Sniff Sniff Hooray! Softsoap Releases Holiday-Themed Scentsations Liquid Hand Soaps
For some bewildering reason, liquid hand soaps are a subject of much debate in my household. My 8-year-old son, of course, adores anything that even remotely smells like candy — in fact, if there were a Skittles- or Sour Patch Kids-scented soap, he’d probably implore me to buy it by the case. My boyfriend, meanwhile, winces and groans when any hand soap smells even remotely sweet. Any confection-based scent will send him into a blinding range, but even watermelon, orange, and lemon scents can feel overly saccharine to him, so that he much prefers herbal or earthy scents like basil, clove, rosemary, or even olive oil and green tea. As for myself, my tastes lie somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, so that I can appreciate a soap that smells like pumpkin pie or gingerbread while also recognizing the brilliance of an earthier, tangier fragrance like fig or pine.
Given the controversial nature of hand soaps in my household, then, I was eager to hear what everyone had to say about the new, limited-edition, holiday-themed Softsoap Scentsations Liquid Hand Soaps ($2.99 each at Walmart stores), The collection includes three scents: Wintermint Wonderland, a white liquid soap in a bottle featuring a festive label with snowflakes floating against a blue sky and clusters of round mints positioned along the bottom tip; Enchanting Sugar Plum, a purple soap with a similar label that again features playful snowflakes and oversized plum fruits in lieu of the mints in the aforementioned soaps; and Spiced Berry Bliss, a magenta-colored soap with a label featuring — you guessed it—snowflakes, alongside mountains of red apples and cinnamon sticks nestled in their midst.
My son and I both adored the Softsoap Scentsations Spiced Berry Bliss hand soap, which is said to feature a warm cinnamon spice aroma but which in my opinion, is more reminiscent of spice gum drops. Every time I watched my hands, I felt like making a gingerbread house — proof positive that this scent is ideal for the holiday season. As for my son, he was practically making up excuses to go wash his hands — and,if you’re a mother of a rowdy boy, then you know this is nothing to complain about! The boyfriend, in typical form, wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about this scent but, then, this is a man who can’t appreciate the joys of tiramisu (yes, he’s a weirdo and I love him! ha!),.
That being said, the Softsoap Scentsations Wintermint Wonderland was probably the most universally accepted. As the name implies, the soap has a minty aroma, but it’s crisp and just the slightest bit sweet so that your hands won’t be left smelling like toothpaste. The difference is, of course, the use of wintermint instead of the traditional spearmint or peppermint, as wintermint boasts a slightly sweeter yet woodier aroma. Everyone in the family was pleased with this scent, and the red pump dispenser, pearly white soap, and snowy landscape depicted on the label all help to infuse our bathroom with some Christmas spirit. All you need is some decorative hand towels and maybe a Frosty the Snowman-shaped tissue holder and your bathroom will be ready for a holiday shindig.
As for the Enchanting Sugar Plum soap, this was my my boyfriend’s aromatic kryptonite. My son, meanwhile, wasn’t revolted by it, but he wasn’t nearly as excited about it as he was the previous scents. Like my boyfriend, I didn’t care for this fragrance too much as its sweetness was so overpowering that it felt nauseating. To me, the soap smelled like grape Dimetapp mixed with a touch of raspberry-flavored cough syrup. The plum aroma was lost under the weight of the other notes in the fragrance composition, all of which worked to create a scent that felt artificially sweet.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed the Spiced Berry Bliss and Wintermint Wonderland hand soaps and would recommend these as either fun trappings to give your home a holiday twist or even as cute stocking stuffers.
These soaps are only in stores through the end of December so get them while you can!
