Ad disclosure: RipePrice earns commissions from qualifying purchases made through links on this site, including as an Amazon Associate and through affiliate partners such as AWIN and CJ. Affiliate disclosure
Bars use little packaging and last a long time if you store them well, and the best comparison with liquid soap or shampoo is cost per month, not price per ounce.
Ad disclosure: some links here are affiliate links, including Amazon Associates. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
At a glance
What the label says
If your skin or scalp is painful, very red or getting worse, stop using the product and ask a dermatologist or doctor.
Our angle: make a bar last, then measure it
A bar can melt away in a wet dish, which turns a good value into a poor one.
Buying tips
Try a small or trial size before buying a multipack.
Quick picks
Fragrance-free bar soap
Read the ingredient list, then track weeks of use.
Buttons open a store search. No prices are shown here. Prices change often. Check each store; we may earn a commission. Amazon and eBay links are affiliate links; Walmart, Target and Best Buy links are plain links.
Unit price calculator
Type the price and the total amount printed on each package. Nothing you type is saved.
Fill in both options to compare.
What the label says
If your skin or scalp is painful, very red or getting worse, stop using the product and ask a dermatologist or doctor.
Soap versus syndet: a true soap is made by reacting fats or oils with an alkali. Some bars are made from synthetic cleansers and are sometimes called syndet bars. The label may say which.
Fragrance-free and dye-free: check the ingredient list. Unscented can mean a masking ingredient was used.
Plant-based and natural: not defined terms for bars. Read the ingredients.
Shampoo bars: made for hair, and some are made for specific hair types. Check that a bar is made for hair and not just for body use.
Wording like hypoallergenic or dermatologist-tested is not a promise, so look at the ingredient list as well.
Our angle: make a bar last, then measure it
A bar can melt away in a wet dish, which turns a good value into a poor one. Keep the bar on a draining dish or a rack so that it can dry between uses. A bar that stays dry can last for weeks. To compare with a liquid, track how many weeks a bar lasts for you, divide the price by the number of weeks, and compare with your cost per week for a bottle. The numbers on the label, such as ounces, matter less than the weeks the product lasts in your shower.
Note the date you start a bar and the date it is used up.
Divide the price by the number of weeks.
Compare with the cost per week of your liquid product.
Buying tips
Try a small or trial size before buying a multipack.
A shampoo bar may take some getting used to. Follow the maker's directions.
Buy a draining soap dish, which costs little and extends the life of a bar.
Check the packaging. Paper wraps and boxes are specific claims you can check.