Bar Soap Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Material Type (Synthetic and Natural), By Application (Bathing, Dish Washing, Hand Washing, and Others), By Quality (Low, Standard, and Premium), and Regional Forecast, 2022-2029

The global bar soap market size was valued at USD 28.27 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 29.16 billion in 2022 to USD 38.42 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.02% during the forecast period. The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with bar soap experiencing lower-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels. Based on our analysis, the global market exhibited a decline of 7.20% in 2020 as compared to 2019.

Bar soaps are often used in households and commercial places such as schools, colleges, corporates, fitness centers, restaurants, and others for the purpose of cleaning and maintaining hygiene. The soaps have the capacity to moisturize the skin in a better way compared to other cleaning agents and are also long lasting and skin-friendly for consumers. Therefore, the increasing demand for soaps from several end-users, including hotels and restaurants, fitness clubs, households, institutional centers, and others is driving the consumption of these soaps in the global market.

The skin care industry has been experiencing an explosion in its demand since the last few years, owing to the inclination of consumers toward customized and premium personal care products, which, in turn, intensifies the market size. Furthermore, the rapid construction of households and commercial places in emerging nations, including China, India, Japan, and Brazil, among others is further projected to accelerate the bar soap market growth over the forecast period.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Disruptions in Distribution Channels During COVID-19 Restrained the Growth of the Market

The impact COVID-19 pandemic had a drastic influence on the soap market in 2020. Owing to several obstructions and shutdowns in different countries, there was a shortage of raw materials and laborers for the production process, which, in turn, reduced the capacity of the manufacturing units of personal care products. Moreover, at the global level, trade restrictions and barriers between various countries, such as the United States, China, and India, also lowered the total market revenue during the pandemic.

Apart from the negative effects, the crisis also provided potential breaks for brands operating globally and domestically, exploiting acute supply channel interruptions. However, a significant downfall in sales through offline channels was projected due to COVID-19, in contrast with online channel sales, which increased at a high rate with the adoption of these soaps for maintaining utmost hygiene standards.

LATEST TRENDS

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Positive Outlook Concerning Premium Skin Care Products to Improve Consumption Pattern

In recent years, the demand for premium skin care products has been evolving along with the altering demand pattern of consumers. Consumers have become more aware about the health of their sensitive skin and thus, preferring soaps that are produced with natural ingredients will be less harmful in the long run. In order to fulfill the demand of consumers for natural soap products, the key operators in the market have been constantly investing in launching products to improve their product portfolio in terms of organic bar soaps, thereby catering to the market development. Moreover, the trend of online buying among the millennials for purchasing branded and quality personal care products has created significant prospects for the global market.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Concern for Health & Hygiene to Support Market Growth

The rise in awareness of a large population over hygiene and health has driven the global soap market, particularly after pandemic. People's concern over utmost safety in terms of hygiene and health has increased in recent times. Poor hygiene is one of the significant reasons for adverse health conditions, which is noticed worldwide. For instance, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as of January 2022, the use of these soaps and hand washes frequently after touching any surface area was considered essential to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Increasing Application of Bar Soaps in the Commercial Sector to Enhance Demand

Soap demand for commercial and residential uses has also increased for maintaining hygiene standards in publically prone areas. With increase in commercial spaces, such as shopping malls, food courts, showrooms, and others, worldwide, the global soap market has seen significant growth with the rise in demand for these soaps in commercial buildings. For instance, hotels include products such as bar soaps in the complementary kit. Luxury hotels partner with brands to customize soaps for their guests to maintain high service values, which will drive the global market.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Availability of Substitute Products to Restrain Market Growth

The availability of substitute products, such as hand wash and sanitizers, will restrain the market growth. The rising demand for natural and organic plant-based hand wash products has increased in recent times due to the spread of COVID-19 during 2020. Furthermore, the high price of organic soaps along with increasing cost of its raw materials is also expected to hinder the market in the long run.

SEGMENTATION

By Material Type Analysis

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High Moisturizing Benefits of Natural Soap to Propel Product Demand

The market is segmented into synthetic and natural based on material type. The natural soap segment is estimated to grow at a substantial rate over the forecast period. This is due to a shift in consumer preference toward organic products as they are less harmful for the skin. This has, in turn, increased the demand for natural soaps and augmented the overall demand.

Furthermore, natural soaps are basically produced with natural ingredients that provide high moisturizing benefits and normally consist of blended oils and butter derived from numerous plants, which are rich in antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins.

By Application Analysis

Bathing Segment is Likely to Dominate the Market due to Wide Usage

Based on application, the market is segmented into bathing, dish washing, hand washing, and others. The bathing segment is expected to dominate the market due to the wide usage of these soaps for bathing and body cleaning among consumers, which increases its demand in the market. Bath soaps are made with ingredients such as lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and bergamot. The perfect way to apply the soap on the body is to lightly lather it in the hands, then spread the bar directly on the skin. The disadvantage of this type of soap as a shampoo is that it does not contain sulfates, which can dry out the scalp and flare up conditions such as scalp eczema.

