Best Body Wash for Men in 2022: The Best Body Wash Will Turn Any Shower Into a Spa

We rounded up the absolute best body wash on the market, because “bar soap versus body wash” is basically the “boxers or briefs” of bathing. And if you’re in the liquid corner of that debate, you need some soap that’s as hydrating as it is cleansing. It’s gotta smell fresh—or perfectly neutral. (Many people prefer a fragrance-free option, often due to sensitive skin.) In some instances, it’s got to neutralize bacterial buildup or counter acne-prone skin. Maybe you need an inexpensive workhorse body wash, or you’re after something more luxurious. No matter what exactly you’re after, there’s a pick for you below, in this lineup of the 16 best body washes


The Best-Smelling Body Wash

Aesop Citrus Melange body wash

We were hard pressed to be unfaithful to Aesop’s Geranium Leaf body wash, a longtime favorite. But this newer Citrus Melange light-foaming cleanser is vying for prime shower caddy real estate. It unites petitgrain with rinds of lemon and grapefruit for the crispest, freshest feeling. 

The Best Simple Body Wash

Dr. Bronner’s peppermint 18-in-1 liquid soap

Dr. Bronner’s claims its liquid Castile soap is an “18-in-1” cleaner, renewing everything from clothes to dishes, pets to laundry, floors to food. That’s an impressive lineup, but it makes our list for one reason only: it’s a dirt-cheap way to get a very special kind of tingly, squeaky clean for your whole body.  

The Best Unscented Body Wash

Nécessaire fragrance-free body wash

Nécessaire happens to sell some of our favorite scented body washes—Sandalwood is our top pick of their three—but this fragrance-free option is equally great. If you’ve got sensitive skin or are scent averse, it’s an affordable yet lavish gel-oil lather. All of the brand’s body washes are plant-derived, and are chock full of vitamins and nutrients, ensuring your skin doesn’t dry up after a shower.

The Best Body Wash for the Gym

Art of Sport activated charcoal and tea tree oil body wash (2-pack)

Athletes work up quite a sweat, and need to be mindful of all the sweat taking residence around their body. That’s why Art of Sport harnesses tea tree oil in its body wash, to neutralize any threat of bacterial or fungal breakouts—in turn kiboshing breakouts, too. Activated charcoal extracts sweat and oil from deep within the pores without over drying skin, and you get to enjoy an uplifting eucalyptus scent at the same time. 

The Best Low-Cost Body Wash

Dollar Shave Club mint & cedarwood scented body wash

If you’re in the market for an affordable, brand-name body wash, then Dollar Shave Club offers this refreshing, uplifting pick in a mint and cedarwood medley. It soothes with aloe and uses plant-derived cleansing agents to leave you refreshed.

The Best Acne-Clearing Body Wash

Peter Thomas Roth salycylic body wash

Salicylic acid is one of the top ingredients of note in acne-fighting body washes (the other being benzoyl peroxide, in more medical formulas). And salicylic acid is the center of PTR’s recipe here: it flushes out grime and dead skin from within the pores, while glycolic acid smooths and exfoliates the surface of skin. It soothes skin, too, with allantoin and aloe, while jojoba beads gently scrub away to lift remaining rough patches.

The Best Deodorizing Body Wash

American Crew 24-hour deodorizing body wash

If you’re prone to odorous bacteria buildup, then a deodorant isn’t the only thing to seek salvation: You can use an odor-fighting body wash, too, like American Crew’s. This one promises to keep you fresh for up to 24 hours, using ingredients like silver citrate and tea tree oil to fight off the bacteria that lead to funky smells. It finishes with a peppermint scent, to start those 24 hours on a refreshing note.

The Best Luxury Body Wash

Creed ‘Aventus’ body wash

Creed takes many of its best-selling (and best-smelling) scents, and bottles them as body washes. So of course, our go-to is the brand’s most famous scent, Aventus. It’s a sweet-musky-woody scent, combining notes of pineapple, birch, musk, oak moss, and patchouli. You can pair it with the scent itself, if you’re exactly that fancy, or enjoy its essence by letting this luxury wash stand alone.

The Best Body Wash for Dry Skin

CeraVe soothing body wash

Waging a losing battle against the forces of dryness or eczema? The brand behind the best drugstore moisturizer in the biz also sells your new weapon of choice. CeraVe’s body wash is heavy on the ceramides to help strengthen your skin barrier and beat back any attacks on the itchiness front.

The Best Two-For-One Body Wash

La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ face and body wash

It’s easy to feel skeptical when a product designed expressly for one part of your body proudly touts its benefits for another. But La Roche-Posay delivers the goods—big time. LRP’s M.O. is simple: smooth skin by combating dryness and upping hydration. Its face and body wash two-fer helps mount an every-morning defense against parched skin, no matter where you apply it. And right now, you can score a bottle in our latest Best Stuff Box—along with a whole host of spring-ready grooming essentials—for a measly $50.

The Best Exfoliating Body Wash

Bevel supreme oak body wash

Snagged yourself a reliable facial exfoliator? Kudos: Now treat the rest of your body to the same epidermis-saving luxury. Bevel’s gentle body wash incorporates silica and charcoal to scrub away dead skin cells, but counters with ultra-hydrating argan oil to lock in moisture and leave your skin as soft as a newborn babe’s.

Plus 4 More Body Washes We Love:

Fur all body wash

Fur’s Grooming Award-winning body wash would’ve been one of the best we tried this year thanks to its magical texture alone. (It comes out of the bottle slightly oily, and melts into suds as you wash.) But beneath its scene-stealing consistency lies a powerful cocktail of soothing ingredients rich in fatty acids and Vitamin E. Its gentle mix lathers on silky smooth—and will leave your skin feeling the same.

Kiehl’s made for all gentle body wash

If your skin is prone to flare-ups or redness, it’s worth tracking down a body wash that won’t damage it unnecessarily. Kiehl’s’ comes formulated with aloe vera and soap bark extract that work in tandem to nourish and moisturize your skin, minimizing any undue irritation. Its gel-like texture lends itself towards easy lathering, which means, like the best Disney movies, it’s safe for all audiences.

Elemis sharp shower body wash

Don’t let the name fool you: Elemis’ invigorating body wash—infused with a duo of minty essential oils—is as soothing as they come. Its wheat and milk protein base helps to rinse away excess oil buildup, while chamomile and thyme extracts promise to leave your complexion looking refreshed and your skin ludicrously soft.

Disco invigorating body wash

Disco’s no-nonsense shower gel was a breakout star of our 2020 Grooming Awards thanks to its deceptively glam vibe and A-list roster of ingredients. (“Powerful enough to turn a YMCA shower into a wood-paneled sauna somewhere north of the Arctic Circle”? We’re poets, really.) It comes packed with soothing additives like aloe and chamomile, along with a hefty dose of eucalyptus to make toweling off at home feel spa-like serene.

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