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Short of washing your mouth out with it, using a bar of soap can be a wonderful experience. Sure, using a body wash feels like a more modern way of keeping fresh and clean, but if it's been years since you last considered using its simpler predecessor, let us remind you of why the humble option is actually superior.
Selfish reasons first: it's cheaper. Selfless reasons following close behind, it's much better for the environment. And if it's the scent-layering benefits of opting for body wash that you're concerned with, know this: even the most affordable pharmacy can smell quite lovely. After something with a bit more olfactory oomph? There are literally oodles of designer brands infusing soaps with the same fragrances going into aftershaves and, yes, body washes.
If you're sold on it, prepare your loofah or flannel and head into the rarely-explored yet wonderful world of soap.
Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir
A fabulously scented option, a Jo Malone bar of soap lets you set an irresistible base layer for your aftershave and fragrances. Coming in Lime Basil and Mandarin or best-selling Pomegranate Noir varieties, you'll receive a skin-nourishing, shea butter-infused square that's absolutely popping with florals and fruits. £20 for 100g. At lookfantastic.com
L'Objet Bois Sauvage
The embossing on this soap bar alone is enough to make you feel cleaner: not wholly surprising given that Elad Yifrach's L'Objet is all about designing quality products that are also functional works of art. Beautifully minimalist and extremely nourishing, it's packed with walnut and Moroccan argan oil that make for a luxurious lather. £27 for 125g. At net-a-porter.com
Weleda Calendula
A product of one of the best affordable moisturisers of all time, Weleda also excels in its soaps, using natural ingredients in its lightly scented, creamy vegan Calendula bar. The next time you're adding Skin Food to your grooming haul, throw in a bar or two of this as well. £5.95 for 100g. At lookfantastic.com
Floris Cefiro Luxury
Floris soaps are known for their rich, creamy lather, which makes them a very luxurious addition to your shower or sinkside. Enriched with moisturising shea butter, Cerifo (the Spanish word for zephyr, meaning gentle breeze) is composed of crisp citrusy notes warmed by cardamom, nutmeg, jasmine and musk. £42 for 3 x 100g. At johnlewis.com
Aesop Body Cleaning Slab
In a soap rebranding that shouldn't work but does, Aesop has christened its veg-based soap a “slab”. It's an accurate name, too: this is a big hunk of soap, giving you plenty of bang – including bergamot rind, ylang ylang and Tahitian lime – for your buck. £23 for 310g. At lookfantastic.com
Molton Brown Black Pepper Bodyscrub Bar
A magic trick of a soap, Molton Brown has combined exfoliant with cleanser in this scrubbing bar. The brand's popular Black Pepper scent (comprised of vetiver and oakmoss) has been supercharged with Madagascan peppercorn oil, meaning you'll be revealing smooth skin underneath the wonderful lather you conjure up with this one. £18 at 250g. At moltonbrown.co.uk
Erno Laszlo Sea Mud
Reap the benefits of a therapeutic mud bath from your own home, care of Erno Laszlo's Sea Mud deep-cleansing bar, enriched with 26 minerals that work together to detoxify, protect and restore the skin. Key to its formula is glycerin (to moisturise), palm kernel oils (to stimulate cell regeneration and balance complexion) and charcoal (to decongest clogged skin). £42 for 100g. At ernolaszlo.com
UpCircle Cinnamon and Ginger Chai
An all-rounder and vegan option, UpCircle's soaps are multi-hyphenates despite their affordability. Case in point: this cinnamon and ginger chai block lathers well, smells great and gently exfoliates as it goes. £5.49 £4.39. At lookfantastic.com
Drunk Elephant JuJu
One of the most effective bar soaps you can buy to cleanse without drying the skin, there's more to this Drunk Elephant bar than just good juju. It combines bamboo powder with thermal mud in order to remove dead skin cells and rid any excess oil at the same time, leaving pores unclogged and skin brighter. £25 for 120g. At spacenk.com
Haeckels Exfoliating Seaweed Block
If you haven't already, you really ought to take a look at what Haeckels has to offer. The brand is based in Margate and all its products are naturally sourced and extremely good for your body. Case in point, its Exfoliating Seaweed Block is vegan, free of synthetic fragrances and will exfoliate your skin, thanks to the inclusion of raw, crushed botanicals of coriander seeds and peppercorns, while a blend of seaweed, aloe vera and tea tree actively hydrates and repairs the skin. £20 for 320g. At haeckels.co.uk
Creed Aventus
Creed has solidified its signature scent here, with a bar that's scented to match the ever-popular Aventus cologne. That means those same enticing notes of blackcurrant and Italian bergamot, calville blanc apples and sparkling pineapple. It's a combination that works as well spritzed on your wrists and neck as it does lathered into your hands and body. Perfection. £45 for 100g. creedfragrances.co.uk
Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet
Vegetable-based and triple-milled (soaps are generally put through a roller, getting rid of the excess water and air, making the soap longer-lasting and the lather very rich), a Penhaligon's soap adds a touch of luxury to any morning shower. £22 for 150g. penhaligons.com
Dior Eau Sauvage
Fragranced with notes of one of our favourite scents in the Dior family, Eau Sauvage, this soap will leave you feeling and smelling your best. The timeless men's scent's top notes of citrus revive, with its woody heart of pure vetiver and spicy, oriental base makes for a bar that'll fast transform your signature scent. £24 for 150g. At dior.com
Bulldog Skincare Sensitive Bar Soap
Fragrance-free to help minimise the risk of irritation, this soap is suitable for all skin types, even those with the most sensitive of skin. Crafted using willow herb, baobab and oat, this natural soap is particularly useful for a post-shave wash. £3.16 for 200g. At amazon.co.uk
Coco Mademoiselle
Exuding the vibrant notes of orange, the lightness of rose and the elegance of patchouli, this will add a seriously luxury touch (what else would you expect of Chanel?) to any bath or shower. Perfect for use before slumber for a wind-down like no other. £28 for 150g. chanel.com
Acqua Di Parma Powder Soap
This powder soap by Italian brand Acqua Di Parma takes on the scent of the jewel in its fragrance crown, Colonia Pura, and comes in the iconic ADP canary-yellow packaging. Perfect as a gift or for use yourself. £17.99 for 70g. At amazon.co.uk
Acqua Fiorentina
Not only does this flower-adorned soap bar look pretty great in a soap dish on the edge of your bath, it also smells damn good. Crafted using the scent of Creed Acqua Fiorentina, it leaves your body smelling like a blend of sweet plums, bergamot, lemony blooms, lively apple, renaissance roses, greengage plums and Virginia cedar. Being hand-milled, it lathers wonderfully, too. £35 for 150g. creedfragrances.co.uk
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