Why Natural Soap & Deodorant Make Great Gifts Everyone Actually Uses
Last reviewed: October 2026
Candles. Bath bombs. Novelty socks. We've all given them and we've all received them. They sit at the back of a cupboard until somebody bins them in March.
Here's a gift that gets used within days: soap and deodorant. Everybody washes. Everybody (we hope) wears deodorant. Nobody has ever needed a fourth candle.
Below: what to buy, by who it's for. Then why it works. Want the full rundown? Read our Christmas gift guide.
What to buy, by who it's for
Every Essentials Kit is two soaps and one deodorant, and lasts around two months with daily use:
For him (£34): Early Doors Essentials (fresh, invigorating citrus), Day Off Essentials (woody, earthy, exotic) or Scrub Up Essentials (woody, suave, exotic). Add a shave serum with The Full Recovery Kit (£45), for anyone who shaves, face or head.
For the one who's always on the move (£34): Sports Day Essentials (clean, herbal and energising). For anyone who's worked their body, whether that's a run, the gym or the garden. You've earned a wash.
For her: Day Trip Essentials (fresh, citrus-bright, softly herbal) or Out Out Essentials (soft, floral, properly grown-up), £34 each. Or The Complete Set (£41), all four Smelly Women products.
For a teenage boy: Teen Spirit Essentials Kit (£34) is made for boys aged 10 to 14. The Full Kit (£45) adds a shampoo and conditioning bar. Older teenagers usually want something more grown-up, so go for Scrub Up or Day Off above.
For a couple (£63): The Couple's Day Out or The Couple's Night Out. Two Essentials Kits, one each.
Under £20: a Travel Kit (£17) for the gym bag or a weekend away. Handy for Secret Santa and thank-yous: Early Doors, Day Off or Scrub Up.
Why it works as a gift
They'll actually use it
Soap and deodorant aren't occasional. Nobody has to find the time, run a bath or light anything. It goes in the shower that week, and it's there every morning for around two months. They'll think of you each time, which is more than you can say for the socks.
It's a nicer version of what they'd buy themselves
It's a choice. They can carry on with cheap shower gel and they'll get clean. Ours just smells better, and there's no mystery artificial 'parfum' on the label, because every natural ingredient is listed by name.
The soap is cold-process, with the glycerine left in, made with olive, coconut and shea oils. It's a different thing from a cheap bar, and our bet is it's kinder to your skin. The soaps and deodorants are 100% natural, vegan and free of palm oil, and scented with essential oils.
It's easy to get right
No sizes, no returns, no wondering whether they already own one. Pick a scent (citrus, herbal, woody or floral) and you're done. The two soaps and the deodorant in each kit run out at around the same time, so you're not leaving anyone with a deodorant and no soap.
Nothing to peel off
Cardboard cartons, cardboard push-up tubes for the deodorant, paper labels. No plastic wrap, and nothing to untangle. We're a Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Champion, which is the badge for businesses that work to cut plastic out. Hand it over as it is, or wrap it if you're the wrapping type.
What if they've never used natural deodorant?
Ours is magnesium hydroxide and bicarbonate of soda, with no aluminium. If they're switching from an antiperspirant, their body can take a week or two to settle. After that, most people don't look back.
Good for most occasions
Birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day, housewarmings, thank-yous, Secret Santa, and the 'just because' that's too small to be weird. Try that with a candle.
Shop gifts
Jump straight to a kit above, or read the full Christmas gift guide. Standard UK delivery is 48 hour Royal Mail Tracked, and it's free when you spend £30 or more. There's a next working day option too.
