Sydney Sweeney Calls Out Netizens Who Mocked Her Bathwater Soap but Loved Jacob Elordi's Bathwater Candle

In a daring mix of humour and insight, Sydney Sweeney has highlighted a striking gender double standard in the public reaction to her novelty bathwater soap.

Sweeney's limited-edition soap, 'Sydney's Bathwater Bliss', made with her own used bathwater in collaboration with Dr Squatch, debuted in May 2025, selling out almost instantly. While the soap, infused with exfoliating sand, pine bark extract and an outdoorsy scent, provoked sharp criticism online, the response from netizens revealed an ironic twist.

Sweeney observed that many of her female critics had reacted differently to a playful nod to actor Jacob Elordi's infamous bathwater scene from Saltburn. She called the contrast 'really interesting'.

Novelty Meets Controversy

The soap was presented with tongue firmly in cheek, marketed mercilessly at men, complete with 'morning wood' scent and a certificate of authenticity confirming its source.

Sweeney described the idea as 'weird in the best way' and relished the conversation it generated.

The attention wasn't just shock value: it was strategy. 'I think it's important to have a finger on the pulse of what people are saying. Because everything is a conversation with the audience', she told The Wall Street Journal.

A Hypocrisy Unveiled

What puzzled her most, however, was the source of the backlash: she noted it was 'mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting. They all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi's bathwater.'

That reference points to Saltburn (2023), in which Elordi's character has a bathtub moment that inspired fans to create a 'Bathwater Candle' as gag merchandise. That candle drew far more positive and less gendered reactions.

By comparing the two responses, Sweeney illuminated a gendered double standard: provocative novelty from a male figure was treated as edgy or humorous, while the female counterpart was deemed distasteful.

Calculated Playfulness, Not Desperation

Make no mistake, it wasn't a gimmick born of desperation. Dr Squatch, now under Unilever's umbrella, rolled out the soap as a playful strategy, and it worked. The product smashed expectations and showcased Sweeney's grasp of entertainment culture.

She said her stake, whether equity or endorsement, is undisclosed, but her approach is clearly strategic and unapologetic.

Resonating with Cultural Commentary

The episode speaks to bigger conversations about celebrity, commodification and sexism in our digital age. Sweeney isn't shy about embracing attention, even when it cuts both ways.

After the soap uproar, she also became embroiled in a debate over an American Eagle ad campaign that leaned on a pun: 'great jeans/genes', which some interpreted as eugenicist. The tagline sparked further uproar, though the brand clarified it was just about denim. Sweeney declined to comment further.

Her handling of both controversies suggests she's not afraid to court the furthest edges of virality, and she knows how to ride the wave.

A Mirror Held to Audience Bias

Sydney Sweeney's 'Bathwater Bliss' wasn't just a novelty product but a litmus test. Her observation that female critics were more scathing than others flips the script, challenging us all to examine how gender influences disdain or delight in cultural stunts.

In mocking the mockery, she forced a reflection on ourselves: why is similar provocation deemed clever or scandalous depending solely on who performs it?