The bathing segment is expected to have the highest portion of revenue in the global market during 2022-2030 and is estimated to develop constantly owing to the rising demand for soaps from the residential sector. As per the U.S. Census Bureau statistics, new residential housing sales in the U.S. increased from nearly 770,000 housing units in January 2020 to 1,000,000 units in January 2021.

By Quality Analysis

Standard Quality Segment to Dominate the Market due to Growing Demand for Bar Soaps by all Consumer Groups

On the basis of quality, the market is segmented into low, standard, and premium. Standard quality is used by most consumers and they are comparatively reasonable in price compared to other quality of soaps. Any standard quality soap should be able to break down grease, oils, and other unwanted matter without leaving residue or harshly stripping the skin. In 2021, the standard segment held the highest market share and is expected to grow in the near future. Moreover, standard quality soaps are typically used in both urban and rural areas as these soaps are cheaper and most of the developing countries in all the regions can easily afford soaps than other expensive solutions, which propels industry expansion.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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On the basis of geography, the global market is divided into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The Asia Pacific region is estimated to lead the bar soap market share over the forecast period. The region accounted for 33.99% of the market share in 2021 owing to increasing population strength in countries such as China and India. Moreover, the prevalence of urbanization in emerging nations has accelerated the demand for soaps in the region. In addition, the rising appearance of small & medium-sized players of skin care products in the region has also fostered the market growth.

The North America market is likely to increase at a CAGR of 3.54% during the forecast period. The producers of bar soaps are emphasizing on improving their product portfolio in terms of quality and variety for soaps. Additionally, the demand for soaps from the hotel and spa sector is largely determined by the augmenting inclination of consumers for health and hygiene, which fostered the product’s demand growth in North America.

Europe has been predicted to be the second largest market, growing with a CAGR of 3.02% over the forecast period. The presence of large players in the region has provided potential chances for European consumers to select from different brands, according to their requirement. Furthermore, the increasing collaboration of key players with several beauty brands to offer a wide range of soaps has also created a huge lump of revenue for the European market.

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The expansion of the market in MEA and South America is hugely assisted by the increasing support of the government for the producers of beauty care products. The governments of every country in those regions have been continuously adopting several measures to help the small & medium scale players operating in the market and generating revenue in the long run.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Continuous Investments Toward Product Launches to Support Market Development

The global market is rapidly changing, with continuous innovation that leads to new product launches. Product developments are generally made to continue the existence of the product segment in the global market. Key manufacturers, such as Unilever plc, Premier English Manufacturing Ltd, Vanguard Soap LLC, Beaumont Products, Inc, and others, adopt these strategies to get maximum global market attention, resulting in customer building and brand recognition. Bar type of soaps are differentiated into sub-categories depending on the company such as anti-bacterial, bathing, spa, organic, and others. The sub-categorization of the soaps accelerates product launch, which leads to the development of different markets.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED

• Unilever plc (U.K.)


• Premier English Manufacturing Ltd (Premco) (U.K.)


• Vanguard Soap LLC (U.S.)


• Beaumont Products, Inc. (U.S.)


• Betasoap Sp. z o.o. (Poland)


• John Drury & Co Ltd (U.K.)


• Twincraft Skincare (U.S.)


• Commonwealth Soap & Toiletries (CST) (U.S.)


• Vermont Soap (U.S.)


• Bradford (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• July 2022: CleanO2 rolled out a carbon capture body bar soap, which converts CO2 for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The soaps come with CarbinX small-scale device that transforms carbon dioxide into pearl ash.


• July 2022: Dr. Squatch announced its new launch of limited edition Crypto Cleanse bar soap and plans to jointly mint three NFTs with artists CryptoDads and Nychos. The company also collaborated with Aerial to offset and track carbon emissions.


• June 2022: Bio-D launched its new range of naturally derived soap, which is made up of 65% organic content. The soap contains high levels of Vitamin E and is free from sulfates that is beneficial for the skin.


• May 2022: Well-Being’s brand Pearl+ announced the launch of a new range of incense and bar soap made with the highest care to utilize natural ingredients while looking for ways to capture a daily ritual, bringing well-being to the body and mind.

REPORT COVERAGE

An Infographic Representation of Bar Soap Market

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The market research report analyzes the market in-depth and highlights crucial aspects such as prominent companies, product types, and sales channels. Besides this, the report provides insights into the bar soap market trends, competitive landscape, and highlights significant industry developments. In addition to the aspects mentioned earlier, the report encompasses several factors contributing to the market's growth.

Report Scope & Segmentation