For the first time in decades, sales of the humble soap bar are on the rise. But why has this modest beauty hero returned to our bathrooms and kitchens, and should we all think about embracing retro washing as our grannies used to do? One major reason for the skyrocketing sales of soap bars is that they eliminate the need for the seemingly endless array of plastic bottles in our homes and bathroom cabinets. Just think about how many plastic...

The Very Best Bar Soaps Feeling parched? Treat your complexion to this moisturizing facial bar. It boasts creamy avocado and shea butter, a.k.a. two nourishing powerhouses.Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Avocado Soap Facial Bar, $6, rockymountainsoap.com What do Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O have in common? This bar of soap. The legendary product swirls Dead Sea mud to clarify and glycerin to hydrate. Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar, $50, holtrenfrew.com The headlining ingredient here is soothing calamine...

Has anyone noticed how all the IT brands are suddenly doing what no one thought would ever happen: making soap? A host of indie, Ayurvedic, organic, herbal, natural bath and body care brands are turning to the trusty old bar instead of making shower gels, which we came to consider fancier.  Celebrities like Kim Kardashian are getting rubdowns with Korean soaps, and hipster brands like Lush and Patisserie De Bain are transforming their boring old image. Now, soaps don’t just...

When you lather up in the shower, do you use bar soap or liquid soap? Your answer could reflect your age. According to a new report from market research firm Mintel, sales of bar soap are slipping because a growing number of consumers — especially women and younger adults — think a dispenser of liquid soap is easier to use, less messy (no slimy soap dish to clean) and more hygienic. As a result, bar soap sales are down 2.2...

A bar of soap? I can’t remember the last time I used one. My bathroom always has a liquid hand wash and lotion by the sink, and the thought of washing my body with anything but shower gel just feels plain wrong. But it turns out that, after decades of being shunned in favour of hand washes and shower gels, the good old-fashioned bar of soap is officially back. Last year, sales rose by 2.9 per cent, with shoppers spending...