Body soap/shower gel suggestions

July 23, 2006 3:11 AM

Suggestions for body soap and shower gel for a man in the UK and U.S.?

I used to use Lever 2000, which garnered compliments from girlfriends, but my supply has run out, and I don't think I can source it easily in the UK. Which soaps do you like or think smell good on a man?

I'm asking especially about the UK, but I'll be back in the U.S. one day as well, so I will also take advice there. Thanks!

posted by grouse to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

for shower gel try anything from the molten brown range.

their pepper shower gel always seems to score highly with the opposite sex.

for some reason link box aint here so copy and paste time!! http://www.mankind.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=21630

it is always in man kinds top 10 best sellers!
posted by moochoo at 3:41 AM on July 23, 2006

Good ol' Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap is very reasonably priced, great for your skin, and readily available in the UK... And it makes you smell deliciously minty.

I think I'll go have a wash.
posted by lucidreamstate at 6:25 AM on July 23, 2006

I use Axe for my body wash, antiperspirant, and body spray. They may the same scent for all three so there is no weird scent clashing/mixing. It seems to be the only scented products of these types for men that don't make her gag.
posted by ChazB at 6:43 AM on July 23, 2006

I second Axe (I like the "Essence" scent and get compliments on it). As a bonus, according to the commercials, it will help you sleep with unicorns! Oh, and beautiful women.
posted by notnamed at 6:50 AM on July 23, 2006

Lush have several products for men, most of which do not smell of swinging hippie. I'd recommend picking up a catalog before you go into the store; your sense of smell doesn't last long in there, so it's good to have an idea of the products you want to check out before you get there.
posted by bink at 7:02 AM on July 23, 2006

I would suggest:

1) Anything from Lush. Try and stick to the less flowery stuff, but seriously--you can't go wrong with Lush products. I'd especially recommend any of the frozen shower gels.

2) Ditto anything from The Body Shop. I'd especially recommend (for men) anything in Activist or Oceanus scents.

3) Seriously, go with either of those.

4) If you must use a bar of soap, go with Dove or Ivory, the plain ones. Few things smell as fresh and clean on a man as good old soap. And on that note, I'd suggest finding a local outlet of Caban, and getting their French Milled Soap cologne.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:05 AM on July 23, 2006

Bath & Body Works' Eucalyptus Spearmint wash is what I use. It's light and herbal and refreshing, not the least bit "girly" or "hippie"
posted by briank at 7:28 AM on July 23, 2006

Note that many Axe products are available in the UK too, where they're branded as Lynx.

Only go into Lush with a woman, or you'll look crazy. Also, hold your breath, I can barely breathe in that place!
posted by wackybrit at 7:41 AM on July 23, 2006

wackybrit writes "Only go into Lush with a woman, or you'll look crazy."

And what does that mean, exactly?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:21 AM on July 23, 2006

Drugstore.com has some sort of partnership with Comerxia to allow people to order non-prescription items for shipment to a number of international places, including the UK. If you really prefer that scent, you can still have it. :) Explanation here .
posted by Meep! Eek! at 11:29 AM on July 23, 2006

I am amused by the idea that you would ever choose soaps/gels based on the scent, not least because it restricts your options. I use soap to clean myself -- I prefer non-scented soapless gels with a mild, skin-friendly pH with some built-in moisturizer -- then a non-scented under-arm deodorant, and finish with a good eau de toilette perfume.

People actually wear Axe? Yuck.
posted by gentle at 12:43 PM on July 23, 2006

I use Axe Snake Peel, too. The Mrs. loves it.
posted by jonmc at 2:23 PM on July 23, 2006

Thirding (fourthing?) Lush, particularly Demon in the Dark soap. It's very minty, and smells great on pretty much everyone.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:15 PM on July 23, 2006

If you're ok with actually using a bar of soap then I'd recomend Roger and Gallet especially the "woody" scented ones, for a man.

They don't have pricing on their website, but they're not very very expensive and most dept stores will have a decent range.
posted by selton at 3:29 PM on July 23, 2006

Have to side with gentle on this one. I prefer men who smell like themselves, just so long as it's a ~clean~ self.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 7:39 PM on July 23, 2006

You mentioned Lever 2000 in your question --- I have to warn you that The Body Shop and Lush are far beyond the price range of Lever 2000.

So, in case you were looking for something in Lever's price range, I'd second Dr. Bronner's. It's available as a concentrated solution that you dilute in your own bottles at home. It ends up costing pennies, because if you do enjoy The Body Shop or Lush, it'll cost you.
posted by Pocahontas at 8:06 AM on July 27, 2006

Response by poster: I tried the Demon in the Dark, and discovered that I don't really like smelling like peppermint.
posted by grouse at 1:07 PM on August 17, 2006