Scents of place: Indulge in a little escapism with these soaps

Remember “Calgon, take me away!” — that iconic ’70s-era ad campaign for escapist bathers? Retro slogans aside, soap can indeed carry your senses to another place. Here are five pleasantly fragranced bars to remind you of past travels or conjure future trips to come.

If you’re dreaming of a European countryside

Take a trip to French gardens with Sade Baron’s La Rose soap, subtly scented like roses. The Canadian brand’s marbled bar is made with pink clay powder to gently cleanse and detoxify skin, while superfats like coconut and rice bran oils work to hydrate.

Sade Baron La Rose French Pink Clay Bar Soap, $18, sadebaron.com

If you’d rather be anywhere but here

Portugal’s swanky Claus Porto knows how to make a covetable soap. The bars in this Art Deco-inspired set play to (almost) all of your senses: The vibrant packaging is a joy to look at, nourishing shea oil lathers up to create a luxurious foam, and the scents of lime, basil and red poppy are so aromatic, you may forget where you actually are.

Claus Porto Deco Soaps Gift Box, $78, holtrenfrew.com

If you miss your favourite spa

For their handmade cold-pressed soaps, Vancouver’s Obakki turned to women entrepreneurs in Africa to source natural ingredients. Create an at-home spa atmosphere with this set of small-batch bars, which come in assorted soothing fragrances and address different skin care concerns. The marula oil and black clay soap revitalizes, for example, while the sage-green bar with avocado purifies.

Obakki The Soap Collection, $95, obakki.com

If you love the great outdoors

The new Toronto-based soap company Maple & Lather looked to home for scent inspiration for their Northern Mint bar. Triple-milled in Provence, France, the shea butter soap contains lively lemongrass and exfoliating peppermint flakes that will perk you up and evoke all the freshness of a brisk day in Canada.

Maple & Lather Northern Mint Soap, $19, mapleandlather.com

If you want to feel sand between your toes

Beach lovers can find a small joy in Lush’s Brazilian-inspired Sandstone soap, made with an actual layer of exfoliating sand, along with herbal litsea cubeba oil to tone and leave skin soft. It’s also scented with a delightful mix of citrus for a truly tropical vibe.

Lush Sandstone Bar Soap, $8, lush.ca