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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 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 2
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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TOP 3
Image of CAREX 05000101134487 soap
Carex Original Professional Antibacterial Hand Wash - Bulk Buy Eco…
  • DERMATOLOGICALLY TESTED: Our hand wash is vegan & dermatologically accredited…
  • SUITABLE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: This original hand wash gently cleanses skin whilst…
  • 2 HOUR PROTECTION: Always practice good hand hygiene with this liquid hand soap;…
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Offer TOP 4
Image of LUX 8999999700560 soap
Lux Bright Impress Soap Bar 80g (Pack of 12) with Japanese White Camellia…
  • Pack of 12 Lux Bright Impress soaps of 80 g
  • Treat yourself Treat yourself with Lux Bright Impress It made by perfume experts…
  • Product type: SKIN CLEANING AGENT
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TOP 5
Image of Dettol B9-ZTNA-PHHS 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 6
Image of Little Soap Company LSC 2101 soap
Little Soap Company Naturals Range - Bar Soap | Vegan, Cruelty Free,…
  • Little Soap Promise - We are proud to say all of our products are cruelty free, organically…
  • To create a luxurious and silky lather, rub the soap bar onto damp skin using warm…
  • Fragranced only with Pure Essential Oil Blends (no synthetics) so naturally antibacterial…
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TOP 7
Image of CAREX 100107283 soap
Carex Fun Editions Love Hearts Hand Wash Pack of 6, Antibacterial…
  • The Fun Editions Range: Discover our range of Fun Editions Hand Wash, Hand Cleansing…
  • Skin Kind Formula: Our experts have developed a skin kind formula to effectively…
  • Multipack: Available in packs of 6, our eco hand wash bottles are 100% recyclable…
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TOP 8
Image of LUX _SML soap
12 x lux Soft Touch For Soft Fragrant Soap Bars with french Rose &…
  • LUX SOAP PINK
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TOP 9
Image of Lux 1 soap
12 x Lux Velvet Touch Soap Bars for Smooth Fragrant of Jasmine &…
  • When an extra special greetings card is needed
  • Valentine, Engagement, I love you, Wedding, Anniversary
  • For Lux's perfume collection, famed fragrance designer Nicole Mancini intended…
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TOP 10
Image of Faith In Nature FAILAVD74 soap
Faith In Nature Natural Lavender Hand Soap Bar, Relaxing, Vegan &…
  • 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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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: 2024/07/27.