Help Him Smell Amazing With These Irresistible Soaps

Graphic by Giovanna Pineda/KCM

He’ll love sudsing up with these spa-like bars.

The shower can be a soothing place: It’s where you can wash away the worries of the day (or wake up and greet the morning), and there’s something infinitely soothing about lathering up with a fragrant soap or body wash and feeling squeaky clean afterward. That said, not all soaps are created equal.

Sure, most soaps work in similar ways, trapping dirt in little bubbles (called micelles) that wash away when you rinse. That doesn’t mean they’re all the same though — some soaps remove dirt and grime but leave your skin dry and itchy. Others lather up nicely, but they leave behind a film. Neither results contribute to how you want to feel post-scrub.

We rounded up our favorite soaps for men, ensuring that their showers won’t leave them with a strange residue or parched skin after toweling off. From moisturizing soaps to cologne-like bars to exfoliating wonders, here are 11 soaps for men interested in skincare that send both dirt and stress down the drain.

11 Best Soaps for Men

Buttah Skin Black Gold Skin Polishing Soap

Nordstrom

If you have acne-prone skin, using a soap with activated charcoal could help absorb excess oil and decrease breakouts. This one is also infused with shea butter to deliver some serious moisture and vitamin C to help even skin tone.

$15 at Nordstrom

Terra-Tory Sea Moss Cube

Nordstrom

No more dropping soap in the shower or having it slide out of your hand mid-scrub. This soap on a string is made from nourishing sea moss and oatmeal that helps soothe irritated skin. It’s also lightly scented, so you won’t be overwhelmed by the smell.

$15 at Nordstrom

Dr. Squatch Fresh Falls Bar Soap

Dr. Squatch

You’ll be transported to a mountain waterfall when you start sudsing up with this soap, which is made with natural oils that won’t strip your skin, and without exfoliating beads that irritate sensitive skin. Hints of pine, citrus, and birch will linger on your skin post-shower too, meaning you won’t have to spray on cologne afterward if you don’t feel like it.

$7 at Dr. Squatch

Cleancult Juniper Sandalwood Bar Soap

Cleancult

If you’re both trying to create a zero-waste shower routine, this soap by Cleancult is a great start. Not only does it come in recyclable paper packaging, but it’s made from natural ingredients (like coconut oil and essential oils) that are safe to go on your skin and down the drain. There are a ton of scents to choose from, too, so you may find yourself buying your own bar for variety’s sake.

$6 at Clean Cult

Native Bar Soap

Native

They’re known for their natural deodorants, but did you know that Native creates soaps and body washes, too? You can choose from the same scents their deodorants come in, like cucumber and mint or charcoal, and each bar costs less than $10. The bars also come in fully recyclable paper packaging, so there won’t be any waste after unwrapping them.

$10 at Native

Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap

Kiehl’s

For exfoliating and moisturizing, ingredients like oats and bran are great natural options. They not only add a bit of grit to the bar, but they’re also safe to go down the drain (unlike microplastic beads). The name of this bar from Kiehl’s says it all: This is the ultimate soap to scrub away fatigue and dirt after a long day.

$11 at Kiehl’s

Irish Spring Aloe Bar Soap

Amazon

An oldie and a goodie, Irish Spring is a favorite for many reasons. It’s not only extremely affordable (at less than $2 per bar), but it has aloe to help soothe and moisturize skin in the shower. The scent is also built to last for about 12 hours, so he’ll smell good all day long.

$10 for 6 at Amazon

Fresh Verbena Oval Soap

Sephora

Just unwrapping this citrus-scented soap feels luxurious. Made with a vegetable oil base, this soap is just as moisturizing as it is cleansing. It’s triple-milled to create a smooth, foamy lather, and it’ll last for hundreds of showers.

$15 at Sephora

Avene XeraCalm A.D Ultra-Rich Cleansing Bar

Dermstore

Extremely sensitive skin can be irritated by harsh cleansers, so it’s important to know what ingredients are in the soap you’re using. A gentle option, like this one, can help soothe eczema-prone or extremely dry skin, using ingredients like primrose oil and spring water to help protect and repair the skin’s moisture barrier.

$11 at Amazon

Degree Maximum Recovery Massage Bar Soap

Walmart

There are days you can’t just run into the spa to get a quick massage (we wish, right?), but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to relax sore muscles or knots on your own. This soap not only has tension-relieving epsom salts and eucalyptus oil, but it’s made with little nubs that help massage and loosen tension while you’re in the shower.

$5 at Walmart

Fulton & Roark Bar Soap

Fulton & Roark

Fulton & Roark is known for their unisex scents, but their work goes far beyond aroma. They also have skincare and hygiene products, including bar soaps we can’t live without. This formula for their bar soap creates a rejuvenating and nourishing experience that’s long-lasting — the soap will last you for months. Plus, because their claim to fame is scent, the perfumery-level ingredients offer a luxury shower session. We like the Sterling scent for a sweet (vanilla) yet gritty (tobacco) vibe.

$20, Fulton & Roark