Designer bags are expensive. So some people are buying luxe hand soap instead.

• Designer hand soaps from brands like Aesop and Diptyque have become gateways into luxury shopping.
• Fans praise the strong, unique scents and chic packaging of these products.
• Prices under $100 are key, making designer soaps more accessible than other luxury items.

It's been said that once you wash your hands with Aesop's Resurrection hand soap, you'll never turn back.

Fans describe the $43 cleanser as a household necessity thanks to its silky texture and long-lasting scent — a mix of lavender, rosemary, and mandarin-orange rinds, among other ingredients.

Its chic auburn bottle made from recycled plastic is also aesthetically pleasing and has become widely viewed as a status symbol of luxury taste.

You'll also find on shelves $68 bars of Loewe's tomato-leaf-scented soap, $75 glass bottles filled with Diptyque cleanser, and an $85 liquid-soap version of Maison Francis Kurkdjian's famous Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance.

Ultimately, though, it's just soap.

They remove dirt and grime from hands while leaving behind strong, signature scents. They're also priced astronomically high — especially compared to the $1.29 bottles of Softsoap that line the shelves of big box stores.

That's not to say shoppers are being swindled into buying expensive soap. Instead, they're strategically using these simple products as gateways into the world of luxury goods.

The appeal of super-expensive suds

Emma, a 23-year-old perfumery student and content creator, first dipped her hands into expensive soap while shopping for Dior products in Montreal.

"I remember wanting to bring something home, but I didn't want to spend so much money," she told Business Insider.

On a whim, she purchased a green liquid soap called Lucky, which she felt had an "entry-level pricepoint" for a Dior item. A bottle costs $70.

Emma loved it instantly, especially since friends regularly complimented the soap whenever they used her bathroom.

Once the bottle was emptied a few weeks later, Emma said she and her friends asked each other: "OK, what are we going to try next?"

Emma represents the larger group of soap superfans who have bought into the sudsy craze.

Searching "luxury soap" on TikTok results in countless videos — many of which have over one million views — detailing the best high-end cleansers and citing soaps like those from Aesop as some of the best gift options on the market.

Expensive soaps aren't exactly a new craze. Luxe hotels, spas, and gyms have been stocking them in bathrooms for decades. Still, the industry has exploded in recent years. Consumers began buying designer soap for their homes more widely in the late 2010s, and in 2018, the global market for bath soap was valued at $19.5 billion.

The industry just keeps growing. A 2024 report by Expert Market Research said the global soap market could reach over $36 billion in revenue by 2032, and luxury soap products are partially to thank.

The report cites the development of high-end soaps and millennial shoppers with rising disposable incomes as factors in the growing industry.

Washing dollars down the drain or elevating hand washing?

Since buying her first luxury cleanser in 2023, Emma has tried close to a dozen expensive hand soaps and reviewed them on TikTok for her 507,000 followers. Her most popular video, which was posted in July 2023 and highlights her favorites, has gotten more than 272,000 views as of Tuesday.

Emma told BI that her ultimate goal is to find one luxury soap, preferably one with a fancy bottle and long-lasting scent, to be her home's signature.

"I tried one Malin + Goetz soap, but the packaging wasn't for me or my personal aesthetic. So I wrote it off a little because of that," she said of the stark white plastic bottle decorated with an expansive ingredient list. "I have to like how a soap bottle looks. It has to be a flex in my room."

Veteran cosmetic chemist and BeautyStat founder Ron Robinson said Emma's focus on scent and aesthetics is common in his experience. He told BI that he's noticed a rising interest in luxury soaps partly because they are "affordable luxury" and because of their reusable packaging, which adds a sustainability element.

Whereas Loewe's most coveted bags vary by season and can cost up to $11,000 each, the brand's soap costs $80 at most and can be used all year round.

Sommyyah Awan, 32, a content creator from Toronto, realized this while in college.

"My budget was small because I was a student, but I felt that a luxury soap was a way for me to dip my toes into this world that I wanted to be part of," she told BI.

Now, luxe soaps are a staple of her home. Byredo's $70 bottles and Jo Malone London's $65 soaps are her favorites.

"You're just washing your hands. It's a simple act," she said. "But to do it with a soap that smells wonderful, lathers beautifully, and comes in an aesthetically pleasing bottle — it's just a way to elevate an everyday experience."

Expensive soap is also a luxury that can be shared, unlike designer accessories, which are often worn by one and admired by others.

"There's a community element to luxury soap," Emma told BI. "It feels like I'm not just doing it for me. I'm doing it to enjoy with my roommates. It becomes a point of conversation."

So yes, buying luxury soap might seem to some like you're washing money down the drain. To others, the pricey products are a step toward luxury.