These Luxury Hand Soaps Will Make You—and Your Guests—Feel RICH

When we think of luxury hand soap, images of iconic bottles come to mind, one of which is the amber-hued Aesop one, which was designed to look like something you'd find in a centuries-old apothecary. "I bought this soap for the purposes of this story, and I have to admit, it is even better than the hype makes it seem," Associate Shopping Editor Jessica Cherner says. "Full disclosure, unlike Marina, I love a very strong fragrance, but this one is a bit lighter in terms of power and reach. You can definitely smell it on your hands post-wash, but you won't be suffocating anyone nearby with your scent. It also leaves my hands feeling so soft."

Some people prefer the luxurious feel of a bar soap over a liquid that comes out of a pump. If you fall into that category, you need the oval-shaped solid that's wrapped in perhaps the most beautiful waxy paper. "I have a massive medicine cabinet in my bathroom that's so tall, it knocks over anything in its path when I open it, so I need a bar soap in there," Cherner says. "This soap feels extremely fancy. It's a hefty size (think along the lines of an oval-shaped baseball, as opposed to the one-inch thick bar soaps you may be used to). It's minimalist in all the right ways, but the scent is on the more extravagant side—in the best way.

L'Avant is a relative newcomer to the cleaning and hygiene industries, but its arrival was and continues to be well-received. "I actually reviewed every single L'Avant product when the brand first launched in late 2020, and I have been pretty obsessed ever since. I even love the laundry collection, but I digress," Cherner says. "The hand soap is by far the best product, in my opinion. The bottles are made of thick, opaque glass with a gentle gilded label, so you know this hand soap is highly luxurious." It may seem on the more expensive side, but keep in mind that you will get 16 ounces of soap, so you won't have to buy another for a while. "It lasted me about three months, which is saying a lot because I wash my hands obsessively throughout the day."

Few brands are more synonymous with deliciously luxurious scents than Le Labo. "I have Le Labo candles, so I knew I already liked the scents, but I had never tried the soaps. I bought this on a whim, but I have no regrets. It smells so good," tester Danielle Collins says. "The liquid is a very thick, almost ointment-like gel, that lathers really easily and quickly, and it doesn't leave any sort of sticky residue. The only thing that does stay post-wash is the incredible smell."

Homecourt, founded by Courteney Cox in January 2022, is a completely plant-based, nontoxic line of soaps, home cleaners, and candles that are organized by fragrance note. And yes, all of the fragrances are naturally derived. "When Homecourt hit the market, I bought almost every product, which I did out of respect for my favorite fictional character of all time, Monica Geller," Cherner notes. "Of all the products, my favorites are the candle (which is in a concrete, label-less vessel) and the hand soap in the Steeped Rose scent. It's quite potent, as it's made using natural rose oil, which Cox and her team of chemists obtained using thousands of rose petals." In our opinion, the matte black bottle only makes it more luxurious.

Youth to the People is a skincare brand known among beauty gurus for using the power of plants in its products, including hand soap. This cleansing gel comes in a 13-fluid-ounce plastic bottle and smells like a delicious, musky candle, with notes of fresh greens, cedarwood, and black pepper.

Before we say anything about this beautifully packaged brand, we want to acknowledge that this is a set, not just a hand soap. We are all for it because nothing feels more satisfying than washing your hands, drying them just enough, and then massaging a creamy lotion into your palms. La Compagnie de Provence is famous for its instantly recognizable bottles, and we are going with this blue set because it's neutral enough (some of the other bottles are much brighter) without being boring. It also smells good, with notes of Jasmine and black pepper. There's also a hint of nuttiness in there, courtesy of the almond oil.

Jen Atkin is a celebrity hairstylist (her clients include Chrissy Teigen, Jennifer Lopez, and Katy Perry, among other A-listers) who founded her haircare line in 2016. As was to be expected, it was met with instant success, so when it came time to expand, Atkin added soap to her repertoire. "I have used the body créme and almost every hair product that Ouai has made, so when I realized it also produces a hand wash, I bought it immediately," Cherner says. "It smells very similar to medium hair hydrating shampoo in that it's very light and very fresh. There are no notes of citrus, sweetness, or muskiness. It's gentle. It's also massive! It's a 16-ounce bottle, so if you like the scent, you'll be able to enjoy it for a while."

Anyone who likes to play hostess on the regular needs a fancy hand soap, which is a lesson we learned from Monica Geller on Friends. "If you want to impress your guests or treat yourself to an indulgent hand soap, one of my go-to picks for most people is Byredo. I say 'most people' because the soap leaves a strong scent on your hands no matter how little of a pump you use, so if you have sensitive skin or nose to fragrances, this might turn you off," Liao says. "The soap actually makes my hands itchy because I have super sensitive skin, but that said, I still like it and now simply gift this to my friends instead, who all love it. It's a super nice gift for others if not for yourself." This one has suede, pear, lily of the valley, and amber notes.