Most guys probably already know the brand Dr. Squatch. If you go to the men’s aisle you’ll see their deodorants, face washes, and most notably, their bar soaps, which are famous for having tie-ins with big franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the MCU. Surprisingly, one thing Dr. Squatch didn’t have until now is a shower gel. Their new body wash collection launched on September 13 and comes in four scents: Coconut Castaway, Fresh Falls, Pine Tar, and Wood Barrel Bourbon.
The Manual was able to try out one of their shower gels before its launch, and after showering with their wood barrel bourbon body wash for over a week now, here are my thoughts.
It’s got a great scent that isn’t dehydrating
It’s always good to feel and smell clean, but it’s also not so good when you’re left feeling like you’ve just washed yourself in cologne instead of soap. I’m also one of those cursed people who have naturally sensitive skin, so I was never able to use brands like Axe or Lynx because I’d be left with itchy, dried-out skin the rest of the day.
But I was really impressed with Dr. Squatch’s shower gel because it has a great long-lasting scent, similar to something like Old Spice, but it didn’t leave me with dried-out or itchy skin. I’m also a huge fan of earthy, woodsy scents, so I really liked the depth their wood barrel bourbon body wash had. For guys who like a lighter, sunnier scent, the coconut castaway is a great choice.
It’s surprisingly natural
One of the main differences I noticed in this body wash is how few ingredients it has (which could easily explain why Dr. Squatch’s shower gel didn’t dry my skin out like many other big brands do). The body wash only has 11 ingredients total, with the main ones being water, potassium cocoate (a product of coconut oil), glycerin (used for moisturizing), and the natural bourbon barrel fragrance.
The bottle also clearly states that the shower gel does not use any parabens, phthalates, or sulfates, and is completely free of synthetic cleansers. The brand refers to these standards as its “Real Soap Formula.”
The best benefit is that it’s a shower gel
On top of its natural ingredients and great scent, the best part about Dr. Squatch’s new shower gel is simply that it is a shower gel. Bar soap deteriorates over time. Even the most well-kept bar, that’s kept on a vented soap dish away from the falling shower water, will slowly and continuously fall apart from moisture. Also, who the hell has the time to go through all those steps to keep their soap lasting as long as possible?
Body washes simply last longer because they don’t wither away. Especially if you’re like me and have had roommates, and your shower is being used a lot. In my opinion, shower gels are just a better bang for your buck so it’s great that Dr. Squatch is giving people the option to choose a body wash instead of a bar soap.
I’d love some more scent options
I think the new body wash is great and as someone who prefers shower gels over bar soap, this is for sure a new option that I’m happy about. My one hope is that Dr. Squatch continues launching gel versions of their bar soap scents. One of my favorite things about Dr. Squatch is the huge array of fun scents they offer. From alpine sage to spearmint basil, and even a soap with the aroma of cold brew coffee, half the fun of Dr. Squatch is the great scents.
If the new line of body washes is successful, it would be awesome if Dr. Squatch could make gel versions of all their scents so body wash users like me could have the full range of options to choose from.
Dr. Squatch’s new body wash hit store shelves and the Dr. Squatch website on September 13 and are $15 each ($14 for subscribers).
