There was a time when buying soap required approximately four seconds.

You went to the store, you found a white bar, and you bought it.

Perhaps you were feeling adventurous and selected a different white bar.

Soap wasn’t expected to transport you to a lavender field in Provence or make your bathroom smell like a coconut grove. Its job was straightforward: remove dirt, produce some bubbles and try not to dissolve into a mysterious blob in the soap dish.

And your job was to not get it in your eyes—especially the sharp and sterile Ivory bar—or in your mouth for uttering curse words. 

Those were simpler times.

Clean Was the Scent

For generations, household soap choices were relatively limited compared with what we have today. 

Brands such as Ivory became bathroom staples, and “clean” was essentially its own fragrance category.

Nobody picked up a bar and detected subtle notes of bergamot, sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla.

It smelled like soap, and we were perfectly fine with that.

Then Soap Discovered Fragrance

Eventually, somebody decided getting clean wasn’t enough.

Floral scents expanded. Not to be outdone, fruit joined the party, and then herbs arrived. 

Next came combinations nobody standing at a bathroom sink in 1957 could possibly have anticipated: lavender and vanilla, coconut lime, eucalyptus mint, cucumber melon, rosemary lemon, or all of those packed into one bar. 

Today, selecting soap can require the kind of contemplation once reserved for choosing wallpaper (yes, I’m aging myself). 

Do I want to smell refreshing? Relaxing? Tropical? Woodsy?

Who am I today?

The Humble Bar Got a Makeover

The transformation didn’t stop with fragrance.

Soap started appearing in different colors, shapes and textures. Handmade and artisan varieties became popular. Ingredients such as shea butter, oatmeal, goat’s milk, honey and essential oils moved onto labels.

Then liquid soaps, foaming soaps, exfoliating soaps and decorative soaps joined our sinks and showers.

At some point, soap stopped being something we hid in the bathroom and became something we displayed.

Some bars are now so attractive that using them feels vaguely destructive.

And Naturally, We Made It Seasonal

Humans cannot resist assigning fragrances to months.

Fall brings pumpkin, apple, cinnamon and spice. Winter ushers in peppermint and evergreen. Spring smells like flowers. Summer heads straight for citrus, coconut and anything suggesting we’re currently sitting near an ocean.

We don’t simply wash our hands anymore.

We observe the calendar.

Soap Became a Gift

Perhaps that’s the biggest transformation.

A plain bar of soap once ranked somewhere between toothpaste and paper towels on the gift-giving spectrum. Today, a beautifully made, wonderfully scented soap can feel indulgent, personal and genuinely fun to receive.

🫧 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🫧

Which brings us to our Break from Reality Gift Basket. 

I know we’re coming off an extended weekend, but now we’re thrust back into a busy week, and when you’re done cramming everything into it, you’ll have earned some R&R. 

This basket starts with a reusable soft-sided makeup case and features soap, hand lotion, a scented candle, macaroons, and tea. 

Soap has good company. Enjoy!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

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