Was it passing your driving test? Taking your first solo flight? Perhaps bringing home your first baby? For me, the first time I felt like a real grown-up was when I replaced the grubby Carex in my downstairs bathroom with a chic, expensively-packaged bottle of luxury soap (read: one that cost more than a fiver).
We’ll gloss over the fact that for years I had to unscrew the lid and replace it with something cheaper, but when it’s the real deal in there, I always get compliments about the calibre of my sink-side products – friends suddenly become very diligent about hand hygiene.
You'll find some of my favourite luxury soaps below (as a beauty writer, I've tried a fair few over the years), along with recommendations from team Good Housekeeping. Some even told me they take their fancy formulations from the cupboard and only display them when they have visitors. I won't name any names.
These are the ones guaranteed to cause a stir next time you host.
"The scent of this hand wash has been so well considered, it really should be a perfume – it's that good. Developed by dermatologist Alexis Granite, the wash's spiced amber accord was something she worked carefully on – a gourmand scent that's very close to her heart. I'd recommend following up with the Joonbyrd Wonder Land Hand Lotion for double the deliciousness."
Fleur Fruzza, Beauty Editor
"If you’re keen to impress your dinner guests before they’ve even tucked into the food, this soap is the best secret weapon. The fresh, musky, subtle citrus scent immediately transports you to a grove of trees in an English garden, and the formulation is silky, leaving hands noticeably soft. Plus, it's organic.
I’ve even been known to wake up after hosting to find my beloved bottle missing from next to the sink, because a tipsy guest has traipsed home with it thinking I won’t notice. You know who you are."
Florence Reeves-White, Senior Beauty Writer, GHI
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
"I am yet to have a house guest who doesn’t ask after this hand lotion after visiting the bathroom. It comes in a range of fragrances – this one is blooming with soft rose, clean grapefruit and warm spices, for one of the most alluring perfumes there is."
Katy Young, Group Beauty Director
"I normally have this in my ensuite bathroom rather than the downstairs loo, because it's far too good for kids when there are no guests around to impress. The soap's texture is beautifully thick, producing a luxurious lather from a single pump, and the mint and mandarin scent really lingers, too."
Lynne Hyland, Senior Beauty Editor
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
"I recently took a trip to The Dolomites for the first time with my mum, where fresh mountain air and prescribed rest sit high on the daily to-do. The hotel we stayed in had this Aesop set in every room, and I even ended up bonding with other guests about it after we’d come out of the toilet, smelling our palms and waxing lyrical about the rosemary scent.
As a fully-fledged adult, I realised it was within my power to bring a little slice of that trip home with me by buying my own, and my mum did the same. Now we share the joy of that trip with whoever visits – it's a lovely memory in the palm of our hands.”
Florence Reeves-White
"The first time I smelled this soap was in Maze, a boutique store nestled in Bristol’s picturesque Clifton village. The neroli, jasmine and bergamot aromas instantly transported me from Clifton’s pastel-coloured Georgian buildings to a family holiday long ago in Portugal. And fittingly, ‘lumiere dorée’ translates to ‘golden light.’
For me, a scent that can evoke such visceral, happy memories is a must-have, and I often lean towards fresh, floral smells that feel soothing and familiar. I also adore the butter-yellow shade of the block. It’s almost too good to use.”
Bella Evennett-Watts, Group Deputy Features Editor
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
"I was instantly sold on its aesthetic (show me a bathroom this doesn’t match) and forever in love with its fresh, modern rose scent. If any brand could make rose perfume cool, it was this one.”
Katy Young
“I am kind of cheating the system here, as this smells like a luxury soap, but at a fraction of the price. My mum was gifted this about 15 years ago and was under the illusion that it was more expensive than it was, cracking it out only on special occasions (when we had guests).
The subtle-yet-sweet scent of figs lingers long after you’ve washed your hands, especially if you pair it with the hand lotion. We recently rediscovered the whole collection in a local TK Maxx and immediately stockpiled. I won’t tell Mum I’ve found it on Amazon for the same price.
Maddie Evans, Lifestyle Writer, GHI
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
"An all-natural hand-soap that feels like an indulgent treat with every pump already ticks one box in our home, but the fact this is made by an ethical, British brand makes it glide on a whole lot easier.
The wild fennel scent makes it deliciously moreish and zingy, and it uses Bladderwrack – a type of seaweed that boasts impressive antioxidant properties – which are extracted in Haeckels’ very own Margate lab. As for the packaging, the glass bottle looks smart in your loo and is recyclable too. What’s not to love?”
Bella Evennett-Watts
Florence Reeves-White
Senior Beauty Writer
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
Fleur Fruzza
Acting multiplatform beauty director
Fleur is beauty editor across Good Housekeeping, Red and Prima. She has been working in magazines for twenty years, writing about all things beauty and wellness, with fragrance and sensitive skin being her specialist areas of interest. Such is her love of scent, Fleur is training to be an olfaction therapist in her spare time.
