John Parker—July 6, 2023
Hi, guys. In June of 2022, I set out to test over 10 brands of economical, all natural bar soaps for men. By economical, I mean a bar of soap that costs $1.00 or less an ounce. In this regard, at $0.89/ounce, Man Bar qualifies. Given the way that inflation has been rising, it's getting more and more difficult to find soaps that meet this requirement! By all natural, I mean a bar of soap that contains essential oils, other natural ingredients like shea butter, and nothing else. In this regard, Man Bar does not qualify, particularly due to the following two ingredients: pentasodium pentetate and tetrasodium etidronate. I'm not going to go into a long discourse about these two ingredients. I leave it to you to look into them; and, if you can live with these ingredients in your soap, read on! In sum, Man Bar is an economical men's soap, but I would not classify it as all natural. Keeping that in mind, here's how I would rate the soap in the following categories (1 = low score, 10 = high score). Manliness of the scents (8.75): These soaps come in three scents: Silver Sage + Bergamot, Siberian Fir, and Exotic Musk + Sandalwood. I would classify all three of the scents as manly; however, they smelled a little like scents you would find in colognes. If that's your thing, you'll like these scents. Strength of the scents (6.75): I would classify the scents of these soaps as mild, but keep in mind that everyone's nose is different. Thus, you can expect the scent to linger on you for a couple of hours after you take a shower, but don't expect the scent to last all day. Pleasantness of the scents (9.00): This boils down to a matter of personal taste. I found the scents to be very pleasant; and, from what I've read in other Amazon reviews, most men seem to agree. In the end, there's only one way you're going to know if you like them, and that's to try them! Lather (8.5): These soaps lathered up very nicely! Thus, if lather is your thing, you'll probably like these. On the other hand, having tried many soaps, how much lather a soap produces isn't necessarily an indication of how good it is. Hydration (7.50): Man Bar does an average job of hydrating your skin. This is a big deal for me because I have very dry skin. If your skin is normal, you'll probably find that this soap does a fine job of hydrating your skin. Quality (9.00): This is my overall subjective assessment of the quality of the soap and includes things like how long it lasts, how well it holds together, how well it retains its original qualities, and so on. My sense is that this is a high quality soap. Ingredients (4.50): In this category, Man Bar earned low marks because of the chemical ingredients in the soap. If this isn't a concern for you, you can ignore this category. If you are looking for an all natural soap for men, I make a few suggestions at the end of this review. Value (7.00): This score is a function of the price/ounce of the soap, which, for Man Bar, is $0.89. Given the quality of this soap, I'm amazed that it is such a bargain! Of all the soaps I tested, this is one of the best deals out there! Percentage Score (76.25%): This may not seem high, but no soap in my study scored 100%, and the highest score obtained was 87%. Just so you have a sense of whether this score is good or bad, I would rebuy any soap that scored above a 75%. Pros and Cons On the positive side, I would emphasize the following: 1. Fantastic scents! Man Bar got the scents right. You have to be careful. I tested many men's soaps that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy! Man Bar soaps I would gladly give as gifts. 2. Great quality without breaking the bank! Look around. Most fancy men's soaps cost a lot more than this! 3. With an overall 92% rating (combined percentage of people giving the soap a four- or five-star rating), Man Bar is popular with Amazon customers. On the negative side, here's what I would point out: 1. The scents, while pleasant, are very mild. Personally, I would have preferred that the soaps have moderate to strong scents. 2. The soaps are 10 ounces in size. This is twice the size of your typical soap. At 10 ounces, this soap is unwieldy! Hint: Very carefully cut the soap in half with a good paring knife. 3. Definitely not all natural. This may or may not be a concern for you. Here are a few quick recommendations for the men out there that are looking for a truly all natural soap. All of these are available on Amazon. Crate 61-For Him ($0.83/ounce): A truly all-natural soap. Wildly popular on Amazon. Strong reputation. Dr. Squatch ($1.50/ounce if purchased in 10-bar set): A truly all natural soap. They only make soap for men. One of the most expensive all natural soaps on Amazon. Varina Men's Variety ($1.00/ounce if purchased in 10-bar set): A truly all natural soap. New to Amazon. Looks and feels similar to Dr. Squatch but won't break the bank. I have one final word of advice for all the men out there who are looking for just the right soap. Don't depend solely on what I have written here. Why? Because your skin, nose, and tastes are different from mine. Thus, be adventurous. Read the reviews, pick out a few soaps that you think you might like, and compare and contrast them. Only by experimenting will you find the perfect soap for you! Quick update (7/11/23): When I bought this soap, the only three-pack you could get was the one that I bought. Today I was browsing, and I discovered that Man Bar is now available in four different sets. Thus, if you try this soap and you like it, you can try their other flavors. Finally, I know this is really confusing, but these sets are listed in two different entries on Amazon. (SF Soap Company, if you read this, it would help if you could consolidate all the options in one entry.) *Siberian Fir, Exotic Musk+Sandalwood, Silver Sage+Bergamot (This is the one I bought and reviewed above.) *Coastal Driftwood, Peppered Patchouli, Spiced Tobacco *Spiced Tobacco, Cardamom+Juniper, Midnight Amber *Cardamom+Juniper, Midnight Amber, Silver Sage+Bergamot *Coastal Driftwood, Cardamom+Juniper, Midnight Amber If you don’t want to risk buying a set of three soaps that you may or may not like, the SF Soap Company sells the soaps individually. You end up paying $1.00/ounce with the individual bar as opposed to $0.88/ounce with the set, but this isn’t too big a different. I actually commend this company for not gouging the customer on the individual bar. With some companies, you end up paying 2x or more per ounce when you buy individual bars! As a final suggestion to the San Francisco Soap Company, sell a sampler set of smaller soaps that has all the flavors so that folks can try them out. Read more
RE, Mobile, AL—November 3, 2025
Love this soap.! I have repurchased it several times. The scents are great, wish they made a cologne or body spray with the same scents. Fair warning, the bars are HUGE. I'm (6'), but I still halve them, slightly heat them for a few seconds on each side till warm, then slice through with a large knife. Much easier to handle. Read more
