap must touch the whole thing, bar soap retains germs, while body wash does not.

These claims aside, advertising for body wash mostly focuses on its scents and its so-called moisturizing and skin toning properties. To hear the commercials, one would think body wash is a perfume/cologne, a lotion, and a soap rolled into one. Many people who prefer body wash do, in fact, think of it that way.

The first claim in the case for body wash is true. Body wash does have the advantage of being easier to set down in the shower, easier to keep from getting wet, and easier to retrieve if dropped. Beyond that, the case falls apart. The other claims are mostly untrue, and sometimes the direct opposite of the truth.

Theoretically, a bar of soap shared by a family could retain germs from so many people touching it. In practice, there are no known cases of infection or disease being spread that way. If bar soap sits in a wet dish for days, germs may grow. But that can be prevented by emptying the soap dish of water and wiping it now and then. Since bar soap doesn't really spread disease, body wash has no advantage over it in that.

Many body washes contain moisturizing ingredients, at least in theory. In reality, consumer reviews of body wash fall all over the map. Some people report drier skin, or even skin irritation, after using body wash, but not bar soap. For those who do want moisturization, there are plenty of bar soaps on the market that also have moisturizing ingredients. Using lotion after bathing is also an option. Considering how much more expensive body wash is than bar soap, lotion plus bar soap would cost no more than body wash. Usually, it costs less.

While the fragrances in body wash are a strong selling point, they make life much more difficult for some people. Being allergic to fragrances, I am especially aware of this. I get a reaction if I'm within handshake distance of someone who is wearing perfume or cologne, or who smells of a scented personal care product they've recently used. If the scent is especially strong, I may get a reaction from farther away. People with more severe allergies (mine is mild) can end up in the hospital if exposed to someone else's scents.

Body wash is one of the top culprits for leaving strong scents behind. Bar soap, I've noticed, is less likely to cause this, even if it is scented. The fragrances scented bar soap leaves tend not to be as strong or linger as long.

There is, as far as I know, one fragrance free body wash on the market, out of the many scented ones. It is much harder to find fragrance free body wash than fragrance free bar soap. Old fashioned bar soap is, in this respect, much more courteous to others.

Fragrance aside, body wash is much more likely than bar soap to have allergenic ingredients in general. Given the prevalence of posts I've seen on Internet forums that mention itching after using body wash, many people are allergic or sensitive to ingredients in body wash, even if they have no known allergies to other personal care products. This is a dirty secret the commercials will never tell you.

Some people say body wash is easier to travel with than bar soap. I find the opposite to be true, and I move and travel frequently. Though I do not use body wash, I do travel with shampoo, hair conditioner, and lotion. I've had all of these leak at times, all over my luggage, even if the bottle had been closed as tightly as possible. Bar soap, not being liquid, does not leak. Packed in a travel soap dish, it can be counted on to arrive at the destination intact.

Finally, the commercials for body wash never mention price. This is for good reason. Per ounce, body wash is many times more expensive than bar soap. It is also used up much faster. For the price of a bottle of body wash that lasts a few weeks, you could get a bar of soap and a bottle of lotion that will both last at least as long, probably longer. If you really want fragrances as well, scented lotion, perfume, or cologne will do just as well as body wash.

If you want to get clean, old-fashioned bar soap wins hands down. If you want to spend extra money for something that will get you no cleaner, go for the new fangled body wash.

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