A few years ago, if you stumbled into the tastefully designed, low-lit bathroom of a restaurant recently added to a “Best Of” list, odds were high that you’d end up washing your hands with an Aesop soap. As a result, you might ask for the brand’s scrub and lotion set as a gift or marvel at the scent in a friend’s kitchen. For a short while, Aesop was the only soap for aesthetes in the know.
While it’s still a wildly popular, undeniably luxurious product, its iron (and vetiver and bergamot) tight grip on the title of “it soap” has loosened. A victim of its own runaway success, it opened the door for a burgeoning market of high-end hand cleansers: not one challenger has arrived to take the throne, but many. You can no longer walk into the bathroom of a flower shop-cum-cafe with absolute certainty of what you will see.
For restauranter Simon Kim, handwashing should be front and center in the dining experience—and he means that literally. Kim worked with designer David Rockwell on the sleek line of sinks that greet guests at his buzzy new Korean fried chicken restaurant Coqodaq in New York City.
“If you’re going to put in a hand washing station, how do you make people enjoy washing their hands?” Kim asked in a recent interview. “We thought, what better way than fancy handsoaps? They’re all different in texture, colors, and scent. It makes it an experience as opposed to a function.”
Part of the trend can be attributed to consumers’ ever-expanding eyes. “Even with an incredibly crowded beauty space, people are still excited by newness,” says Kelly Atterton, founder of the skin care brand Rile. “There’s one place people will always try a new product, and that’s in the bathroom when they have to wash their hands.”
We’re seeing more and more spaces, particularly hotels, break away from the big brands and go local for a more custom experience. The Hotel Poseidon in Positano uses a locally sourced lemon soap that celebrates the region’s “Sfusato Amalfitano.” Designer Megan Pflug of the trendy upstate New York getaway The Wood House Lodge also uses exclusive soaps. “We also sourced bath amenities from a local company called Village Common, who did a custom blend of earthy botanical inspired profiles for our toiletry items and hand soaps.”
Kim sees the trend as an indication that restauranteurs want to express their visions through every element they can touch. But he also noted a general shift away from the traditional association of luxury with the grandiose. “I think these small details are very memorable,” he says. “Younger generations really appreciate these smaller things. Softer touches and things that make you feel a little more emotional, a little more experiential.”
If you’re ready for a new experience in your powder room, here are the soaps to try.
Compagnie De Provence Black Tea Liquid Soap
Kim’s personal favorite (which means a great deal coming from a man who shakes a lot of hands), this black tea-scented soap is made with coconut oil for exceptionally soft skin.
Buy Now on Amazon: $28
Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte Hand and Body Cleansing Gel
Another fixture at Coqodaq, this soap cuts through brightly with citrus balanced with mint and moss. The simple, elegant bottle alone is worth celebrating: It’s made from recycled glass with the Hermés Clou de Selle on the pump.
Diptyque Softening and Comforting Hand Wash
Did you think they just made candles? Diptyque’s hand soap lives up to its name, nourishing the hands with honey and glycerin, and leaves behind the calming scent of lavender, ylang ylang, and rosemary. And it’s refillable!
Loewe Tomato Soap
It’s harder to think of a hotter brand than Loewe, and this Tomato-scented hand soap has become one of the brand’s newest must-haves.
Nonfiction Santal Cream Hand Wash
The cult Korean beauty brand has crafted an ultra-moisturizing hand soap infused with the eternally popular scent of sandalwood. Still a bit of an insider’s soap, it’s packed with nourishing elements including glycerin, niacinamide, and even retinol.
Byredo Suede Hand Wash
The scent of Byredo’s Suede hand wash—infused with bergamot, violet, and amber—is so delightful we wish they offered it as an eau de parfum.
Flamingo Estate Rosemary & Clary Sage Hand Soap
It would be fair to say that Flamingo Estate helped make tomato a must-have scent when its Roma Heirloom candle whipped everyone into a frenzy a few seasons ago. Far from a one-trick pony, the brand’s Rosemary & Clary Sage hand soap is just as swoon-worthy as the candle.
Homecourt Neroli Leaf Hand Soap
Atterton’s pick is this neroli scent from the earth-friendly brand Homecourt. “When I wash my hands with the Neroli Leaf hand soap it’s heaven! It leaves my hands soft, not dry and tight,” she says.
Costa Brazil Sabonete Liquido
Costa Brazil has been steadily gaining buzz for its perfumes, but its fragrance-free handwash rises above the fray with its ingredient quality and earth-friendly bona fides.
