Grade 1 Soaps in India: The Actual List, With TFM Numbers
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If you want the list without the preamble: the toilet soaps sold in India that meet Grade 1 under IS 2888 include Mysore Sandal, Cinthol, Godrej No.1, Santoor Sandal & Turmeric, Park Avenue, Margo, Dettol and Body Baddie. Grade 1 requires a minimum of 76% Total Fatty Matter. The table below has the reported numbers.
Grade 1 soaps in India: the list
Grade 1 is not a marketing term. It is a classification under Indian Standard IS 2888, and it requires a declared Total Fatty Matter of at least 76%. Any toilet soap sold in India that meets that threshold can be marked Grade 1. Any product that cannot meet it is usually sold under a different standard entirely.
| Soap | Reported TFM | Grade | Fragrance disclosed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mysore Sandal | 80% | Grade 1 | Sandalwood oil named |
| Cinthol Original | 79% | Grade 1 | No |
| Godrej No.1 | 76–78% | Grade 1 | No |
| Park Avenue Good Morning | 76–78% | Grade 1 | No |
| Santoor Sandal & Turmeric | 76% | Grade 1 | No |
| Margo Neem | 76% | Grade 1 | Neem named |
| Dettol | 76% | Grade 1 | No |
| Body Baddie | 76%+ | Grade 1 | Essential oils named |
| Vivel | — | Grade 2 | No |
| Lux | — | Grade 2 | No |
| Hamam | ~68% | Grade 3 | No |
| Lifebuoy | ~60% | Grade 3 | No |
| Medimix Classic | 60–62% | Grade 3 | No |
Two things about this table that most versions of it leave out.
First, the numbers are not all equally solid. Mysore Sandal, Cinthol, Park Avenue and Godrej No.1 were lab-tested by Consumer Voice for the Department of Consumer Affairs, which remains the most rigorous public comparison available. That test was published in January 2014. Formulations change. Treat anything above as the reported figure, not a guarantee of what is in the bar sitting in your bathroom today — and check the wrapper, which is the only source that legally has to be current.
Second, that same Consumer Voice survey found something worth sitting with: several brands tested came in underweight, with fatty content lower than claimed. A printed number is a claim, not a certificate.
What Grade 1 actually means under IS 2888
Grade 1 is the top of three grades for toilet soap under IS 2888. Grade 1 requires a minimum 76% Total Fatty Matter. Grade 2 and Grade 3 sit below it on progressively lower minimums. TFM is the proportion of the bar made of fatty acids derived from oils and fats — in plain terms, how much of it is actually soap rather than filler, hardener and water.
The standard also specifies what Grade 1 should be, physically: thoroughly saponified, milled or homogenised, firm and smooth, with good cleaning and lathering properties. It is a manufacturing specification, not a compliment.
Why a higher TFM number is not automatically a better soap
This is where most Grade 1 lists mislead, including the ones that rank purely by percentage.
TFM tells you how much of the bar is soap. It tells you nothing about which oils were used, whether the fragrance is a named botanical or an undisclosed synthetic blend, or whether anything in there is likely to irritate you. An 80% bar scented with an unlisted "Parfum" is 80% soap and a locked box. A 76% bar with every oil named is less fatty matter and more information.
Both facts are true at once, and a list that only ranks the number is only telling you half of what you asked.
Which is why the fourth column above exists. It is the check almost nobody publishes, and on a shelf of Grade 1 bars it is often the only thing separating them.
The bars that never appear on any grade list
There is a category that quietly avoids this entire conversation.
Dove, Pears, Fiama, Nivea Creme Soft, Sebamed, Cetaphil, Olay and Himalaya's moisturising bar are not graded under IS 2888, because they are not toilet soaps. They are synthetic detergent bars — syndet bars — built on surfactants rather than saponified fats. Many are sold under IS 13498, the separate and looser "bathing bar" standard, which does not require declaring TFM at all.
This is not automatically a scandal. Some syndet bars are genuinely mild and dermatologist-recommended for specific conditions, and a low pH bar can suit compromised skin better than real soap does. But it does mean the absence of a TFM number is not an oversight. It is a category difference, and the silence is the answer.
How to check the soap you already own
Turn the wrapper over. Three things are printed there, and it takes about thirty seconds.
Look for the words "toilet soap" or "bathing bar". Toilet soap is graded under IS 2888; bathing bar is not. Then look for a grade or a TFM percentage. Grade 1 or a figure of 76% or higher is the top band; a number in the low 70s is Grade 2; no number at all usually means it is a bathing bar and the question does not apply. Then read the fragrance line. A named oil is traceable and screenable. An unlisted "Parfum" is not.
Those three checks filter most of a supermarket shelf without needing anyone's list, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Which soap has the highest TFM in India? Among widely available toilet soaps, Mysore Sandal reports the highest at around 80%, followed by Cinthol at about 79%. Both comfortably exceed the 76% Grade 1 minimum. Note these are reported figures from testing published in 2014.
Is Grade 1 soap better for skin than Grade 2 or Grade 3? Generally, when comparing similar soaps. Higher TFM means proportionally less filler and synthetic surfactant, which usually means less stripping. But grade is a minimum-TFM threshold, not a skin-compatibility score, and it does not account for fragrance, actives or your own sensitivities.
Why is Dove not on the Grade 1 list? Dove is a synthetic detergent bar, not a toilet soap, so IS 2888 grading does not apply to it. That is a category difference rather than a quality verdict — but it does mean it will never carry a TFM figure.
Do soap brands have to print the TFM percentage? Toilet soaps sold under IS 2888 are required to carry markings including the grade of the material. Products sold as bathing bars under IS 13498 are not held to the same TFM declaration, which is why so many bars on the shelf simply do not show a number.
Is a ₹40 Grade 1 soap as good as a premium one? On TFM alone, sometimes yes — Mysore Sandal is inexpensive and tops the table. Where they differ is everything TFM does not measure: which oils, whether the fragrance is disclosed, and whether any active ingredients are named rather than implied.
We built Body Baddie to pass all three checks on the wrapper, including the one about fragrance that most Grade 1 bars still do not.
