Every year seems to bring a new superfood, a new skincare ingredient or a new wellness trend. Some disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. Others become wildly popular for a season before quietly fading into the background. But every so often, an ingredient does something much rarer. It remains.

There was a time when I thought a “good” bar of soap came down to scent. If it smelled clean or lightly floral, that was enough. But the more attention I’ve paid over the years — to ingredients in the kitchen, to what I use on my skin and to how those choices actually feel — the more I’ve realized that scent is only a small part of the experience.