Battle of the soap stars

Shower gels infused with essential oils

A gel with a difference

This indie platform offers an assortment of shower gels infused with essential oils to make your showers more invigorating or relaxing, depending on the blend you choose. Their products are vegan and paraben-free, and come with purported aromatherapy benefits. We tested a few of their gels and were pleased with the light, non-tacky texture. The gel foams easily when used with a loofah (our preferred manner of using liquid bath products), and is easy to spread and rinse off. To our relief, we found the fragrance component more refreshing than cloying, and the gel was an effective cleanser without leaving our skin feeling parched. The gel comes in transparent, sturdy plastic packaging and while we appreciated the robustness and the sleek design, we do think that luxury in today's world cannot coexist without regard for environmental impact and sustainability, in all aspects of a product's design. And so, we hope the makers will offer greener options going forward. We also appreciated the unusual aroma combinations - we felt that the sage and cedarwood blend works well at the end of a long day, while the orange and basil combo is well-suited for a hot summer's day. At Rs 675 a bottle, these are a pricey pick.
Log on to: squishtown.com

Hydrating soap bar

Raising the bathing bar

You can tell that a brand takes its mindful positioning quite seriously when the packaging comes with a Maya Angelou quote. And mindfulness and self-care are exactly what Meraki Essentials espouse, with their luxury handmade soaps that are infused with essential oils. At first impression, we were taken in by their high-quality, all-paper packaging. The makers claim that the soap has been made using fair trade practices, and is vegan and cruelty-free. We were also pleased to note that we could recognise every ingredient in the relatively short list. We tested the hydrating version (Rs 595), which contains geranium, palmarosa and bergamot mint essential oils. The soap is delicately fragranced and much of that scent doesn't carry into the actual application, which will appeal to those with very sensitive skin types. Although the bar appears quite waxy, it lathers very quickly and ensures a smooth application - our relatively dry skin felt cleansed and suitably hydrated. The bar's consistency will ensure that it retains its shape for a reasonable duration, provided you take care to drain and dry it after every wash.
Log on to: merakiessentials.com