ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) has been taking social media by storm for a while. For some people cutting items just for fun can be seen as waste. Still, others find it highly satisfying, including mom-to-be Britney Spears, who has been enjoying and resharing them on her Instagram account.

Nada Ward, the founder of sustainable body bar brand Beauty Kin, shared with HOLA! USA why the phenomenon of soap cutting is so widespread on social media, and why Britney’s new obsession is a positive move in encouraging consumers to ditch unnecessary plastic bottles of soap and embrace solid bars once more.

“The hashtag #soapcutting has more than 934k posts on Instagram, and videos featuring the terms have a whopping 1.5 BILLION views over on TikTok, so to call this ASMR trend anything less than a viral phenomenon would be an understatement,” Ward said.

“Of course, the undeniable pull and power of a cultural icon like Ms. Britney Spears will no doubt spur a significant amount of people to discover and explore whether or not they themselves are partial to watching soap ASMR videos,” the expert noted.

According to Nada, these types of videos and sounds make people feel relaxed. “Of the many that enjoy watching the vast array of soap cutting videos available on social platforms, many feel relaxed or even feelings of ‘pleasure or tingling sensations in the head’ from consuming the content,” Ward explains. “While others clearly use the videos as a way to escape the often chaotic posts associated with Instagram and TikTok, and welcome the calming simplicity of nothing more than a bar of soap being expertly diced and sliced.”

The business owner said that although they built a brand to offer beauty solutions to clients, they appreciate some of the benefits of ASMR. “Here at Beauty Kin, I have spent the last few years building a brand that offers solid bars created as an alternative to liquid bath and body products,” Nada says. “The products contain all active ingredients and have been designed to simply solve common beauty problems and provide a solution to particular skin issues. The core line comprises a Hydrating Body Bar, Clarifying Body Bar, Exfoliating Body Bar, and Shaving Bar.”

“While I don’t particularly encourage or agree with the use of cutting up and effectively destroying solid bars of soap, I do appreciate that this ASMR trend is shining a light on the multiple sustainable benefits of switching to solid bars,” Ward noted. “Our products use 70% less water to manufacture than gels and are also vegan, cruelty-free, and any palm oil used is RSPO certified. So Britney, if you’re reading this and need a new bar to test out some ASMR on - you know where to find us!”