The 5 best plastic-free soaps for your bathroom

We help you find plastic-free alternatives to an everyday staple

Soap is the underdog of the morning routine. For all of us, it is a simple but essential household staple that appears in different forms in every room of the house that has a sink.

For some, a bottle of liquid soap in beautiful packaging is a symbol of decadence that can perfectly adorn a stylish bathroom.

Or, you may have pocket-savvy bottles stockpiled in the cupboard under the sink, because you just couldn’t resist the buy-one-get-one-free offer.

And yet, the plastic packaging that our usual liquid soap comes in can prove quite an issue for the environment.

While the idea of buying a bar of soap may seem frightfully old fashioned to some, by swapping to a traditional bar you not only save some £££ (a regular bar of soap contains the equivalent cleansing power to around two or three bottles of liquid soap), you can drastically reduce the amount of packaging you throw away.  

Here are five of the best:

1. The tried and trusted classic  – Dove Original Beauty Cream Bar

There’s no doubt that you’ve probably seen this one before, most probably sitting in an avocado coloured soap dish in your grandmother’s house. However, there is a reason why this bar has remained a staple for generations.

The formula is completely versatile. You can use it for your hands, for a full body cleanse, or even on your face, and the bar contains a moisturising cream that promises healthier looking skin. What’s not to love?

2. For a lasting heavenly scent – Lush Ro’s Argan

Just when you thought swapping to bar soap meant luxury would go out of the window, Lush pull it out of the bag again. Lush have a huge range of bar soaps that are plastic-free, but this ‘glossy pink’ gourmet soap with argan oil and rose petals is our ultimate favourite. It has an amazing floral perfume that lasts for a long time after the wash. Plus, it also makes a beautiful plastic-free gift for your friends.

3. For your face – L’Occitane Shea Ultra Gentle Face Soap

So many of the facial cleansers we use now not only come in plastic bottles but layers of excess packaging that all gets thrown away. Many of us shy away from a traditional facial soap, fearing the bar will leave our skin tight and taught after washing. L’Occitane has created a moisturising and gentle formula that is as easy to use as those in liquid form.

The Ultra Gentle Face Soap is mild enough to use daily, whether you need to remove make-up or freshen your skin in the morning. It’s rich in shea butter which moisturises even the driest of skin types, and lathers into a creamy foam.  

4. Great for the whole family – Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Natural Buttermilk Soap

If it’s gentle enough for a baby’s skin, it’s good enough for yours. This Burt’s Bees Buttermilk Soap is natural, gentle, and free of parabens and petrolatum. It has no nasty chemicals and has even been tested by paediatricians, meaning that it’s suitable for everyone in the family.

5. The best ‘all-natural’ – Neal’s Yard Geranium and Orange Soap

Neal’s Yard is known for the quality of its all-natural skin and healthcare remedies, and this soap is no exception. The soap contains geranium and orange essential oils as well as coconut oil and organic shea butter, making it the perfect antidote to dry, lacklustre skin. Plus, the packaging comes from FSC certified woodland which has helped their initiative offset 200 tonnes of CO2.