A year ago, the largest concern that most soap and body wash marketers had was whether or not consumers would be willing to foot the bill for the industry's appealing, but sometimes more pricey, holiday offerings. This holiday season is very different. Recent national events and the war in Afghanistan have changed the picture considerably. It's no longer just the economy that is making consumers more cautious about spending; the actual act of visiting high-volume areas, such as shopping malls, seems far less appealing this holiday season. While attending public places and over-the-top spending have dwindled, safety and self-preservation have become top priorities, making cleanliness more important than ever. A widespread fear of disease—specifically, anthrax bacteria—has caused consumers to take a more serious look at cleansing, according to market leaders contacted by Happi. In response to a heightened awareness of hygiene, newer cleaning forms are being more readily explored, while antibacterial face and body cleansers are expected to spike in sales, according to industry experts. It's still too early to tell whether these new concerns have already affected soap sales. However, marketers believe that with increased consumer education, cleansing—especially hand-washing—is becoming a top priority for most. Liquid soap sales in food, drug and mass merchandiser stores rose 7.4% to $960 million, according to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Chicago. Bar soaps slipped 1.6% to $1.3 billion for the same time period, according to IRI. In the midst of new health and hygiene concerns, it is clear that citizens are more interested in small indulgences and self-pampering than ever before. This is an expansion on a general trend that has been building for years. It seems that now more than ever, consumers are seeking products that not only get them clean, but make them feel good. Many new soaps contain stress-relieving ingredients and fragrances, which could provide another lift to sales, according to most soap marketers contacted by Happi. Choices...and More Choices As reported last year in Happi, body washes have moved from an occasional use product to a habit for many consumers. Virtually all major marketers offer body washes and gels along with bars in their current SKUs. But consumers, rather than choosing one form, switch back and forth between both, and hand washes and sanitizers are also thrown into the mix. Industry leaders contend that body washes and gels are a growing category that has far from peaked. "Body washes will continue to grow because they, as a form, provide effective fragrance, good skin care delivery and good cleaning properties," predicted Tom Herrmann, director of corporate communications, Dial Corp., Scottsdale, AZ. Despite a difficult year, Dial was the No. 3 vendor nationwide in food, drug and mass merchandising locations for both liquid and bar soaps. Dial liquid soap ranked the No. 1 liquid at $110 million for the year ended Aug. 12, according to IRI. Dial bar soap, however, fell more than 10% to $154 million during the time period. Exploring washes and gels as opposed to the traditional bar soap was a departure for Dial when it introduced its Ultra Skin Care line in 1996. Since then, the company has made a name for itself in this segment, adding an opaque body wash and vitamin E-enriched lotion to its lineup and introducing scents that are on-trend with what consumers want. "Our body washes are growing in consumer acceptance, which is why Dial is now the No. 2 body wash manufacturer and the No. 3 body wash brand," Mr. Herrmann revealed. "Our formulas deliver great skin care with on-trend fragrances at an affordable price. Dial body washes bring together cleaning, skin care and fragrance." Recent body wash launches, including Dial Mountain Fresh and Tone Island Mist, have been successful, according to company executives. But Dial maintains that its bar soaps still have a strong association in the consumer mindset as a pure and healthy way to achieve cleanliness. Reformulations of its bars during the past two years has kept the longstanding brand up with the changing times, according to executives. Dial was also a pioneer in the hand-soap category. "Earlier in the year we launched Dial Complete, a revolutionary hand soap that has 10 times more effective germ kill than competing products," said Mr. Herrmann. "It is building up a very strong following based on the item's superior germ protection, mildness and clean rinsing attributes." Other restages for the company include Coast, which was upgraded in several key areas including lather and fragrance, and newer fragrances for Dial's traditional bar. "Our most popular item continues to be the Dial bar, driven by the brand's heritage in antibacterial protection and the continual updating of the line with new, appealing fragrances and packaging," Mr. Herrmann insisted. Tradition has held strong with other brand names as well. Last year, Dove took the lead in bar soaps, at $323 million in sales, according to IRI data. Dial, Lever, Irish Spring and Zest followed. In liquid soaps, Dial and Softsoap, two tried-and-true brand names, remained Nos. 1 and 2 at $110 million and $97 million, respectively. Colgate-Palmolive, the top liquid soap vendor at $180 million in annual sales, recently introduced Softsoap body wash in three scents: Juicy Melon, Orchard Fresh Peach and Fresh Picked Raspberry. The company also offers a line of Softsoap body washes with microbeads in Romance, with passion flower and wildberry scent; Relaxing, with lavender and chamomile fragrances; Nourishing, enriched with vitamin E and Hydrating, with aloe. Dove, which maintains it is a beauty bar rather than a soap, continues to be successful with its moisture-enriched bar. The bar is offered in White, Pink and Unscented as well as Sensitive Skin and Nutrium formulas. The brand has introduced a line of body washes in four varieties. All Day Moisturizing contains three moisturizers to hydrate, replenish and smooth skin. Sensitive Skin is the mildest sensitive-formula body wash available, according to the company. Nutrium replenishes essential nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. And Nutrium Age-Defying improves skin tone and texture so skin looks and feels younger. Colgate's Irish Spring bar soap has been updated during the past two years. In addition to the original bar's scent, Spring Fresh scented Irish Spring is now available. The brand also currently offers Sport, formulated to kill germs that cause body odors and Aloe, which holds moisture in so skin won't feel tight and dry after washing, according to company executives. Ivory bar soap—still in the top 10 after more than 120 years on store shelves—has such a pull with consumers that its history, ad campaigns and related artifacts are currently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, DC. Ivory's slogans, "It floats" and "99 44/100% pure," are two of the most recognizable slogans in U.S. advertising history, according to Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH. More than 5000 print, radio and television advertisements dating back to 1882 will be showcased. The display will be open to visitors through Dec. 31. The Best Defense Such adherence to tradition, along with nationwide concerns about contact induced illness, have brought many consumers back to