The 19 Best Soaps for Dry Skin in 2024

Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services.

Are you among the many people searching for the best soap for dry, rough skin? Soap bars and body washes are tricky little buggers. They must have the perfect balance of cleansing agents and lightweight moisturizers to remove dirt, grime, and oil without stressing out your skin. But for those with perpetually dry skin, that’s a tall order.

Dry skin may be caused by changes in your body, harsh soaps, skin conditions, hormones, weather, and even aging. With so many causes of dry skin, finding ways to keep your natural skin barrier healthy and hydrated is important.

One way you can support the skin’s natural barrier is by using safe, effective bar soaps and body washes that don’t compromise your skin’s health. Instead, they can gently cleanse your skin while leaving natural oils intact.

We found the 19 best soaps for dry skin in 2024 so your skin can enjoy hydrated, healthy bliss.

1. Blu Atlas Body Wash

Let your skin take a big sigh of relief with one of the best soaps for dry skin—Blu Atlas’ Body Wash. This is the luxurious body wash your dry skin has been begging for. Stop using that raggedy bar soap and start using a body wash that leaves your skin hydrated, healthy, and nourished.

Packed with high-quality ingredients, the cleanser thoroughly removes dirt, grime, sweat, and oil without disrupting the skin’s natural barrier. Instead, the body wash is made with 99% naturally occurring ingredients to help strengthen and support the skin barrier as you shower.

Create a rich lather and rub it all over your body the next time you shower to enjoy the skin-supporting ingredients. Blu Atlas is committed to providing safe-for-skin products that don’t irritate the body. Green tea extract, aloe vera, and sugarcane offer incredible benefits to the skin as you remove dirt, oil, and grime.

Blu Atlas Body Wash is the best soap for dry skin in 2024 and helps your skin lock in moisture.

2. Kiehl’s Smoothing Oil-to-Foam Body Cleanser

Try out a smooth oil-to-foam body cleanser that does all the hard work for you. Kiehl’s is a famous brand well-known for making nourishing soaps and cleansers that strip away dirt, debris, and grime without stripping natural oils.

While it starts as an uber-rich oil, it transforms into a luxurious foamy lather that gently cleanses the skin without a fuss. When dealing with dry, irritable skin, it’s best to use gentle, lightweight products that don’t dry out the skin even more.

If you have extreme dryness or sensitives, oil-to-foam products can help keep the skin calm as you wash. Kiehl’s Oil-to-Foam Body Cleanser is one of the best soaps for dry skin in 2024.

3. Skinfix Eczema + Foaming Oil Body Wash

Taming the fiery beast that is eczema is a challenging task for any soap. That’s why Skinfix formulated Eczema + Foaming Oil Body Wash. Eczema presents a unique problem as it can cause drying, cracked, itchy, and even bleeding skin. But it still needs to be washed!

The formula is mild and free from harsh ingredients like sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, lanolin, PEGs, essential oils, and petrolatum. Instead, the brand uses safe-for-skin oils and plant-based nutrients to support the skin.

Nourishing oils like jojoba, sunflower, and apricot keep the skin optimally moisturized. Aloe vera juice also soothes stressed-out skin. As one of the best soaps for dry skin, it’s safe for those with severe skin conditions like eczema.

4. CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash

Contrary to popular belief, this is not your basic body wash. CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash is a moisture-packed cleanser developed by dermatologists to keep your skin safe and hydrated every time you step in the shower. Sulfate- and soap-free, it uses ingredients like essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid to maintain the skin’s moisture as you get clean.

Accepted by the National Eczema Association, the formula is safe for those with dry and sensitive skin. As you wash, the formula supports and restores the skin’s natural barrier, which ensures it stays irritation-free. Try out this affordable body wash if you are interested in one of the best soaps for dry skin.

5. Eucerin Advanced Cleansing Body & Face Cleanser

Dry, sensitive skin doesn’t stand a chance. Eucerin’s safe-for-skin formula lets you gently cleanse the skin and remove dirt, oil, and grime without stripping natural oils or moisture.

Soap-free and non-comedogenic, it can unclog your pores without stressing your body out. As a multipurpose product, you get more for your money. Use it as a facial cleanser and body wash every time you hop in the shower.

6. Native Body Wash

With so many clean body washes to choose from, it may be hard to narrow down your favorite. Native has 20 different scent options for you to choose from. Made with clean ingredients, the formula doesn’t stress out your skin. Instead, you get a nice clean body with skin-safe ingredients. The formula is free of phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and dye, so it can cleanse the skin without causing irritation.

