Note: This is NOT a sponsored post, the company is NOT paying us to review their products.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen that Dr. Squatch ad on Instagram and Twitter one too many times. However, if you’re also like me, you’re still in disbelief that you now have grown-up money to spend. Sure, a majority of that is spent on grown-up stuff like bills and mortgages and making sure your wife and son don’t go hungry for the money, but every once in a while, you get a little extra and think, “What dumb thing can I spend this on?”.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not particularly big on the whole organic, all-natural products thing that just feels like an upscale version of the Hippie movement, but when my first son was born, my wife and I thought about it and decided that, hey, anything to lessen our impact on the environment and lessen the chances of introducing anything toxic to our newborn, we’re all for it. And especially during a pandemic, when outdoor safety is a priority, investing in good quality soap doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
And so I decided to check out Dr. Squatch. Here is my brief, but honest, review of their all-natural soaps and I’ll let you know if I think they’re worth the hype.
Who is Dr. Squatch Anyway?
But first, let’s talk about Dr. Squatch. Dr. Squatch is an American personal care brand that manufactures products for men. Yes, I’m well aware that male-focused and female-focused products are nonsense, but I’m going to move past that.
Dr. Squatch claims that all their products contain all-natural ingredients to address common issues like dry skin, dandruff, and even acne. They produce a whole bunch of self-care products like the aforementioned soap, shampoo, but also conditioners and even beard oil.
I bought a bundle that contained a sample of all their products, but it’s their soap that is the highlight of the brand. Dr. Squatch soaps are pretty non-descript, but they are made out of glycerin, an all-natural product that is supposed to be better for sensitive skin.
Many soap companies forego glycerin because it doesn’t froth and foam as much as they’d like, which means many companies will usually replace these with chemical substitutes and artificial foaming agents. Over time, these chemicals can become detrimental to the skin, so something that’s made of glycerin is a little more desirable in the long run.
Other than glycerin, Dr. Squatch soap also contains other all-natural ingredients such as coconut oil, saponified olive, shea butter, sea salt, and lye. I’m no expert, but a cursory glance at Google tells me that, in moderation, these ingredients have been shown to produce very positive effects on skin, so props to Dr. Squatch for including them.
How Much Does Dr. Squatch Cost?
A 5-ounce bar of Dr. Squatch can run you around $7 and will usually last one to two weeks. Yes, they are pricey and that’s not even including the couple of dollars you spend on shipping. However, Dr. Squatch does offer bundles that can either include other products (like shampoos and beard oils) or different scented soaps.
The bundles cost around $29, depending on the type of bundle you buy, and are actually more cost-efficient in the long run. We bought the “forest bundle” for $35 and included different ‘forest’ scents of soap, like gold moss, cedar citrus, and pine tar.
An Honest Review of Dr. Squatch
First and foremost, let’s talk about how different Dr. Squatch feels. Because it’s an all-natural soap, it’s not going to feel as ‘soap-y’ as soaps with chemicals in them. Yes, it does lather up with water and friction, but don’t expect shaving cream-esque levels of foam. Personally, I didn’t mind because it still felt like the foam it did produce was cleaning me, but I felt like it needs mentioning.
I also bought an exfoliating bar, which has an aggressive grit all throughout. I’ve used other exfoliating soaps before, and Dr. Squatch has one of the more pronounced sands on them. This can be a bit painful in sensitive areas like your groin or even your armpits. That being said, the grits do mellow out after a couple of uses, or y’know, just don’t get an exfoliating bar.
One thing I did notice though is that, after washing, my skin wasn’t silky smooth: in fact, it was kind of tacky. It wasn’t sticky per se, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I’ve seen a lot of reviews that mentioned this grippy, post-shower texture, and the prevailing theory is that it comes from the soap’s addition of pine tar. Which makes sense for me, because my soap was pine tar scented, and honestly, that to me seems like the company didn’t short me on an all-natural ingredient.
That being said, the tackiness wasn’t unpleasant at all, and it disappeared after drying off. Once dried, I noticed that my skin felt noticeably smoother; however, I’m not sure if that was the effect of the all-natural ingredients, the exfoliation of the grits, or a combination of both. Either way, it was very pleasant.
During the shower and quite a bit of time after, the soap’s pine tar scent lingered pleasantly, with the smell being potent enough to be noticeable but not strong enough to be overwhelming. That being said, scent strength is a pretty subjective matter, so if you or your partner have sensitive noses, Dr. Squatch’s scent strength might be on the stronger side.
My wife and I (and our son) aren’t particularly sensitive when it comes to scents, so it was pretty pleasant for us. My newborn son didn’t seem to mind my change of scent, maybe I was stinky to begin with? The Pine Tar scent smelled much more like traditional ‘manly’ scents, but the Gold Moss smelled more modern, like it would be the perfect smell for a 30-something dad with a modern fade haircut and plaid shirts.
I bought the Forest bundle which gave me three scents: Pine Tar, Cedar Citrus, and Gold Moss. However, Dr. Squatch offers a wide variety of scents, with the company currently offering the following:
- Nautical Sage
- Cool Fresh Aloe
- Deep Sea Goats Milk
- Grapefruit IPA
- Cold Brew Cleanse
- Bay Rum
- Spearmint Basil
- Eucalyptus Yogurt
I have yet to try the other scents, but from the three that I do have, they were quite pleasant.
On a side note: the soaps themselves are darker than regular soap, with my Pine Tar soap coming in an almost-jet black color. This means that the lather it creates is a lot darker than what people are used to. In fact, I’ve seen some people online actually complain about it. Let me be clear: this is normal and isn’t a defect.
So is Dr. Squatch Worth It?
Let’s get one thing out of the way: Dr. Squatch is a legit product. Yes, their marketing is aggressive on social media, and some people might even think it’s a scam. However, they have legitimate products and, barring a few online reviews that focused on delivery issues, I had zero problems with ordering, customer service, or usage.
Now, is Dr. Squatch worth it? Yes, it is. It’s a great product and, once I go through my Forest bundle, I’m going to buy more soaps from them. Yes, it’s expensive, but hey, that’s the price of going all-natural. My overall first-time experience with Dr. Squatch soaps has been overwhelmingly positive, and while I can’t speak for their bear oil and shampoos, I’m very open to trying them as well.
And as for why you need ‘special’ scented soaps, I say: why not? Your health, as a father, matters just as much as everyone else’s, and hygiene should be a priority. Anyone who tells you that it’s ok for men not to smell good are outdated and operating in a toxic mindset. Let’s be real: body odor stinks.
Have you tried Dr. Squatch? Let us know in the comments below!
