I didn’t care about what was in my laundry detergent or what it smelled like for years. Like most folks, I’d buy whatever brand was at my local Target and would call it a day, but now, I’m changing all that in a big way. I’ve recently found several nontoxic detergents that clean my clothes well and smell so good that I actually thought they were expensive designer fragrances. I now actively look forward to laundry day (it really is the little things in life). I’m also not one to gatekeeper either so I just had to share these incredible detergents that I’ve been using and loving lately. And that’s not all—I roped the rest of the Who What Wear beauty team into trying a few more luxury-scented detergents for research purposes (obviously). Trust us, use one of these detergents on your clothes, and I swear someone might think you’re wearing Le Labo. Keep scrolling and read all our thoughts on our faves!
Ouai’s recent detergent collaboration with DedCool is so good that it’s now sold out (sad face). Luckily, a few of us on the Who What Wear beauty team were able to snag it beforehand. I loved how fruity and floral it smells with notes of pink peppercorn, berry, lychee, rose, freesia, and jasmine. The brand advises using a little bit more of you like a stronger scent so I did as advised. The scent smells beautiful out of the bottle and it does leave a very light fragrance after, but I almost wish it lingered just a tad longer. “I love how this gives my clothes such a delicate, floral scent. It’s rosy but it’s not cloying, and it also happens to be the perfect compliment to any perfume I’m planning on wearing. Notes like pink peppercorn give it a spicy edge, so it’s like a complex perfume but for your clothes. ” — Katie Berohn, beauty editor. “I’ve been a fan of Ouai’s Melrose Place for the longest time, so I was more than excited to get my hands on this detergent. Just like the brand’s iconic fragrance, the detergent offers vibrant notes of lychee, peony, and red berries with a hint of pink peppercorn for some unexpected edge. Not only is the fragrance beyond enchanting, but it’s incredibly long lasting. If that sounds good to you, imagine how amazing you’ll smell wearing this fragranced laundry detergent with a spritz of the eponymous perfume.” — Maya Thomas, assistant beauty editor
“I cannot get over how much I love this detergent. If you were to ask me before trying this detergent if I would ever pay $45 to do my laundry, I would say that’s an insane question, but now….I’m not sure I can ever go back to Tide. Aqua Universalis is one of my all-time favorite summery fragrances and I always think about how it kind of reminds me of line-dried laundry. This detergent makes my clothes smell unreal, and it keeps them soft. Like fancy candles and nice sheets, this might be filed under my ‘important for self care purposes’ budget.” — Berohn
Key notes: Lemon, bergamot, white flower accord, light musks.
“I’m an absolute fiend for DedCool, and my L.A. apartment is essentially one big advertisement for the brand. You’ll find about four of the brand’s fragrances on top of my vanity, the room spray on my nightstand, the air freshener tucked into my closet, and this nontoxic detergent next to my laundry bin. Clearly, I cannot get enough. ‘Taunt’ (think bergamot, fresh dew, amber, vanilla, cassis, and flowers) was my gateway fragrance drug of choice when I was first introduced to and started wearing the brand, so it’s no surprise my obsession has now transferred to my laundry habit and linens as well. ” — Erin Jahns, beauty director
Key notes: Bergamot, cassis, vanilla, amber.
“If you logged into my Amazon account, you’d instantly see that this nontoxic, biodegradable laundry detergent from Dirty Labs is my most frequently purchased item. I’ve had bad luck with a lot of natural and environmentally-friendly detergents I’ve tried, as they just don’t seem to remove stains or get rid of odor as efficiently as the traditional formulas I grew up with. Not this one! Not only does this make your clothes and linens look and smell like new, but it also has the most luxurious scent which Team WWW has deemed almost identical to Le Labo.” — Jahns
This detergent smells so elegant and fresh. It has a strong floral scent to it (with notes of lavender) but also mixes in notes of pine, roesemary, sandalwood, and cedarwood that make it smell like an expensive fragrance. It’s light, floral, and airy—like many of Jo Malone’s offerings. Pick this one up and you’ll feel like you’ve doused yourself in a new perfume from the brand everywhere you go.
Key notes: French lavender, petitgrain, amber.
This was my go to detergent before I made the switch to cleaner alternatives. The scent is really uplifting, soft, and comforting with notes of lavender and vanilla bean. The fragrance is a bit strong on this one for my taste, so if you have sensitive skin or are just sensitive to fragrance in general, you may want to skip this one. But if you do like a scent that lingers and instantly calms you down, you’ll definitely want to give it a try. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of one of my favorite Liis fragrances, Bo. Bo is definitely a much woodier scent, but the sweet and warm notes of vanilla bean really stand out in both.
This detergent was my favorite of the bunch. It definitely worked the best in terms of lifting stains and odors from my workout clothes, but it was the scent that really kept me coming back for me. Although we’ve already established that Dirty Labs detergents smell like Le Labo fragrances, this one in particular reminded me of Le Labo’s Thé Matcha 26—one of my favorite offerings from the brand. The scent is subtle on your clothes after you use this one, but it’s definitely there. The notes of jasmine, matcha, and vetiver in the detergent leave a warm, floral, earthy aroma that’s so nice to bundle yourself in post-laundry day. Thé Matcha is definitely a tad more woody, but they both capture the scent of matcha in such a beautiful way. Who knew! Matcha isn’t just for drinking after all.
“There’s only one word that can describe the scent of this laundry detergent: warm. With notes of citrus, vanilla, and amber, it’s both cozy and uplifting.” — Kaitlyn McLintock, associate beauty editor
“This detergent intrigued me from the start thanks to its notes of clementine, gardenia, amber, and wild berries. The combination is floral and fruity yet grounded, which I appreciate (a sugary-sweet detergent just isn’t my vibe).” — McLintock