It’s one of the best soaps for dry skin and leaves your skin feeling soft and hydrated.

7. Grown Alchemist Hydra+ Body Cleanser

She’s a pricey wench, but gosh, she’s luxurious. Grown Alchemist Hydra+ Body Cleanser is a triple threat to dry skin. The skin-safe formula helps hydrate, cleanse, and nourish your dry, tired skin by using plant-based ingredients like fermented paw paw extract and sandalwood. Due to the unique formula, it doesn’t aggravate or irritate the skin.

If you’re looking for a spa-quality product, you can’t go wrong with this body wash from Grown Alchemist. It’s one of the best soaps for dry skin in 2024 and feels like an at-home spa treatment.

8. Bioderma Atoderm Ultra-Gentle Shower Gel

Need a soap for the whole family? If your family struggles with dry, tight skin all winter, you need a soothing cleanser that helps maintain the skin’s natural moisture balance. Atoderm Ultra-Gentle Shower Gel is a soothing soap and irritant-free formula that cleanses the skin.

As you wash away dirt, grime, oil, and debris, the cleanser helps soften and moisturize your body. You should notice immediate results after your first wash with the cleanser. It leaves the skin feeling hydrated for a long time

9. Vanicream Gentle Body Wash

Vanicream cuts the junk from their sensitive skin-friendly products, and Gentle Body Wash is no different. It’s free from fragrances, dyes, parabens, formaldehyde, soap, sulfates, lanolin, and botanical extracts. That means the body wash can focus on cleansing your skin without causing dryness.

Gentle Body Wash richly lathers and glides over the skin to give you that “I just showered clean feeling.” As one of the best formulas for dry and sensitive skin, it’s one of the best soaps for dry skin in 2024.

10. Drunk Elephant Kamili Cream Body Cleanser

Level up your grooming rituals with a luxury body wash from Drunk Elephant. Kamili Cream Body Cleanser is an ultra-nourishing, super-supportive body wash that cleanses your body from top to bottom without stressing out the skin. Mild surfactants remove excess oil, grime, and dead skin while healing plant oils and amino acids soothe and restore the skin’s moisture.

Drunk Elephant products are 100% free from sulfates, essential oils, fragrances, dyes, drying alcohols, and silicones.

This luxurious body wash has a pH of 5.0 and works for all skin types, even those with severely dry or sensitive skin. Kamili Cream Body Cleanser is one of the best soaps for dry skin in 2024.

11. Cetaphil Ultra Gentle Refreshing Body Wash

When dealing with dry skin, finding a body wash or bar soap that doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils is essential. Gentle ingredients like aloe and vitamin B5 soothe and protect the skin as the cleanser gently removes dirt, grime, and oil. Hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested, the body wash replenishes the skin’s natural moisture barrier as you wash.

If you’ve got sensitive skin, no problem. Cetaphil’s body wash protects against the five signs of skin sensitivity—roughness, irritation, tightness, dryness, and a weakened skin barrier.

12. CeraVe SA Body Wash

Want to improve your skin texture, but you’ve got seriously dry skin? CeraVe’s Salicylic Acid Body Wash exfoliates and improves the texture of your skin as you shower. Gentle ingredients like ceramides and niacinamides support the skin barrier while hyaluronic acid ensures it stays hydrated. Exfoliating salicylic acid removes rough spots and bumps to even out the texture.

Salicylic acid may be too harsh for some skin types, especially those with sensitivities or conditions. The SA Body Wash is the best soap for dry skin to deal with rough and bumpy skin.

13. Buttah Egyptian CocoShea Body Wash

If you’ve got cash to spend on luxury beauty products, then line up for the release of Egyptian CocoShea Body Wash. Folks with dry skin that follows them all year round need a soothing, nourishing body wash that acts and feels like lotion. Buttah’s lotion-like formula is made with rich moisturizing ingredients that replace any lost moisture quickly. Shea butter, cocoa butter, and marshmallow root extract ensure your skin won’t go thirsty.

With Buttah’s proprietary SP Duraquench complex, your skin gets up to 72 hours of hydration. That’s as much hydration as a lotion! It’s one of the best soaps for dry skin in 2024 and will help you get fabulously clean skin.

14. Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash

This simple, no-nonsense formula gets the job done without frustrating your skin. Aveeno’s Skin Relief Body Wash contains a triple oat complex of oat flour, extract, and oil that soothe and help cleanse the skin of impurities. This lotion-like body wash is a hardworking cleanser that cleans the skin and removes dirt, grime, oil, and impurities.

