WELCOME TO BAR SOAP
Bar Soap Starter Guide
Bought your first My Naked Bar soap or received one as a gift? Start here.
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 life out of your bar.
01 · START HERE
Wet. Lather. Dry.
That’s really all you need to remember
1. How to Use
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.
1
Wet
Wet your soap bar just enough to work up a lather. The first one or two uses may need a little more water. After that, a quick rinse or two may be enough for your shower.
Flick off the excess water before you lather.
2
Lather
In your hands: work up the lather, put the bar down, then wash.
Glide then lather: lightly glide the wet bar over wet skin, put it down, then lather with your hands. If you can control the urge to glide back and forth, you might be surprised that even one glide is enough.
With an accessory: use a washcloth, sponge or sisal bag if you prefer.
3
Dry
Leave your soap on a good soap dish where water can drain away and air can move around the bar.
Keep it away from pooled water and, where possible, out of direct shower spray when nobody is using it.
Give it another flick before putting it back down.
I was surprised that my showers are actually quicker now. I simply wet my body, wet the bar and glide it onto my arms, chest and legs, put the bar back, and just enjoy the lather.
02 · HELP YOUR BAR LAST
How you use it, how much water you use and where you keep it all matter.
✓ Flick off excess water before and after lathering.
✓ Keep it away from unnecessary shower spray.
✓ Give it drainage and airflow.
✓ Change the side it rests on sometimes. We call it soap yoga.
A good soap dish matters
It should keep your bar away from pooled water, let water drain and give air room to circulate.
Our Avant Garde soap dish has generous grooves so you can slide your fingers underneath and lift the whole bar instead of yanking at a soap that has stuck to the dish.
If the bar isn’t dripping water when you put it back, you may find you don’t need a plate underneath.
PREFER A SISAL BAG?
That works too if you have somewhere both the soap and bag can dry well. Or use it together with a soap dish for extra lather, better grip during use, or to hold the last little remnants at the end.
03 · YOUR FIRST FEW SHOWERS
A few things might feel different
It rinses really clean
People sometimes ask whether handmade soap leaves that slippery feeling, as though something is still sitting on the skin. Ours rinses very clean, sometimes even a little squeaky-clean at first.
Good soaps can lather
There’s a misconception that good soaps don’t lather. Ours do. You can still enjoy a satisfying lather and a clean rinse.
The scent may be softer
We use essential oils for scent, so don’t expect the fragrance to cling to your skin after the shower like perfume.
Then see if one day, out of nowhere, you suddenly think: "Eh... why does my skin feel so smooth?"
04 · USING A SALT BAR?
Shower first or scrub first? You don’t need to choose
A salt bar can cleanse and exfoliate in the same step. The important part is to use it gently
For direct application:
• Don’t press hard.
• Avoid long, forceful strokes.
• Areas like your palms, knees, elbows and back can take more direct contact.
• On thinner or more sensitive areas, use a much lighter touch.
• Prefer not to glide the bar directly on your skin? Just use the lather instead.
05 · USE IT TO THE END
Down to the last little bit?
Press it onto a fresh wet bar, pop small remnants into a sisal bag, or keep using it carefully until there’s almost nothing left.
Mine sometimes goes onto the shower floor and I glide the sole of my foot over it. Probably one of the most neglected parts anyway. Just rinse everything away afterwards so there’s no soap left making the floor slippery.
NEED A HAND?
Quick answers, if you need them.
Check how much water it gets and whether it has enough time to drain and dry between uses
Try a little more water or another lathering method. The first couple of uses may need a little more water to get going
Handmade soap can change with time, use and humidity. If you’re unsure, ask us and we’ll help you check