Dr. Squatch built its name on natural bar soap. Pumice and oatmeal exfoliation, essential-oil scents like Pine Tar and Cold Splash Coconut, wrapped in "your soap is a lie" branding that turned a Shark Tank pitch into one of the biggest DTC grooming brands going. Credit where it's due: it's a genuinely fine bar soap for a lot of guys, priced around $9 a bar or $15 for their body wash.
The gap is what happens after "clean." Dr. Squatch's formulas are built to cleanse and smell good: that's it. No targeted actives for dry skin, no hydration story beyond "there's coconut oil in it," nothing for tattoos, breakouts, or a rough day outdoors. Once you're past the branding, there's not much reason to stick with just one bar for every job.
Alex Bruzzese, Henkey's In-House Esthetician: "Body wash is the most underrated step in a men's routine. The right formula cleanses without stripping, supports your skin barrier, and sets up everything else you put on afterward. Get this one right and you will notice a difference."
What We Looked For:
- Priced at or below what you're already paying for Dr. Squatch... no reason to come in at a premium
- Actives that do something beyond cleaning: hydration, exfoliation, or tattoo/skin-specific ingredients
- A real answer for the guy who wants the bar format, and one for guys who've moved on to liquid wash
Two of these land at or under Dr. Squatch's own price point. All four cost less than what most guys already spend switching brands to "try something new."
Closest Match: Same Price, Actually Hydrating
Same $15 you're already paying Dr. Squatch; this is the direct dollar-for-dollar swap. If your skin feels tight or flaky after showering, that's the difference this formula is built to fix.
The Science:
- Sodium hyaluronate draws moisture into skin; panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) helps skin hold onto it.
- Collagen and aloe vera keep skin soft instead of tight and flaky after rinsing.
- Sweet almond oil protects and brightens tattoo ink (Mad Rabbit is built for tattooed skin, but works just as well without ink.)
Expert Insight: Panthenol converts to pantothenic acid in the skin, directly supporting natural moisture retention. Combined with sodium hyaluronate, a smaller molecular weight version of hyaluronic acid that actually penetrates the skin barrier, this formula genuinely hydrates rather than just coating the surface.
Editor's Note: Best for dry skin. Best for tattooed skin. Same price as Dr. Squatch's body wash — better for skin that isn't used to a "just soap" routine.
Bottom Line:
If price parity with Dr. Squatch matters to you, start here. It costs the same and does so much more.
Best for the Guy on the Go
Dr. Squatch is bar soap or body wash, with either option you still need a separate shampoo. Heath offers one bottle for hair and body, and it costs less than what you're paying now.
The Science:
- Creatine penetrates the hair shaft and smooths the cuticle, the reason this actually works as shampoo instead of just rinsing your scalp.
- Ginseng root extract supports follicle health; papaya enzymes condition skin.
- Gentle coconut-derived surfactants clean both without stripping either.
Expert Insight: Creatine isn't just for sports nutrition. Topically, it penetrates the hair shaft and strengthens the cuticle structure — which is why this formula actually works as shampoo instead of just cleaning your scalp and hoping for the best.
Editor's Note: Three essential-oil scent options — Revitalise (citrus), Rescue (eucalyptus), Relax (woods) — so you're not stuck with one scent for every mood. Made in England.
Bottom Line:
Cheaper than Dr. Squatch and it replaces your shampoo too. Hard to argue with the math.
Best Bar-for-Bar Swap
If it's the bar format you're loyal to, this undercuts Dr. Squatch's own bar pricing while doing more underneath.
The Science:
- Activated charcoal pulls dirt, sweat, and buildup out of pores instead of sitting on the surface.
- Jojoba beads deliver real physical exfoliation. It's the same idea as Dr. Squatch's pumice, without the microplastic waste some scrub bars use.
- Shea butter and vitamin E keep the result from feeling stripped or raw afterward.
Expert Insight: Activated charcoal's porous structure creates millions of binding sites for toxins, dirt, and oil. Unlike detergents that strip everything indiscriminately, charcoal selectively targets the buildup you actually want gone while leaving more of the skin's natural lipid barrier intact.
Editor's Note: $8. Lasts 4–6 weeks. Cheaper than a Dr. Squatch bar and does something most bar soaps can't. Not for daily use on sensitive skin — 3–4 times a week is the sweet spot.
Bottom Line:
The direct bar-soap swap, at a lower price, with real exfoliation and detox built in.
Best If You're Active Outdoors
Salt water, chlorine, sun, sweat... Dr. Squatch's soap isn't built to replenish what a hard day outdoors strips out of your skin. This is.
The Science:
- A patented sea botanical complex — kelp, red dulse algae, heather, and more — replenishes minerals lost to water and sun exposure.
- Panthenol and aloe handle recovery and hydration; honey conditions.
- Sulfate-free surfactant system cleans without wrecking the skin barrier.
Expert Insight: Marine-derived algae extracts are rich in minerals, amino acids, and polysaccharides that support the skin barrier and replenish what prolonged water and sun exposure strips away. Most body washes don't address mineral depletion at all, this one was built around it.
Editor's Note: GQ Best of Awards winner. At $20 for 16 oz, it's double the volume of most premium body washes at the same price and pairs naturally with the BYRD Charcoal Bar for deep-clean days.
