When did soap become such an opera? There are so many micro-beads and unpronounceable emollients floating about in our creams, milks and mousses these days that it’s no wonder we keep getting ourselves into a lather. Our showers are busy with bottles, our skin is weary with scrubbing and our bathroom cabinets barely close.

And that got us thinking. What’s wrong with a simpler soap? In a world clogged up with detoxifying gels and 7-in-1 washes, why can’t we go back to basic bars? Because, as it turns out, the old way isn’t half bad. Bars of soap, you’ll find, are considerably cleaner than liquid soaps when it comes to their environmental credentials — and they’ll make more of a ritual of your early morning ablutions than any pump-action, brashly scented stuff ever could.

And then there’s the way they look; handsome little pearls of colour, each more intricately designed and delicately scented than the last. Just take a look below, where we’ve rounded up our very favourites. Rub-a-dub-dub, gents. We do believe the bar’s back.

They may not be the most inspiring soaps to look at, but if you buy a bar from your favourite perfumer, you’ll enjoy a welcome waft of your chosen aftershave before you step anywhere near your spritzer. From Floris, this Elite Luxury Soaps pack flits from Bergamot to Lavender to Oakmoss. Creed’s offering is equally aromatic; imbued with the brand’s iconic Green Irish Tweed scent. Or, from Malin + Goetz, this unassuming bar fizzes with peppermint — a scent which typifies the brand’s fresh, vibrant approach to grooming.