The triple oat complex can also help deal with itchiness and inflammation. Oat is a popular ingredient that helps guys and gals with dry, sensitive skin experience a soothing, calming shower.

15. Olay Rough Dry Skin Total Moisture Body Wash

Does your skin need some serious lovin’? Rough Dry Skin Total Moisture Body Wash is an action-packed dual-purpose cleanser and moisturizer that takes both jobs seriously. Intense hydrating ingredients like cocoa butter and vitamin B3 turn this body wash into a lotion for your skin.

Be careful with this cleanser in the summer, though. The formula can feel too heavy or moisturizing for the skin. But that’s what makes it ideal for the dead of winter when your skin is cracking and you feel like nothing can hydrate it.

16. Kopari Hydrating Body Wash

Like all of Kopari’s products, coconut oil and coconut water are the star ingredients that soothe dry skin as you wash up. Hydrating Body Wash uses sea kelp, organic coconut water, and organic aloe vera juice to support the skin’s natural moisture levels as you wash away grime and dirt.

If you need to hydrate and cleanse dry skin, this body wash ensures your skin gets clean without aggravating it. Users note that the fun, fresh scent keeps them coming back for more. The fragrance is a blend of sweet coconut milk with notes of neroli and jasmine.

17. Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel

Get the soft, velvety skin you deserve with Sol de Janiero’s soothing body wash. Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel uses coconut oil, cupuacu butter, and acai oil to wrap around your skin as you get fresh and clean. Carrying a powerful, luxurious scent that lasts all day, it’s the best body wash for dry skin with an irresistible salted caramel and pistachio scent.

Vegan and free from gluten and paraben, it’s a safe pick for those with skin sensitivities. Pair it with Sol de Janeiro’s butter-soft lotions and creams to ensure your skin stays hydrated all day.

18. Curel Itch Defense Body Wash

Sometimes, those dry patches transform into seriously itchy skin. Curel Itch Defense Body Wash is a soothing gel-like cleanser that makes washing dry skin less painful. If you’ve tested multiple products and still can’t find the right formula to calm dry, itchy skin, this skin-boosting formula can help. Oils like jojoba and olive coat the skin in moisture and keep it hydrated as the cleanser gently strips away grime, dirt, and debris.

Given the seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association, it’s safe for folks with skin conditions like eczema. Itch Defense Body Wash is an easy way to cleanse your skin without disrupting its natural moisture balance.

19. Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash

This soothing body wash makes dry, itchy skin a thing of the past. Start your grooming routine and cleanse the skin with nutrient-dense omega oils and natural lipids that support your skin’s natural moisture barrier as you shower. Free from dyes, fragrances, and soap, it’s a dry skin-friendly formula that gets you squeaky clean without causing a fuss.

Everything You Need to Know About Soap for Dry Skin

You can protect and soothe the skin with the right body wash while gently cleaning it. Different bar soaps and body washes contain unique ingredients that make them work well for certain skin types.

Is Bar Soap or Body Wash Better for Dry Skin?

The choice between bar soap and body wash depends on your personal preferences. However, some soaps can be harsh and strip the skin of natural oils. But with improvements in formulas, there are hydrating soap bars now.

Body washes are an easy choice to wash your body and keep your skin hydrated. They often contain ceramides, emollients, or occlusives that ensure the skin stays moisturized as you wash. Look for soap-free products that lock in moisture without stealing natural oils.

How to choose a soap for dry skin

With 5,892 body washes or bar soaps to choose from, it can be tough to narrow it down to one. Look for guiding features like nourishing ingredients and a great price point to help you find your next soap.

Look for nourishing ingredients

One of the best ways to care for dry skin is to use a body wash full of nourishing, moisturizing ingredients. What your skin really loves is natural, organic ingredients that soothe, strengthen, and hydrate at the same time. Some of the best ingredients for your skin come from Mother Nature herself!

• Jojoba oil: With natural anti-inflammatory properties and rich nutrients, jojoba oil can keep dry skin healthy while you’re in the shower. Jojoba has natural B and E vitamins that help heal and repair skin.
• Avocado oil: This rich antioxidant-filled oil helps soothe dry, flaky skin and even helps with conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Avocado oil is great for when you need thicker or heavier hydration during winter months.
• Shea butter: Emollients are super important when trying to find soap for dry skin. Shea butter acts like an emollient and helps nourish and soothe dry skin. It also helps treat skin conditions like eczema.
• Honey: Lock in moisture with a natural, bee-made humectant, honey. It’s a rich moisturizer that helps prevent dryness and gently exfoliates the skin to remove dead skin cells.
• Coconut oil: There are few moisturizers as good for the skin as coconut oil. While it may be too thick for some folks, it’s one of the best hydrating ingredients for your body.
• Aloe vera: Dry, itchy skin can always benefit from aloe vera. It’s a lightweight, hydrating moisturizer that soothes inflammation while moisturizing the skin.

