Designer bags are expensive. So some people are buying luxe hand soap instead.

The appeal of super-expensive suds

Emma, a 23-year-old perfumery student and content creator, first dipped her hands into expensive soap while shopping for Dior products in Montreal.

“I remember wanting to bring something home, but I didn’t want to spend so much money,” she told Business Insider.

On a whim, she purchased a green liquid soap called Lucky, which she felt had an “entry-level pricepoint” for a Dior item. A bottle costs $70.

Emma loved it instantly, especially since friends regularly complimented the soap whenever they used her bathroom.

Once the bottle was emptied a few weeks later, Emma said she and her friends asked each other: “OK, what are we going to try next?”

“My budget was small because I was a student, but I felt that a luxury soap was a way for me to dip my toes into this world that I wanted to be part of,” she told BI.

Now, luxe soaps are a staple of her home. Byredo’s $70 bottles and Jo Malone London’s $65 soaps are her favorites.

“You’re just washing your hands. It’s a simple act,” she said. “But to do it with a soap that smells wonderful, lathers beautifully, and comes in an aesthetically pleasing bottle — it’s just a way to elevate an everyday experience.”

Expensive soap is also a luxury that can be shared, unlike designer accessories, which are often worn by one and admired by others.

“There’s a community element to luxury soap,” Emma told BI. “It feels like I’m not just doing it for me. I’m doing it to enjoy with my roommates. It becomes a point of conversation.”

So yes, buying luxury soap might seem to some like you’re washing money down the drain. To others, the pricey products are a step toward luxury.