Benefits of the Bar

When it comes to bar soap, we like to say “from seeds to skin.” But what does that mean? Natural ingredients are at the very core of Rocky, and why we do what we do. We believe that nature has everything you need to have beautiful, healthy skin — and a beautiful, healthy planet.

The base of all of our natural bar soaps is, in a word, luxurious. That’s thanks to the fair trade Organic Shea Butter in all of our bars. 

Add to that Organic Coconut Oil, Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil and you’ve got the recipe for our luxurious bar soap base. Each bar is also swirled, marbled, or dotted with flecks of beautiful, natural ingredients that give each soap its unique benefits.

But what are those benefits? What makes these bars so special? Some of our bars are formulated to help out certain skin conditions. We have one for your hair, soaps for your body, for shaving—we even have one for getting stains out of your favourite shirt. You can explore the whole collection here.

We asked Rocky staff: Which one of our bar soaps is your favourite and why?

We asked them to get specific about how the bar helps out their skin type or condition. Then we dive a little into what makes those ingredients rock!

“Aloe There! was the first Rocky Mountain Soap bar I ever tried and it remains my absolute favourite. It might be just me but I swear it is so hydrating for my dry skin.”
- Annie

Rockstar ingredients: Aloe Vera is soothing, healing and calms irritated skin adding some extra kick to your moisturizing bar. The bar also gets a boost from stimulating Peppermint.

“My favourite bar soap right now is Seaweed and Spearmint because it's minty smell and smooth texture are phenomenal for my skin and my nose :) I also like how it has Canadian kelp.”
- Alex

“A couple of faves...Seaweed and Spearmint (all skin types) because I love the smell. Then once a year Cleanse bar. Clear, clean skin. As always, it smells great!”
- Bob

Rockstar ingredients: Local Sea Kelp from the Canadian East Coast gently exfoliates while Spearmint stimulates and cleanses your skin.

“I LOVE the Avocado Facial Bar. My skin is a wee bit ‘mature’ so the hydration and soft dewiness that it leaves my skin feeling after washing away the day is sublime. I love to eat avocados, cook with avocado oil and I get to put this wonderful superfood on my face as well as my toast, does life get any better?”
- Jane

“I have been using the Avocado soap bar for years and years and years, buying it in slabs, long before I joined Team Rocky. I still call it the avocado face bar but I do use it on my whole body. It’s seen me through dry skin, combination skin and now, as I get older, aging skin. Love it.”
- Ingrid

Rockstar ingredients: Nourishing Avocado Oil gives this bar a rich, moisturizing boost while Vitamin E rejuvenates damaged skin to care for your face and body and a touch of green Clay for extra purifying power.

“Geranium…the smell is so pretty and I love the softness of this bar. It’s gentle on the face too.”
- Karina

Rockstar ingredients: Geranium Oil is moisturizing and rejuvenating, while this bar gets an extra boost from healing Calendula.

“My favorite is Juicy Orange.Tried so many different types but my #1 soap has never been changed for the last five years.I have a combination skin type and it works the best. Refreshing with fresh scent and cleansing excess oil and dirts in pores well yet still moisturizing my dry parts such as cheeks and chin. Absolutely love it!”
- Mihoko

“During normal times I like to swim a lot. I always have a slice of the Juicy Orange and use it first, quickly in my shower afterwards because the citric acid cuts the chlorine smell so that when I do shampoo and wash after, I can barely smell any ‘pool’. Great for a mid-work day swim or when I know I have to go places after work and want to smell good. This was a tip shared with me by fellow Banff Rocky staff Amy.”
- Ericka

Rockstar ingredients: Vitamin C-rich Sweet Orange Oil works wonders for your skin and your senses (with that mouthwatering smell), plus Orange Juice that uses natural fruit acid to exfoliate.

“Lemongrass and Juicy Orange are my go to scents for an invigorating morning shower.
Wakes me and my skin up and leaves me smelling fresh and feeling hydrated.

And can’t live without Fennel and Charcoal for my face. The charcoal keeps my acne at bay, yet the formula never dries out my skin.”
- Carina

Rockstar ingredients: Activated charcoal adds an extra cleansing boost while Cedarwood Oil is both grounding energetically and lends a hand to acne-prone skin. Fennel not only smells amazing but helps break up toxins.

