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The 10 best soaps to buy in the UK

Picture of a soap

Looking to buy the best soap for your body? There are so many options available that knowing what works best for you can isn’t always obvious. Soaps are designed for different skin types, while there are many people that choose their soap based on scent and ingredients, so finding the best soap is often a case of trial and error.

What are soaps?

Soap is a personal hygiene product used to clean the body. They come in many forms, including solid bars and liquid gels, while there are countless types of ingredients used, although they are traditionally made from fatty acids, natural oils, and strong alkalis. Various colours and scents are added to make it a pleasant-smelling product for cleaning skin.

Why should you buy a good soap?

A good soap is important for cleaning away dirt and odours build ups on the body, leaving the skin feeling fresh and clean. Some of the best soaps also include additional benefits such as moisturisers that make the skin look and feel better. Some soaps are designed for specific jobs, such as hand soaps for cleaning away germs or luxury soaps that relax and unwind when used in baths or showers.

How to choose the right soap in 2024?

Another picture of a soap

Choosing the best soap for your skin is very important, otherwise it may end up drying it out. Here are some things to consider when looking for quality soap:

  • Skin Type: Knowing your skin type is important for choosing the best soap for your body. For instance, if your skin is oily, then it’s a good idea to choose soaps that are designed to gently clean oil build-ups. Dry or sensitive skin types should also look for appropriate soaps that work well with their skin.
  • Ingredients: Not everyone reacts well to certain ingredients in soap, so always take the time to inspect the ingredients to determine their quality. Be mindful of soaps with high amounts of chemicals, and try to focus on products that use mostly natural ingredients (e.g. essential oils, vegetable oils, sodium hydroxide).
  • Versatility: The best soap effectively cleans skin, but it can also offer a lot more. For example, deep cleaning, moisturising, and facial cleansers are just a few of the additional properties many soaps can offer.

What is the best kind of soap in the UK?

There are many types of soaps available, any of which could be the perfect match for your skin type. Here are some of the most common types of soap to buy:

  • Handmade Soap: All soap is made from the same chemical reaction, but they can be processed in different ways, such as being made entirely by hand. These are often known as natural soaps due to the natural ingredients that are used when making them.
  • Cold Process Soap: A popular type of handmade soap, it’s made entirely from scratch and involves no heating when being made. They are usually specialist soaps that use premium ingredients, making each one very unique Available in many colours, they often come with a creamy texture and can feature a range of lathers depending on the oils used.
  • Hot Process Soap: Almost identical to cold process soap with the expectation that heat is used during the soap making process. The heat process does result in a much smoother feeling soap, while colours, textures, and lathers depend oils and other natural ingredients. Like cold process soap, this is one of the highest quality soaps available.
  • Liquid Soap: Rather than being made to form a solid bar of soap, this type of soap remains a liquid because potassium hydroxide is used rather than sodium hydroxide. Note that most shower gels and other liquid ‘soaps’ aren’t soap at all; they use synthetic detergents rather than natural ingredients, so be sure to check this when looking!

Top 10 list of soaps in the UK (2024)

The bestseller list compares brands and their soaps. Which soap is the best?
Best choice TOP 1
Image of Dove 586735 soap
Dove Original Beauty Bar with ¼ moisturising cream soap for…
  • Dermatologically tested beauty bar that’s suitable for daily use on the face,…
  • Dove Original Beauty Bar is sulphate SLES free and kind to your skin
  • Mild cleansers and rich moisturisers in this beauty bar help protect your skin’s…
BUY NOW
TOP 2
Image of CAREX 100110428 soap
Carex Original Antibacterial Hand Wash, Clean & Protect Hands,…
  • The Dermacare Range: The Carex Dermacare liquid hand wash range is designed to clean,…
  • Packaging May Vary: Due to huge demand and a pump shortage at the moment, Carex hand…
  • Added Moisturisers: Suitable for the whole family, the Carex Original antibacterial…
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TOP 3
Image of Dove 69966326 soap
Dove Orginal Beauty Cream Bar 3 in 1 Cleanses, Moisturises and Nourishes…
  • How to Use: Lather up your Dove Pink Beauty Bar and massage the smooth, creamy lather…
  • Radiant, Moisturised Skin: The formula contains ¼ moisturising cream to specifically…
  • Dermatologically Approved: Formulated with mild cleansers and moisturizing cream,…
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Offer TOP 4
Image of Simple 21596 soap
Simple Soap 2 x 100g
  • Ideal Product
  • No perfume or colour, Vegan friendly
  • Cleanses and gently purifies face and body with its mild formula
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TOP 5
Image of Faith In Nature 6253 soap
Faith In Nature Aloe Vera Soap 100g
  • Vegan Society Approved and cruelty free hand care
  • 99 Percent natural origin ingredients and 100 Percent natural fragrance
  • Paraben free and SLS free
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TOP 6
Image of Imperial Leather 124177 soap
Imperial Leather Original Ivory Soap 18 pcs(6xpack of 3)
  • and Imperial Leather
  • Article Name Imperial Leather Original Ivory Soap 16 x 100gm
  • Produkttyp SKIN CLEANING AGENT
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TOP 7
Image of Dettol B0C4TPRFZJ soap
Dettol Antibacterial and Moisturings Bar Soap Original, Pack of 1…
  • Product Type : Skin Cleaning Agent
  • Brand : Dettol
  • Dettol Antibacterial And Moisturings Bar Soap Original, Pack Of 12
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TOP 8
Image of Imperial Leather 05000101082238 soap
Imperial Leather Bar Soap Gentle Care, 4 x 90g, Laundry White Cre…
  • GENTLE FRAGRANCE: A classic fragrance reminiscent of soft, freshly washed smooth…
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TOP 9
Image of CAREX 100107290 soap
Carex Advanced Care Macadamia Oil Antibacterial Hand Wash, 3x More…
  • BULK BUY: This pack of 6 x 500ml bottles of Macadamia Oil Hand Wash is a great bulk…
  • DERMATOLOGICALLY TESTED: Our hand wash is vegan & dermatologically accredited…
  • ANTIBACTERIAL HAND WASH: Carex experts developed this hand wash to kill 99.9% of…
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TOP 10
Image of World Home Living DALAN OLIVE SOAP x 5 BARS soap
5 x 180g Bar Natural 100% Pure Olive Oil Soap Dalan Turkish Bath Handmade…
  • It continues to be produced with traditional handmade methods for 70 years.
  • High source of Vitamin E and Antioxidants
  • 100% pure Olive Oil Soap, is an indispensable natural beauty remedy of Turkish bath…
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We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We consider only products that are available on Amazon while the ranking is based on factors such as customer reviews, number of sales and keyword. Last Update: 2024/11/21.