Shopping
7 Luxurious Hand Soaps That Make Perfect Gifts
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
Whether you're shopping for yourself or a loved one, investing in a fancy hand soap can make the hand-washing experience feel much more pleasurable. With their gorgeous packaging, elegant formulas, and amazing scents, the seven products featured ahead are some of the best luxury hand soaps out there. One even counts the British Royal Family as fans!
When deciding between these luxurious hand soaps, you'll probably want to consider scent above all else. You'll find a creamy option that smells like a sweet dessert, a calming lavender hand soap, and several with invigorating, citrusy scents. There's also a bar soap from a cult beauty brand that's known for their sultry, signature fragrance, which would make an incredible gift.
In case you need a reminder about hand-washing 101, check out the CDC's guide on when and how to wash your hands. Also, don't forget to apply hand cream after washing your hands, since washing them — which entails exposing your hands to hot water and surfactants (aka the stuff that creates bubbles) — can cause your skin to become dry. You can find some great drugstore hand creams here, but if you're on a luxury kick, check out this list of bougie hand creams.
Scroll on to shop seven fancy hand soaps that'll make you look forward to washing your hands.
1. The Royal-Approved One
If Molton Brown hand soaps are good enough for the Queen, they're good enough for the rest of us. Yes, Molton Brown holds a Royal Warrant for the supply of toiletries to the British Royal Family (it's also a favorite brand of luxury hotels), so go ahead and feel extra fancy as you lather up.
This lovely hand soap comes in an several pleasant scents, including rhubarb and rose (pictured); gingerlily; white mulberry; and lily of the valley and star anise.
2. The Best Gift Set
This NEST hand soap/hand cream duo comes nestled in a silver display tray and packaged in an elegant, gift-ready box — all you need is a bow or bag et voila. Or, pick one up for your home — it'll instantly elevate the look of any bathroom counter. Both products smell of grapefruit, coriander, and lily, a scent that's bound to please pretty much everyone.
3. The Fan Favorite
Another citrusy hand soap, C.O. Bigelow's Lemon Hand Wash is a perennial fan favorite with a rare, 4.8-star overall rating on Amazon. Reviewers report that it's creamy and thick, doesn't dry your hands out, and smells like "lemon meringue pie" — not in an overpowering, chemical-y way. Bonus points for its retro, apothecary-inspired packaging.
4. The Creamy One
If you have dry or sensitive skin, pick up this sulfate-free hand wash from Archipelago Botanicals. The consistency is creamy and milky, while the vanilla-and-coconut scent smells deliciously (not sickeningly) sweet. One Amazon reviewer reported, "After drying my hands they feel soft but not at all oily. I hardly need any hand cream."
5. The Lavender One
If you love calming, herbal scents, pick up this best-selling hand wash from Provence-based brand L'Occitane. Fragranced with relaxing lavender, this is another fan-favorite hand soap, with a near-perfect 4.8-star rating on Amazon.
6. The One That Makes Hand Washing Fun
This sustainably packaged hand soap — you can buy soap refills for the bottle —smells delightful, but what makes it truly unique is its pump. Push it down to get a perfect-sized amount of soap in the shape of a flower right in your palm. It's also a great way to make hand-washing feel more fun for kids.
7. The Best Luxury Hand Soap Bar
Fancy bar soaps make great gifts, and it doesn't get much fancier than Oribe's Cote d'Azur Bar Soap. Featuring the brand's signature Cote d'Azur fragrance (top notes include sandalwood, jasmine, bergamot), it comes packaged in a sleek, minimalist box — perfect for the beauty lover in your life who has everything else.
