Sydney Sweeney’s Bathwater Soap Is Peak Celebrity Parasocial Weirdness

When rumors swirled that Sydney Sweeney had bottled her bathwater, the internet flipped its collective lid. Then Dr. Squatch confirmed the gossip with Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss, a 5,000-bar drop that sold out at light speed. The stunt wasn’t just clickbait—it came wrapped in clean-beauty bona fides and a mission to make men read ingredient lists for once.

But after the hype settled, things got a little…weird.

The viral launch: marketing gold?

John Ludeke, Dr. Squatch’s SVP of global marketing, summed up the brand’s thinking: “We thrive on ideas that make you laugh and encourage you to pay attention to the ingredients in your personal care products…What better way for guys to pay more attention to what’s in their bar soap than by making Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater a key ingredient?”

Mission accomplished—memes exploded, carts emptied, and suddenly guys were learning that sand and pine-bark extract beat mystery chemicals any day.

Sweeney herself knows how this sounds: “When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it, or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap…It’s weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that’s not just unforgettable, it actually smells incredible and delivers like every other Dr. Squatch product I love.”

What’s really in the Sydney Sweeney soap

Per Dr. Squatch, the soap’s fragrance blends pine, Douglas fir, and earthy moss—an olfactory postcard from Sweeney’s Washington roots. Toss in sand for gentle exfoliation and pine-bark antioxidants, and it sounds like a bar of soap that could be found at Erewhon. Early buyers raved about its “fresh forest” vibe—perfect for anyone who wishes their shower had a skylight and view of Mount Rainier.

People have mixed reviews about the actual scent

Fast-forward a few weeks, and Reddit tells a different story. Complaints range from “This bath water is just a whole next level weird and tbh gross,” to the particular brutal “Fecal matter grit.” Does the backlash remind anyone else of Gwyneth Paltow’s infamous vagina candle?

Turns out the brand took “you smell like outside” a bit too literally—because in its original form, the statement is not a compliment. What’s more, pine fragrances can feel comforting around Christmas, but post-workout in July? Hard pass for some noses. Anyone who prefers creamy vanilla or clean-cotton profiles are left clutching their pearls—and their air fresheners. Moral of the story: A signature scent is personal. Just because Sydney Sweeney is attached doesn’t mean your partner wants to snuggle a walking Douglas fir all year long.

Still, Reddit users are reporting that Sweeney’s soap is currently reselling for $300 to $1,000 a bar…which brings us to our next point.

Parasocial suds and the male loneliness epidemic

Let’s address the elephant in the shower: Buying soap laced with a celebrity’s bathwater feeds into the same parasocial beast that keeps Cameo-type apps thriving. Men (and women) forge one-way “friendships” with stars, hoping proximity—via merch, DMs, or novelty soap—will scratch a social itch. But experts keep sounding alarms about the male loneliness epidemic: fewer IRL connections, more isolation, and skyrocketing mental-health struggles.

So what does Sydney Sweeney’s soap really say about all of us? For fans, Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss is a collectible, a conversation starter, and a legitimately clean-beauty bar all rolled into one. It proves Sydney Sweeney can alchemize internet jokes into products that both entertain and exfoliate. Yet, the mixed scent reviews were inevitable because the product was never really about soap. It’s about marketing, and at the end of the day when the novelty wears off, we’re reminded that 1) people can be pretty strange, and 2) parasocial fantasies can’t substitute authentic human connection.

If you snagged a bar, enjoy the forest-fresh vibes. But, just maybe, pair it with a reality check. And for everyone else: Stop being so weird about it!