Facial Cleansing Bars are Back

I’ve never used a bar of soap for washing my face – I’ve always been taught that the bars of soap are for your body and facial cleansers come in tubes (the ones that foamed were my favourite). I pretty much stuck to that routine for 20 years until my sister became super sensitive to most creams and soaps and had to start using more au natural products. She started using a bar cleanser and it peaked my interest.

Over the past few months’ dozens of new facial cleansing bars have hit the shelves and they come with tons of added bonuses. They deeply clean and moisturize your skin all the while helping out with skin issues like pigmentation and acne. On top of that, the have fewer preservatives than liquid cleansers because bacteria need water to grow and bars don’t contain any water.

Here are 3 facial bar cleansers I’ve tried out and really enjoyed.

The Dove Dry Skin Beauty Bar ($9 for 4 bars) was the original facial cleansing bar, and their latest bar, the Dove Oil Beauty Bar, is definitely one of my favourites. It's very moisturizing thanks to my BFF Argan oil, it really helps control my oily skin during the summer and t smells like a a tropical vacation.

The Bioré Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar ($10) uses charcoal to draw impurities out of pores, deeply cleaning and detoxifying skin. It's also made with exfoliating jojoba beads and refreshing peppermint oil. I love cleansers with charcoal in it because it really helps fight acne. On top of that, it is oddly satisfying about washing away gray foam when you're done exfoliating your face.

Root Science Face Cleanser ($25) checks a lot of boxes: The products are natural, largely organic, vegan and cruelty free. The Root Science Cleanse Facial Cleanser is a simple, yet a truly fantastic bar cleanser that's made with organic coconut, olive and palm oils. It left my skin feeling so soft that I forgot to put on moisturizer afterwards a few times.