soap school
SOAP BAR Starter Guide
Bought your first My Naked Bar soap or received one as a gift? Welcome!
This guide is for using and caring for our cold-process soap bars.
Using one is simple. There is no one "right" way to do it, but a few small habits will help you get the best lather, feel and use out of your bar.
1. HOW TO USE A SOAP BAR
Start by wetting your skin and the soap
Then choose whichever lathering method feels more natural to you
Lather in your Palms
Rub the wet bar between your palms until you have enough lather, put away the bar, then use your hands to wash your body.
Lather on your Body
Glide the wet bar over your body, put away the bar, then use your hands to work up the lather.
Tips:
- If you want to use less soap each time, lathering in your hands generally uses less because the bar has less direct contact with wet skin.
- Turn off the tap while you lather. There is no need to keep water running while you wash. Once you are done lathering, turn the water back on and rinse thoroughly.
2. What the wash experience feels like
- The lather can feel soft and almost oil-like while washing, with a smooth slip over the skin.
- Then it should rinse away cleanly.
- It should not feel as though a layer of soap or residue has been left behind.
- Different formulations can lather differently. Some of our bars are more bubbly, while others are creamier or denser depending on the oils and other ingredients used.
3. How to care for your soap BAR between uses
Let water drain away
Do not leave the soap sitting in pooled water or on a flat surface where water collects underneath it.
A good soap dish should allow water to drain from the bar.
Let it air-dry
Once the excess water has drained away, the remaining moisture still needs time and airflow to evaporate.
Keep the bar somewhere open rather than enclosed.
Use the right accessories
A good soap dish makes this much easier. We generally recommend the Avant Garde soap dish because it holds the bar securely while allowing water to drain away. Its wide grooves also make a wet bar easier to lift.
Sisal soap bag
A sisal soap bag is another option as long as you hang it somewhere it can dry fully between uses.
help you soap last longer
your bar needs a good place to dry
If you don't already have a soap dish, or your current one leaves the bar sitting in water, stuck to the surface or difficult to lift, this is worth fixing early.
4. Using your soap to the last bit
Some soaps eventually leave behind a hard core that stops lathering properly and never seems to disappear.
Ours can be used until practically nothing is left.
When your bar becomes too small to hold comfortably, you can either:
- Press it onto your next bar
- Accumulate a few, air dry them and pop them into a sisal soap bag for easier hold and lather.
Don't leave anything behind.
5. Common questions
Yes.
If you are comfortable sharing one, family members can use the same bar at home.
Microorganisms can be present on many everyday surfaces, including soap bars, whether used or unused. During normal washing, soap works with water and rubbing to loosen oils, dirt and microorganisms so they can be rinsed away.
A soap also does not need an “antibacterial” label to clean effectively.
Yes.
Our regular soap bars can be used on both face and body.
Different formulations may feel different, so choose the bar that best suits your skin and preferences.
If your skin is sensitive or eczema-prone, refer to our Sensitive Skin guide.
The efficacy of our soap does not reduce over time. For the best overall experience, we recommend enjoying our bars within 6 months of purchase, especially scented bars, as natural essential-oil scents can gradually soften over time.
If you are not ready to use your bar yet, keep it in its packaging in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
As a useful guide, one My Naked Bar soap should last around one month or more for one person showering twice a day.
How long yours lasts will depend on how you use it, how much water it is exposed to and how well it dries between uses.