Why is bar soap cheaper than body wash?

Why is bar soap cheaper than body wash?
1) Packaging: The cost of packaging is a significant driver of body wash. The cost of packaging is often more expensive than the contents of many consumer products. Bar soap packaging is usually less elaborate, often taking the form of just a cardboard box. In contrast, body wash usually comes in plastic bottles and may feature a pump.
2) Transportation and Storage: With bar soap, you are not paying for water weight which inflates the cost of soap in terms of how much you can fit in a box at the warehouse, and how many of those boxes can hit on a truck. In fact, most of the liquid soaps and body washes are water. In addition to the space to store and transport, there is also the risk of spillage and broken containers.
3) Marketing and Advertising: There used to be commercials perpetrating to show all the bacteria supposedly harbored on bar soap which resulted in a misperception that bar soap was somehow dirty. This is nonsense because soap is inherently antibacterial. Bar soap is considered for poorer people while body wash is considered a luxury. There is a higher profit margin for body wash, which can justify spending more on marketing and commercials. These costs are passed on to the consumer.
4) Ingredients: Bar soaps usually are made from fats and sodium hydroxide. When sodium hydroxide reacts with fats, it creates the active ingredient sodium stearate. The issue with sodium stearate is that it does not work well with hard water which may cause it to leave deposits on the skin after being washed, potentially clogging pores and making your hair feel heavy. Body washes usually contain synthetic detergents which do not cause as many issues when combined with hard water.
On a personal note, I like Dove “beauty bars” which technically can’t be labeled as soap. They have extra moisturized added and are gentle on your skin. They are a mild cleanser and contain about 25% moisturizing cream. They are a relatively simple formula, and are therefore quite affordable.
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