Ever since zero waste influencer and Package Free Shop founder Lauren Singer changed my life by conducting a single-use plastic audit of my home, I’ve been completely taken with any and all plastic-free personal care products. We can’t shop our way out of the climate crisis and therefore, we need to buy fewer things overall. Since I won’t be giving up cleansing myself anytime soon, however, the prettily packaged, deliciously scented shampoo, conditioner, and face and body soap bars from the new sustainable personal...

Bar soap converts, unite! Bar soap or body wash? The question is almost as controversial as asking if you prefer smooth or crunchy peanut butter (it's crunchy, btw). Bar soap and its liquid counterpart do the exact same thing—cleanse your skin—just in different forms. The truth is there's technically not one that's better than the other, it's just personal preference. But before diving into the best bar soap brands, Mona Gohara, MD, a dermatologist and WH Advisory Board Member points out that...

Besides reminding you of that almost never-empty soap tray, which was restocked ever so often with yet another sweet smelling bar by your mum, these palm-sized bathing bars have come full circle to occupy prime space on your shower shelf today. With lesser packaging material and therefore less discarding, not only do they make for a more sustainable switch, but they also come with skin-loving benefits. A true labour of love, handmade soaps are delicately blended and moulded by individuals in small batches, with...

Soap bars aren't typically the first thing we think about when it comes to luxury beauty products. Still, thanks to the industry's heightened focus on sustainability, countless skincare and fragrance brands have poured time and effort into creating luxury soap options. First, let's discuss sustainability. Soap bars tend to last significantly longer than their liquid counterparts, meaning if you do decide to spend a little extra on a luxury soap, you can rest assured you'll undoubtedly get your money's worth. Another...

And would a jar of liquid soap be a better bet than bar soap? Q. Are there any health risks to using a communal bar of soap in, say, a health club? A. No. Bar soap does not appear to transmit disease. The most rigorous study of this question was published in 1965. Scientists conducted a series of experiments in which they intentionally contaminated their hands with about five billion bacteria. The bacteria were disease-causing strains, such as Staph and E. coli.  The...