Nuddy Soap Review: Is Bar Soap Cool Now?

When Nuddy, the brand promising to “make soap bars cool again,” appeared as a sponsored post on my Instagram, I knew I was a goner. I’m already a sucker for good marketing, and then Nuddy’s sustainability mission really sealed the deal for me. Fast forward and I’ve made my way through three of the five bars that came in my first box! Feels high time to pull together all my thoughts into one big Nuddy soap review!

The Verdict: I think you’re gonna like this soap. I certainly do! Keep scrolling to see my full Nuddy soap review, featuring both the pros and cons.

Trendy and sustainable is a combination I can get behind.

If your social media feeds look anything like mine, you’re being constantly bombarded with the latest “millennial” version of products. You know: trendy color schemes, clean fonts, promises to reinvent the way you see [insert item here], direct-to-consumer… ring any bells?

Anyway, because I am a living cliche, those are the majority of my targeted ads. And because I am The Worst, they almost always work. That is how Nuddy finally sealed the deal on me.

Created in 2018, the brand seems to be growing quickly. You can find Nuddy soaps at their own website, or in store and online at Topshop, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.

Now before you totally disregard me as a sell-out to millennial culture (potentially fair but please hold your judgement!!) I want to make clear that I am a long time user of bar soaps. I have been on a mission over the last 2-3 years to create an entirely plastic-free shower/bathroom routine. But bar soaps are one of the products that I consistently cannot find a sustainable option for (both for the planet and myself).

My main issue with bar soap is that the ~cool ones~ are too overpriced to be sustainable for my lifestyle. Soaps that are affordable and accessible are usually from larger companies. Dove is the main example coming to mind. And, while Dove soap is all fine and good, I much prefer to support smaller businesses when I can. Plus, larger corporations rarely have strong environmental sustainability measures in place.

TL;DR I’ve been having trouble finding soap.

That’s the main issue here, and the motivation behind this Nuddy soap review. I’d previously been using a natural brand from the low waste store in my neighborhood, and let me tell you: nothing has ever dried my skin out more than those soaps. I don’t even have dry skin normally. But I swear to god my skin, and my partner’s skin, was nearly flaking off it was so dry! That’s not normal! So when I got the ad for Nuddy soap it couldn’t have come at a better time. 

Nuddy is a woman owned, independent British brand. They promise to deliver soap bars that are moisturizing and longer lasting because they’re “triple milled”. They’re vegan, as well as cruelty, SLS and plastic free, so overall there were no red flags.

There are five different scents (more on that later) and each one costs £4.95. If you buy their super set of all five scents you get them for £3.80 each. Their set of 3 comes to £4.23 each. Unfortunately, with each of the bundle options you don’t get to choose your scents.

I ordered the super set of five for £20.95, which allowed me to get free shipping as well. The shipping took a bit longer than ideal, but in the times of Ms. Rona I don’t worry too much about that.

I decided to use the mango scent first because it’s the scent I disliked the most. I basically wanted to approach it like a Band Aid—just get on with it.

So without further ado here’s my comprehensive Nuddy soap review in the form of a good ol’ pros and cons list:

Pro: Sustainable packaging

The box the soap came in, as well as the packaging materials inside, were all plastic free. Not even tape! It comes with a cute informational card, as well as two little candies. Even though I don’t really eat candy, I found the whole experience to be adorable.

Con: Diversity

I couldn’t help but notice that the info card in the box featured only white or white-passing models. And moreover, they all have a fairly standard and idealized body type. I would have liked to see some diversity and inclusivity showcased in these images. Especially because that seems to be something that would have fit well in the company ethos. They encourage their customers to feel empowered, vulnerable and free even “in the Nuddy”. I would hope that the brand incorporates more diversity to reflect this as it grows.

Neutral: Long(ish?) lasting

I don’t think that this soap lasts any longer than regular soap. The claim on the set of five bars is that it’s enough soap for six months, and maybe it is. But it’s being used at roughly the same pace as most other soaps I’ve used, so maybe all soaps last this long? I don’t find this to be a negative about the soap but it’s worth noting since it’s touted as a selling point.

Pro: Pricing

I think that paying £4-5 per bar is reasonable, especially if you get it shipped to you for free. Are there cheaper soaps in the world? Yeah obviously. But are those soaps coming with the same values that Nuddy does? Especially the environmental ones? Probably not.

Con: The scents

The first thing I noticed was the scent… it’s strong. For some of the scents that was a fine thing. But for others it was a bit aggressive for my tastes. I tend to prefer earthier and more natural scents, so the tropical, fruit punch vibe is off-putting for me personally. The grapefruit and coconut I could get used to I think. The mint is a bit of the black sheep of the scent family, toning down the general vibe (thankfully). But to be fair, if these were scents I loved, I would probably have classified this as a pro.

Pro(ish): The scents get better

The scent does lessen over time, thank god.

I know I’m like beating a dead horse at this point, but it smells so strong you guys. Like, those fruity body sprays. Listen, if that’s your vibe I’m not judging you. I’m just telling you that it’s not my vibe.

But after about a week of using the soap daily the scent had faded to a much less aggressive one. As in, it still smells like body spray, but my bathroom no longer smells as though the cast of Love Island has been getting ready in it for the past two hours.

Neutral: Moisturizing… but not

It’s not as moisturizing as I expected. It’s definitely doing way better than the last soap I had. My skin doesn’t feel stripped after using the soap at all. But, when I’m told a soap is moisturizing I typically expect to feel it. Maybe it’s because of how many soaps I’ve tried in the past, but when a soap promises moisturizing I expect to leave the shower feeling as if I just put on lotion. This isn’t like that; however, if you don’t put lotion on after you shower you won’t feel uncomfortable either. 

Pro: Lather

It lathers really nicely. You can use this without any type of washcloth or loofah, because it lathers so well just in your hands. This was also a promise from the website so I’m quite pleased about it.

Pro(ish): The scent lingers on your skin

I called this a pro(ish) because if you don’t like the scent it may be a con. But now that the scent has calmed down, I quite like the light whiff of mango that my skin gives off through the day. I personally like when my beauty products leave a lingering smell, so this was nice for me.

Pro: It’s a small business!

I love that I’m supporting an independent, sustainable, woman-owned business when I buy this soap. Putting my money towards companies that I feel are aligned with my values is huge for me.

Bar soap is decidedly cool these days.

And this brings my Nuddy soap review to a close. In the end we have six pros, two cons, and two neutrals, meaning I would recommend this soap! Overall, the complaints I have aren’t related to functionality, and that’s ultimately the driving concern for whether or not I would repurchase.

There are definitely things I hope to see change in the future though. Specifically, I want Nuddy to feature more diversity in the brand image and expand the scent options. It would also be nice if you were able to buy a bundle of scents you choose rather than having to get them all.

Despite all of that, I like using the soap! I would definitely continue using Nuddy soaps, and I look forward to seeing where the brand goes from here. Speaking of, they recently launched a shampoo bar—let me know if you want me to test it out.

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