A little Q & A today: “I’m buying these soaps as gifts and I’m not sure what scent they like. What are your most popular scents? Can you help me?”

I can certainly try to help. Scent is an individual thing, and everybody has their quirks, but don’t let that stop you from buying scented gifts. Often you can get it right on the button. Or even close enough. Sometimes you might be introducing them to a new fave they didn’t even know about. And on the rare occasion that it’s a miss, what’s the worst thing that could happen? They don’t like the scent and maybe give it to someone else to use? Sharing is caring, right? Not such a bad thing. They still understood your good intentions. Which is another topic for next week. What giving the gift of soap really means (and it’s NOT “you stink”).

But for today, we’re going to stick to picking out scents. Unless you happen to know your chosen person’s particular favorites, then it’s best to steer towards the most popular ones, right? Math and averages are on your side when you go with fragrances that more people choose on a regular basis. My very best selling scent, day in and day out, for men and women, is the Lavender & Lemongrass. It's fresh, lemony, and not floral.

The next tier of soaps, for most women, is Oatmeal & Goat Milk, French Lavender, and Vanilla Bean & Honey, or the new winter seasonal scent, Flannel Jammies. All of them are pretty traditional, soft, gentle and good for even the most sensitive skin.

If you are choosing for people who are a little more outdoorsy, garden types, or lean towards more natural type things, then the Lemon Ginger Carrot, Moroccan Fig, Lavender Pear, or the new winter seasonal, Through the Woods are big hits. Bergamot Shea is gender neutral, quite mild, yet extra gentle for people with sensitivities.

For men, Cedar Musk or Sandalwood are tops. Tea Tree & Blue Clay or the Clove Mint are big hits also. And the Breakfast soap is almost always a fave too – men love both the strong spice scent, plus the extra scrubbing texture in the shower. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the new winter scents: Through the Woods or Frankincense & Myrrh.

For young children, the Clove Mint is fun. For girls, they like the Vanilla Bean & Honey or the Oatmeal soap. Teens – well, they’re harder to predict, right? Mostly the boys go for the Tea Tree, the girls Lavender & Lemongrass.

And if you’re shopping for people who love spices and all things holiday, festive and traditional, don’t forget our autumn scents of Pumpkin Cinnamon, Cranberry Harvest, Apple Spice or even Vanilla Pear. All of them have been very popular and much loved this time of year.

Hope this helps you decipher the menu a little bit while you pick out scents for those hard-to-shop-for folks on your list. And if you need more help to choose the perfect scent or item, have more questions or just need advice of any kind. Don’t hesitate to get in touch!

How to choose the perfect soap for someone else