Try This: Facial Cleansing Bars

The idea of cleansing your face with a bar of soap might seem like a practice reserved for those who don’t know any better when it comes to properly taking care of their skin. Bar soaps are known to be harsh and extremely drying for the skin, and to contain barely, if at all, any skincare ingredients – we wouldn’t ever recommend washing your face with them.

But that was before we were made aware of the existence of luxury facial bar soaps. Within that lesser-known category, New York skincare brand Erno Laszlo has to be the authority. The brand is the namesake of the Hungary-born dermatologist who treated the skin of classic Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe – Dr. Laszlo was obviously the go-to guy among the biggest stars of that era – and today, it specialises in what it calls “bespoke skincare”: a skincare ritual that’s crafted to be especially precise to meet individual needs.
The range of Cleansing Bars embodies that, with five different types currently available. It all started from the Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar, the iconic charcoal-based cleanser that serves a detoxifying purpose, by gently exfoliating the skin and ridding it of dead skin cells and other impurities. After it came the Phelityl Cleansing Bar for hydration (Phelityl is Erno Laszlo’s proprietary moisturising complex); the Firmarine Face Bar for, as it name indicates, lifting and firming; the White Marble Treatment Bar for brightening; and the Oil-Control Cleansing Bar to keep oily-prone skin matte.
 
 
phelitylwhite marbleoil controlfirmarine
Why, then, should you bother giving these cleansing bars a shot? Erno Laszlo’s versions are undoubtedly luxurious, so we suggest investing in them if you don’t mind switching up your cleansing routine a bit, with a higher-quality formulation. And yes, we know you’re wondering about the hygiene aspect – we suggest storing cleansing bars in a dish with perforations on the bottom, to keep the bar from soaking in a pool of dirty water (ugh). Do also remember to give it a good rinse before each use.
 
Erno Laszlo Cleansing Bars, $70 each. Available at selected SELECTIV’ by Sasa and Sasa stores. Main image: ernolaszlo.com