Avoid harsh ingredients

Keep your skin far, far away from harsh ingredients that disrupt the outer layers of the skin. Harmful ingredients are often found in cheap grocery or drug store self-care products. They use harsh preservatives, fake fragrances and dyes, and other ingredients to create “better” products. But they often do more harm than good.

Some ingredients to avoid are parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, artificial fragrances, mineral oil, lanolin, and phthalates. Also, try to avoid harsh soaps or detergents, as those can also dry out the skin.

Tips and Tricks to Improve Dry Skin

Avoid hot water

One easy way to keep your skin safe and hydrated is to avoid hot water. While hot water is one of life’s little luxuries—I mean, who doesn’t enjoy soaking in the tub—it’s not great for dry skin. The heat can steal all the natural oils from your skin, leaving it feeling parched, cracked, dry, and itchy. People with chronically dry skin or skin conditions should try to avoid hot baths and showers, hot tubs, and other types of hot water that may steal your moisture.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

There’s one rule when it comes to taking care of dry skin. It’s to moisturize. And then moisturize again because your skin will likely get thirsty. Using a hydrating body wash is the best way to clean dry skin, but you shouldn’t stop there. As soon as you step out of the shower and dry off your sleek dolphin body, apply a thick buttery lotion that locks in that much-needed moisture.

Using a hydrating body wash doesn’t mean you get to skip the lotion. When in doubt, you should moisturize and add extra layers of hydration to the skin. If you’re following all these steps and your skin is still dry, it may be time to bring in the big guns—heavy oils like coconut.

Be prepared

For many people, changes in their skin can be linked to changes in the weather. Your skin may be fine in the summer and even be a bit oily. But often, dry, itchy skin makes a comeback when the winter weather kicks in.

Be prepared when winter rolls around—or a different season that affects your skin—and have more nourishing body washes in the bathroom cabinet. The lightweight bar soap you use in the summer may not be a great match for your dry, winter skin.

Frequently asked questions

How often should you use bar soap or body wash for dry skin?

Use it every day or whenever you hop in the shower. You can’t “overuse” body wash or soap because it’s a fundamental step in your self-care rituals that removes basic dirt, grime, and oil. If you have dry skin year-round, be sure to use products for dryness or itchiness that keep the skin properly hydrated. During the summer, some folks with dry skin switch to lightweight body washes that keep the skin healthy without feeling thick or heavy.

Does body wash help with dry skin?

Definitely! While we still recommend layering on a thick moisturizing cream or body butter after your shower, a nutrient-dense body wash can help heal and nourish dry skin. When caring for dry skin, you should use hydrating body washes or bar soaps that support the skin’s barrier and leave natural oils on the skin.

Do body washes or soaps for dry skin expire?

Like other grooming products, body washes and bar soap should have an expiration date on the packaging. For body wash, check the side or bottom of the bottle, and for soap bars, check the sides of the box. Can’t see an expiration date and you’re unsure if it’s safe to use? You can check for signs that a product has gone bad.

If you notice any changes in color, texture, consistency, smell, or anything else unusual, it’s time to throw it out and get a new one. Note that if you just bought a body wash or bar soap and you’re using it daily, it will likely run out before it expires.

Is it safe to use body wash on my face?

Most body washes are formulated for use on the body, excluding your face. They’re often rich, nourishing cleansers that will likely be too heavy or harsh for your face. Body washes may cause clogged pores, blemishes, and irritation if used on the face.

Face washes contain more gentle, lightweight cleansers—and because they’re formulated for the face, they’re less likely to cause irritation or trouble to the skin. With that said, some bar soaps and body washes are made for the face and body—and sometimes even hair. So if your product says face and body, it’s safe to use as a face wash.

What’s the best soap for dry skin in 2024?

Blu Atlas’ Body Wash is the best soap for dry skin in 2024. When dealing with dry, flaky skin, you need a body wash that can restore the skin’s moisture and support hydration as you wash yourself. There’s nothing worse than stepping out of the shower and your skin feeling rough and dry from a bad soap. Body Wash is packed with hydrating ingredients that ensure the skin stays moisturized.