Bottom Line:
If your week includes the gym, the ocean, or actual outdoor work, this does so much more than Dr. Squatch is built to.
Pick Your Match
Same price as Dr. Squatch, more hydrating: Mad Rabbit Refresh Daily Body Wash
Cheaper, replaces your shampoo too: Heath Hair & Body Wash
The direct bar-soap swap: BYRD Activated Charcoal Bar
Built for active, outdoor days: BYRD Hydrating Body Wash
Not sure which one? If you just want the cheapest possible upgrade, start with Heath. If your skin's been feeling tight since you started using Dr. Squatch, go Mad Rabbit. Bar-soap loyalist? BYRD's charcoal bar. Spend your weekends outside? BYRD's body wash.
A note on how we pick what goes on this page: we're not pay-to-play. Every product above, we buy the inventory and ship direct — we don't charge brands for placement and we don't take a cut of the sale. We're willing to put skin in the game because we've tested everything first. If it doesn't work for you, that's what the Confidence Guarantee is for.
Confidence is built.
The Dr. Squatch Alternative Guys Actually Stick With
Dr. Squatch built its name on natural bar soap. Pumice and oatmeal exfoliation, essential-oil scents like Pine Tar and Cold Splash Coconut, wrapped in "your soap is a lie" branding that turned a Shark Tank pitch into one of the biggest DTC grooming brands going. Credit where it's due: it's a genuinely fine bar soap for a lot of guys, priced around $9 a bar or $15 for their body wash.
The gap is what happens after "clean." Dr. Squatch's formulas are built to cleanse and smell good: that's it. No targeted actives for dry skin, no hydration story beyond "there's coconut oil in it," nothing for tattoos, breakouts, or a rough day outdoors. Once you're past the branding, there's not much reason to stick with just one bar for every job.
What We Looked For:
Two of these land at or under Dr. Squatch's own price point. All four cost less than what most guys already spend switching brands to "try something new."
Closest Match: Same Price, Actually Hydrating
Mad Rabbit
Refresh Daily Body Wash
$15 | 16 fl oz
Same $15 you're already paying Dr. Squatch; this is the direct dollar-for-dollar swap. If your skin feels tight or flaky after showering, that's the difference this formula is built to fix.
The Science:
Editor's Note: Best for dry skin. Best for tattooed skin. Same price as Dr. Squatch's body wash — better for skin that isn't used to a "just soap" routine.
Bottom Line:
If price parity with Dr. Squatch matters to you, start here. It costs the same and does so much more.
Best for the Guy on the Go
Heath
Hair & Body Wash
$13 | 8.5 fl oz
Dr. Squatch is bar soap or body wash, with either option you still need a separate shampoo. Heath offers one bottle for hair and body, and it costs less than what you're paying now.
The Science:
Editor's Note: Three essential-oil scent options — Revitalise (citrus), Rescue (eucalyptus), Relax (woods) — so you're not stuck with one scent for every mood. Made in England.
Bottom Line:
Cheaper than Dr. Squatch and it replaces your shampoo too. Hard to argue with the math.
Best Bar-for-Bar Swap
BYRD
Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Bar
$8 | 5 oz
If it's the bar format you're loyal to, this undercuts Dr. Squatch's own bar pricing while doing more underneath.
The Science:
Editor's Note: $8. Lasts 4–6 weeks. Cheaper than a Dr. Squatch bar and does something most bar soaps can't. Not for daily use on sensitive skin — 3–4 times a week is the sweet spot.
Bottom Line:
The direct bar-soap swap, at a lower price, with real exfoliation and detox built in.
Best If You're Active Outdoors
BYRD
Hydrating Body Wash
$20 | 16 fl oz
Salt water, chlorine, sun, sweat... Dr. Squatch's soap isn't built to replenish what a hard day outdoors strips out of your skin. This is.
The Science:
Editor's Note: GQ Best of Awards winner. At $20 for 16 oz, it's double the volume of most premium body washes at the same price and pairs naturally with the BYRD Charcoal Bar for deep-clean days.
Bottom Line:
If your week includes the gym, the ocean, or actual outdoor work, this does so much more than Dr. Squatch is built to.
What about deodorant? We're planning a full breakdown on deodorant alternatives soon. For now, browse our aluminum-free lineup here.
Pick Your Match
Same price as Dr. Squatch, more hydrating: Mad Rabbit Refresh Daily Body Wash
Cheaper, replaces your shampoo too: Heath Hair & Body Wash
The direct bar-soap swap: BYRD Activated Charcoal Bar
Built for active, outdoor days: BYRD Hydrating Body Wash
Not sure which one? If you just want the cheapest possible upgrade, start with Heath. If your skin's been feeling tight since you started using Dr. Squatch, go Mad Rabbit. Bar-soap loyalist? BYRD's charcoal bar. Spend your weekends outside? BYRD's body wash.
A note on how we pick what goes on this page: we're not pay-to-play. Every product above, we buy the inventory and ship direct — we don't charge brands for placement and we don't take a cut of the sale. We're willing to put skin in the game because we've tested everything first. If it doesn't work for you, that's what the Confidence Guarantee is for.
Confidence is built.