TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.2*
Why it's great: "Luxury in a wrapper," is how one reader refers to this "deeply hydrating" soap. "The soap is gentle and soothing on the skin, and works up a decent lather," writes one reviewer. "I honestly wish I could shower 24 hours a day just to use this soap," raves another. "The scent and texture are heavenly, and my normally dry, itchy skin is comfortable and ridiculously soft. I am in love."
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.4*
Why it's great: According to more than 100 reviewers, this gentle soap is "very moisturizing and safe to use anywhere on your body, because it's unscented and formulated for sensitive skin." Dove devotees find that "this mild bar lathers well and cleans wonderfully, without drying out skin or leaving residue." One Totalbeauty.com reviewer writes, "In the winters, it soothes and moisturizes raw, dry skin almost as well as an oatmeal bath. In the summer, it's the only soap I'd ever use on sunburned, sweaty, salty skin." Though some users say they don't notice a huge difference between the sensitive skin formula and regular Dove soap, overall, readers are smitten.
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.4*
Why it's great: "This bar provides a rich and creamy lather, with a fresh feeling thanks to the tea tree oil," says one reader. "It's so creamy that I can even shave with it." Other users are just as infatuated with the body soap, saying it "lasts forever, has a terrific smell, and feels great on the skin."
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.4*
Why it's great: "Refreshing and invigorating" are popular adjectives used to describe Aveda's Rosemary Mint Bath Bar. Readers say the product's minty formula provides a "tingly" clean feeling. "It really jump-starts my morning," raves one reviewer. Though the bar is pricey, readers agree that "it's worth the money paid, as rosemary and mint are expensive, good stuff." Even readers' significant others love the product, too -- providing one more excuse to drop a little extra cash on this luxe bar.
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.6*
Why it's great: According to readers, this sweet-scented cleanser from The Body Shop "deep-cleans but deeply hydrates as well." Reviewers find that the almond fragrance is "strong, but soothing" and leaves hands feeling touchably smooth. Reviewers say this soap is great for dry, chapped skin or for those whose job requires a lot of hand-washing. Fans of the moisturizing soap also love that it "does everything it claims" and comes from a "no-mess pump dispenser."
Soap was probably the first beauty item you were ever introduced to. But what defines the soap of the new millennium? Considering its humble beginnings in the Roman bathhouses of 312 B.C. — when soap was made out of goat's tallow, wood ashes and salt — we've come a long way. Now we've got bars that massage, exfoliate, soothe, moisturize and make you smell heavenly (aka, nothing like wood ashes).
First thing's first — when choosing the best soap for you, make sure that the product is suited to your skin type (dry, oily, sensitive, etc.). Then, consult this list to see which reader-approved cleansers blow all other soaps out of the (sudsy) water. See the 20 best soaps now.
