Review: Arm Bar Soap

Hygiene should be important for everyone, but it gets special consideration for athletes.  We get dirty, sweaty, and possibly bloody.  And we get the dirt, sweat, and blood of other athletes on us as well.  So we must take extra care before and after sessions to ensure that we are clean and healthy.

A couple of years ago I started my journey looking for a soap to use.  I came across several that piqued my interest, but I wanted to make it as allergen-free as possible.  My first choice never kept anything in stock and sold out of new batches inside of a couple of hours, so instead of continued frustration, I switched to another company.

The Arm Bar Soap Company, run by Chad Hospodar, is into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  He got a nasty ringworm infection, and vowed to never let it happen again.  Thus the Hawaiian-based company was born.  I have thus far “sampled” their Cocoa, Hawaiian, and Peppermint bars, and with great delight!  They last about a month in this household, but with two athletes each training 3-5 times per week, soap is bound to go quickly.  Each bar is bound together extremely well, I have dropped more than one more more than once (yes yes, I’ll not enjoy an experience in prison, I know), and the bars have suffered only minor dents.

Being a Canadian has a lot of merits to it – least of all the Maple Syrup – but it has downsides.  Arm Bar Co. ships to their distributors, who then re-sell to consumers.  The Canadian distributor is BJJDepot.ca, a local B.C. company, and I am more than happy to give my business to them and to Chad.  However, this puts me at the mercy of the distributor in terms of the various flavours Chad releases.  Upon placing my last order about five months ago, they stocked only three – the three that I have sampled – even as more flavours were being released.  Currently, they have a fourth: the Milk’n’Honey.  I will be ordering this flavour when I place my next order – though that won’t be for several more months – and hopefully by that time they’ll have the Acai and Shamp-Broo in stock.

So we keep ourselves clean, which helps keep our training partners, friends, and family clean.  All we need now is a cool soap dish.  Any recommendations?

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Triangle Army, Respect the Technique