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20 Luxurious Soaps To Make Your Bathroom Feel Like A Fancy Hotel
From designer bottles to natural formulas.
You're probably spending more time washing your hands since the pandemic turned life upside down, so upgrading your hand soap to something a little more luxurious is totally justifiable.
Hand washes of this calibre are usually reserved for bouji hotels and flashy restaurants, but if you're in the mood to treat yourself then we really can't think of a better way.
A designer hand soap might be a slightly frivolous purchase, but investing in one is far from money down the drain. Not only will it leave you feeling a little bit pampered every time you wash your hands, (which is probably fairly often at the moment), but it'll make your basic bathroom feel just a touch like a spa hotel, too. They make a brilliant housewarming gift too, FYI.
Click through for the ELLE verdict on the 20 best hand soaps for a serious sink upgrade...
Shop The Best Luxury Hand Soaps
We're not sure we should be this excited about soap, but Space NK's recent launch is one we're telling everyone about.
The iconic retailer wanted to deliver a line of luxe, deliciously scented hand and body products that remained in the affordable realm: and we think they've nailed it.
Start with the Voyage hand wash: it comes in a refillable bottle, smells like summer in the South of France, and even contains eco-friendly silica beads for satisfying exfoliating action. What show-offs.
Chic, unisex and incredibly well priced, Arket's Nordic hand washes are a total treat. This one is gently floral with a touch of summery citrus. Buy the bottle, then keep it topped up with the huge 1000ml refill.
& Other Stories has a whole host of beautiful bath and body products, and its new Humlegarden line is a highlight.
Vegan-friendly and 89% natural, this gentle hand soap smells like crisp cotton and leaves hands feeling soft and hydrated. Something perkier? Try the Fjäderholmarna scent, which blends juicy peach with citrussy verbena.
A note-perfect housewarming gift, Jo Malone London's striped hand-soap bottles will look at home in any bathroom.
Honestly, who doesn't want a Le Labo hand wash by their sink? Cult appeal aside, this is also a brilliant skin-kind formula, containing antibacterial rosemary extract and a typically sophisticated, herby scent.
Zara's premium fragrance line features scents formulated by none other than Jo Malone MBE, with each one paying homage to a different corner of the world. Seoul's love letter is a bright floral blend of mimosa and musk.
A chic multitasker, this one belongs both on your sink and in your shower. The oat and sage scent is incredibly calming – think cashmere blankets and baby talc – while the Manuka honey-enriched formula leaves hands and limbs feeling soft and soothed.
A mainstay in fancy restaurant bathrooms all over the country, Aesop’s hand soap is such a sensory treat. Naturally, it smells incredible – a herbal, not-too-sweet spa scent – and contains tiny pumice granules that gently exfoliate your skin.
Plastic neutral is good, but plastic negative? That's a status worth shouting about.
The clever founders of Upcircle have achieved this brag-worthy certification by, in short, removing more plastic waste from the environment than it puts out there.
A great way to support, this hand and body wash is made using waste from the juicing industry, and smells delicious.
Only Diptyque could make a hand soap into such a bathroom status symbol. Invest in the beautiful glass bottle, then keep the exfoliating olive-stone formula topped up with these sustainable (and pleasingly wallet-friendly) refill pouches.
The bracing bergamot scent of this gentle hand wash is so good, you'll find yourself using it at every available opportunity.
Loewe's home fragrance line is a tribute to the scents of nature. One of the best, Tomato Leaves smells strikingly like the real thing: thing fresh green vines and tart fruit.
REN Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash
A leader in sustainability, REN uses recycled ocean plastic to create the bottles for its cult hand soap (hence the greyish hue). The formula is a stand-out too: it's gentle and replenishing, with a dose of fragrant essential oils to awaken the senses.
One of the most-loved signature scents in beauty, Aveda's rosemary and mint fragrance is famously delicious. Plus, this two-in-one hand and body wash means you can cut down on the products (and plastic) in your bathroom.
Ouai has launched lower-waste refills for its hand soap, meaning you can purchase the sleek bottle once and keep it topped up forever. If the sustainability doesn't have you sold, consider the famously good Dean St scent, which combines juicy apricot with warm rose.
If constant washing is leaving your hands dry and irritated, try this gentle (and largely natural) option from Neal's Yard. Not only will it cleanse and nourish cracked hands, but it smells like a sun-soaked garden too.
One for the classicists...Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle bar soap is quite possibly the most enduringly chic thing you can stick on a sink.
With patchouli, lavender and petitgrain, this luxe hand soap turns a chore into a sensorial treat. Slip it next to the matching hand lotion for a completely chic sink situation.
Molton Brown has a Royal Warrant, which means it's highly likely you'll find this one in the bathrooms at Balmoral. Crisp and floral, this one will transport you to the great outdoors (even if you haven't left the house all weekend).
Byredo’s coveted hand washes will slip seamlessly into a minimalist bathroom. With its fresh, green scent, Vetiver is an uplifting option, but our heart will always belong to the comforting, petal-fresh Rose.
Roberta Schroeder is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing shopping strategy and content across fashion, beauty, and travel. Roberta has reported on everything from market-leading skincare brands to the world’s most iconic fashion pieces, while also regularly updating a range of shopping guides, including LED masks, heritage cashmere brands and niche new dress brands to know.
Roberta has more than 15 years' experience in the luxury sector, spanning editorial consultancy, trend forecasting and journalism. Over the years, she has worked for global brands including Farfetch, Chanel, and Vogue.
When not testing beauty products, trialling trends and curating content that spotlights the very best in fashion and beauty, Roberta can usually be found trawling resale sites and vintage stores for a long-coveted designer find. Follow Roberta on Instagram at @roberta__schroeder
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