About a year into this pandemic, I appreciate the beauty and simplicity of a no-frills bar soap more than ever. Soap is an amazing thing, if you think about it. It can help save lives! Though I tend to remain loyal to my favorite moisturizers and hand lotions, I’m more likely to experiment with face washes. Bar soaps have always intrigued me because of how beautiful they look. Whether it takes the form of a nicely shaped cube or elegant curve, I love it all the same. My favorite kind is…

Shave gels are one of the most interesting personal care products on the market—particularly the ones marketed to men. They have to simultaneously achieve the purpose of soothing the skin after it’s been freshly shaven with a sharp (or sometimes dull) razor, they have to make men feel pampered (which is usually achieved through some combination of fragrance and a velvety texture), and they have to make sure they don’t damage the integrity of razors by clogging or dulling the blades.…