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…

There’s something so soothing about browsing through the soap selection at Whole Foods. But even at a place like Whole Foods, you’ll find plenty of soaps that seem harmless (because they’re made with “natural extracts” rather than synthetic fragrances), but are not necessarily the best choice for those of us with sensitive skin. Nature, aka the inventor of poison ivy, can produce ingredients that are just as irritating as any manmade concoction. Essential oils are…

Has anyone else been singing “Happy Birthday” multiple times a day, every day, as a way to ensure that you’re washing your hands long enough? I probably need to switch to a new song soon. There’s something rather therapeutic about lathering up with soap and rinsing away the suds. If there’s any bright side to the crazy times we live in, it’s that maybe we’ve come to respect—and even enjoy—the simple but necessary act of washing our hands to protect…