Best Soap for Dry Skin: What to Look For in a Bar
By Kanna Botana ·
Short answer: the best soap for dry skin is a gentle one, used sparingly, followed right away by moisturizer on damp skin. If your skin is very dry, itchy or easily irritated, dermatologists recommend a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. If your skin is dry but not reactive, a well-made bar with conditioning oils, butters and glycerin can leave it feeling comfortable instead of tight. Here is what to look for, what to skip, and how to wash so dry skin stays soft.
Why soap can dry out your skin
Every cleanser removes some of the natural oils on your skin along with dirt. Dry skin has less of that oil to spare, so the wrong soap, or the right soap used the wrong way, can leave it tight and flaky. A few habits make it worse:
- Harsh deodorant soaps. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) notes that deodorant soaps are often too harsh for dry, sensitive skin.
- Long, hot showers. The AAD recommends five to ten minutes with warm, not hot, water.
- Too much lather, everywhere. The AAD suggests using only enough cleanser to remove dirt and oil, and only where you need it, such as the underarms and groin.
- Waiting to moisturize. Skin loses water fast after a shower. Moisturizing while it is still damp helps hold it in.
What to look for in a soap for dry skin
Gentle, conditioning oils and butters
In a handmade bar, the oils decide how it feels. Olive oil makes a mild, conditioning base. Shea butter adds creaminess. Lighter oils such as hemp seed oil add a soft feel to the lather. The AAD lists shea butter and glycerin among the ingredients that help dry skin, which is part of why they show up in so many handmade bars.
Glycerin left in the bar
Glycerin is a humectant, which means it draws water toward the skin. Soapmaking creates glycerin naturally, and in cold process soap it stays in the bar instead of being removed. Learn how in our guide to what cold process soap is.
A little extra oil
Handmade soapmakers usually leave a small amount of oil unsaponified on purpose, called the superfat. It helps the bar feel gentle and less stripping.
A fully cured bar
Cold process soap cures for weeks so the water evaporates and the bar finishes setting. A well-cured bar is harder, lasts longer and feels milder than a fresh one.
Fragrance-free, if your skin reacts
The AAD recommends fragrance-free products for dry, sensitive skin, and cautions that "unscented" products can still contain ingredients that mask odors. Essential oils are fragrance too. If scent irritates your skin, choose a bar with no fragrance or essential oils at all.
What to skip
- Deodorant and antibacterial bars for everyday use on dry skin.
- Gritty, exfoliating bars every day. Save scrubby bars for once or twice a week on rough spots, or skip them if your skin is irritated.
- Products with alcohol, which the AAD lists among ingredients to avoid for dry skin.
- Any bar that leaves your skin feeling squeaky or tight. That feeling is your skin telling you the cleanser is too strong for it.
Handmade soap vs other bars
| Handmade cold process soap | Soap-free "beauty" bar | Deodorant soap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | True soap made from oils, butters and lye, cured for weeks | Synthetic detergent bar, not true soap | Soap or detergent bar with odor-fighting ingredients |
| Glycerin | Stays in the bar | Depends on the formula | Depends on the formula |
| Feel | Creamy, conditioning lather | Mild, low lather | Often stripping |
| Best for | Dry skin that is not reactive | Very dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin | Not recommended for dry skin |
True soap is mildly alkaline, which some very sensitive skin does not tolerate well. If you have eczema or skin that reacts to everything, a fragrance-free, soap-free cleanser your dermatologist recommends is the safer place to start.
How to wash dry skin
- Keep showers short and warm, five to ten minutes.
- Lather the bar in your hands instead of scrubbing it directly on your skin, and wash only where you need to.
- Rinse well and pat dry with a clean towel. Rubbing can irritate very dry skin.
- Moisturize within a few minutes, while your skin is still damp. A few drops of body oil pressed into damp skin works well. See our guide to body oil vs lotion.
- Add humidity at night. The AAD suggests running a humidifier in the bedroom during dry months.
Make your bar gentler and longer lasting
- Let it dry between uses on a draining wooden soap holder. A soggy bar wears away fast.
- Keep it out of the shower stream.
- Patch test any new bar on your inner arm first if your skin is sensitive.
Our bars for dry skin
Every bar in our Cleanse collection is cold processed, hand-poured in small batches in Temecula, California, and cured four to six weeks. All of our bars are scented, so they suit dry skin that is not sensitive to fragrance. Our favorites for dry skin:
- Hemp + Wildflower Artisan Soap: olive oil base with hemp seed oil and kaolin clay. Floral and earthy.
- Pink Prosecco Artisan Soap: olive oil, coconut oil, beef tallow, hemp seed oil, shea butter and castor oil with French pink clay, for a dense, creamy lather.
- Sea Salt + Yuzu Artisan Soap: olive oil, coconut oil and beef tallow, cured four weeks. Bright and fresh.
- Rose Geranium + Lavender Soap: our top seller, a gentle face and body bar with rose clay and hemp seed oil, scented with essential oils. Currently sold out. Tap "Notify me" on the product page and we will email you when it is back.
Each product page lists the full ingredients, so you can check every oil and scent before you buy. Curious about tallow? Read tallow soap benefits.
Soap for dry skin FAQ
Is bar soap bad for dry skin?
Not by itself. A harsh bar, hot water and skipping moisturizer are what usually cause trouble. A gentle bar used sparingly, followed by moisturizer on damp skin, works well for many people with dry skin.
Is handmade soap better for dry skin?
Many people with dry skin prefer handmade bars because the glycerin stays in the soap and makers leave in a little extra oil. If your skin is very sensitive or eczema-prone, start with a fragrance-free, soap-free cleanser instead.
Is glycerin soap good for dry skin?
Glycerin draws water toward the skin, so a bar that keeps its glycerin can feel less drying. In cold process soap, the glycerin made during soapmaking stays in the finished bar.
How often should I use soap if I have dry skin?
Daily washing is fine for most people, but you do not need to lather your whole body every time. Focus soap where you need it and let warm water rinse the rest.
When should I see a dermatologist?
If your skin stays dry, itchy, cracked or painful even after you switch to a gentle cleanser and moisturize daily, talk to a dermatologist. Soap is a cleanser, not a treatment.