Soap Opera

Here's a spring cleaning tip: Instead of filling your shower and bathroom cabinet with countless bottles of creams and lotions, why not raise the bar? You may have abandoned soap years ago, but know that those basic, moisture-sucking tablets of yore have evolved. Take, for example, LAFCO's Amber Black Vanilla. Milled with almond oil, it makes for a great body wash, but it's also soft enough to use on your face. Other soaps contain charcoal (Binchotan) or Dead Sea minerals (Erno Laszlo) to treat blemishes and excessive shine, as well as fatty acids to restore the pH of your skin. Added bonus: These colorful marvels also bring a little drama to your boring old sink. Now, that's something to sing about.

Clockwise from top left: Charcoal facial soap by Binchotan, 3.2 oz., $29, available at Fellow Barber; Amber Black Vanilla soap by LAFCO, 4.5 oz., $11; Oud Wood bath soap by Tom Ford, 5.2 oz., $35; Oil-Control facial cleansing bar by Erno Lazslo, 5.3 oz., $45; Ultimate Man Body Scrub soap by Kiehl's, 7 oz., $15; Eau de Campagne body cleansing bar by Sisley, $3.5 oz., $40.

Photography by Shana Novak