“Minty Tea Tree bar soap is my absolute favorite because it smells crisp with that little bit of eucalyptus and feels so good with a scrub like texture from the jojoba. I use it on my face and body. My skin type on my face is ‘normal’ but sometimes ‘dry’ in the winter; the soap (even with the tea tree in it) doesn't dry it out — winning! My body skin type is fair and somewhat sensitive, but after a shave it is such a good exfoliator and I would say it even reduces ingrown hairs. And one more reason I like it... it's my favourite colour- blue!

Pumpkin is in second place — for its incredible way to hydrate dry feet and reduce cracks!”
- Erin

“My favorite bar is Minty Tea Tree. It's a staple beside my sink to get a deep, fresh clean feeling. The nodules of jojoba exfoliate my hands and that feels great! My hands are very dry, and I find this bar cleans without being too drying. I love the fresh scent too.”
- Jennifer

Rockstar ingredients: Tea Tree Oil is antiseptic and a powerhouse for treating acne, and Jojoba Oil Esters closely resemble the skin’s natural oils and add mild exfoliation.

“My absolute go to soap is Pumpkin. Not being native to Calgary, I find it’s the only thing that helps keep my skin moisturised & feeling comfortable. Without it my skin feels tight & sore! It also helps soothe & get rid of any patches of rough, dry skin. I never pass up the chance to rave about pumpkin soap when customers are in store!”
- Roseanne

Rockstar ingredients: Our Pumpkin soap is a true cult favourite for those with dry, rough skin thanks to the good-for-your-skin enzymes, antioxidants and vitamin C in your Jack-o-Lantern. Pair that with gently exfoliating Wheat Germ to treat your skin.

“Hard to pin down a favorite – I love them all. Having said that these are on constant rotation throughout the year:

Goat’s Milk with Lavender and Aloe There! in the cooler months, these I find to be nourishing and calming especially as it's so dry in Alberta in the winter. Lavender or Patchouli Mint are my jam in the warmer months. I’m forever a lavender girl and patchouli I find to be grounding and earthy.”
- Kelly

“My favourite is the Goat’s Milk & Lavender. It’s the bar that got me hooked on Rocky in 2005 when I worked at a hotel where we sold it in the lobby. It helps my dry skin, but is universal enough to use all over. And I love the lavender scent.”
- Frangipane

Rockstar ingredients: Local Goat’s Milk is packed full of vitamins and nutrients for your skin, but is also super gentle for people who are a bit more on the sensitive side. Plus, you can’t beat the calming scent of Lavender.

“I've been using the Raspberry Rooibos for a couple years now and I love it. I actually use it for my face in the mornings and it's a great wake up and for some reason works well for my skin. Also, since this all started I've developed skin irritation on the back of my hands so I switched to the Pumpkin soap for regular hand washing. It definitely feels better on my hands than anything else I've tried, and I'll often follow it up with some Baby Bum Balm for an extra dose of moisture.”
- Steph

Rockstar ingredients: For more than a nice cuppa, Rooibos tea leaves gently exfoliate in this bar that’s also packed with clarifying Pink Clay and a summery Raspberry scent.

“My absolute favourite is the Shampoo Bar. I have psoriasis on my scalp and our Canadian winters as you all know are pretty harsh. Before I met the shampoo bar my scalp would be unbearable in the winter, now I have little breakouts that I can get under control. My hair is growing and healthy. My favourite soap for the skin is Patchouli Mint. The smell is absolutely amazing. My skin is normal/dry and I also have psoriasis on my body but found with a combination of soap and Baby Bum Balm my skin did not flare up like it normally does in the winter. I do have to say right now I have the Lucky Hemp in my shower and it’s becoming a close contender.
- Vanessa

Rockstar Ingredients: For a naturally healthy mane, our Shampoo Bar uses Rosemary Leaf Oil, that’s anti inflammatory and stimulating for your scalp, while Castor Oil acts as a moisturizer for your strands. Patchouli Mint soap gets an earthy boost moisturizing Hemp Oil and a dash of Green Clay.

Which bar soap is your fave and why?