Body Soaps & Cleansers

When you really think about, it, you probably spend an average of $20 per month on skin cleansers, body washes, soaps, and shower gels. We've all spent quite a bit of money trying to figure out which ones provide the benefits we need -- not just clean skin, but moisturizing to keep our skin soft, and special scents that help us wake up in the morning or relax us for a good night's sleep. With this guide, we hope to point you in the right direction toward the best brands and most effective ingredients to ensure you've made a wise choice.

Many of the best products are available by the case for bulk discounts, such as Alba Botanica and Dermalogica, each of which contain natural essential oils, fruit enzymes and organic plant extracts such as aloe vera, kelp and lavender. However, you can sample all of these in single units (by the bottle) too for your convenience. Ingredients such as aloe and Vitamin E are strongly recommended to help heal and prevent dry skin, while it's interesting to discover that certain oils, such as eucalyptus and tea tree oil, are very effective for reducing the problems associated with oily skin, like acne breakouts and uneven skin tones.

We recommend Nature's Gate body washes for their high-quality ingredients, including cucumber and mallow to tighten pores and almond oil and shea butter to hydrate your skin. Another exceptional line of body washes is Deep Steep, with a bit of exfoliating sea salt and plenty of organic plant extracts and proteins to tone and moisturize. A good body wash can be used equally well as a lather-on cleanser during a shower, or added to running water for a luxurious bath.

There's a lot more to know about soap besides whether or not you think it smells good. For example, a Kirk's Natural or Papoutsanis may not produce a big fluffy lather, but it helps the skin absorb and retain moisture very well, and is very gentle for people with sensitive skin or allergies.

A castile soap is made from vegetable oil rather than animal fats or synthetics -- usually olive oil, but coconut and jojoba oils are other examples -- and is extremely versatile; you can use castile soap as a shampoo and conditioner alternative. Brigit True Organics is a traditional organic castile soap made from extra virgin olive oil, which is equally good for your hair and skin.

Another popular choice is the triple-milled soap (or French milled soap), which goes through a lengthy process to create a very high-quality soap without impurities. This soap lasts a lot longer than most other varieties, needs far less essential oil for a scented bar (again, emphasizing the purity of of the soap), and is even milder than glycerin soaps on sensitive skin. French milled soaps cost a little bit more than traditional soaps, but they produce a very rich, luxurious lather and can be molded into very creative shapes. Pre de Provence's triple-milled bath soap is enriched with shea butter for effective moisturizing in addition to very clean results.