The Laundress x Le Labo detergent (the Santal 33 and Rose 31 bottles people obsessed over) was discontinued after The Laundress recalled nearly its entire lineup in November 2022, and it has not returned.
Sealed bottles still turn up on resale sites at marked-up prices, but the official Le Labo detergent collab is out of production, and the brand relaunched with new in-house fragrances. Per Harper's Bazaar, the November 2022 recall swept nearly every Laundress product, including the Le Labo collaboration and baby detergent, and the Le Labo partnership hasn't returned since the brand's relaunch.
Key takeaways
- The Laundress x Le Labo collab (Santal 33, Rose 31) was pulled during the 2022 recall and has not been reissued.
- Resale bottles appear on Amazon, eBay, and specialty retailers at 2 to 4 times the original retail price, often without clear batch dates.
- The Laundress's Soft Focus Laundry Detergent is the official successor, marketed as a fragrance experience crafted by a perfumer. Testers on r/laundry report it reads lighter and more powdery than the Le Labo original (r/laundry thread).
- Indie perfumer luxury laundry detergent brands (Mozi Wash Golden Hour, Domenica Luxury Laundry Liquid) are now the serious Santal 33 chase, with Domenica explicitly marketing their liquid as a sophisticated alternative to the discontinued collab (Domenica Formulations).
Where Can You Buy Le Labo Laundry Detergent?
There's only resale. The Laundress no longer sells the Le Labo collab on its own site, and no new stock is being produced.
Sealed bottles still surface in three places, with caveats that matter.
| Channel | Price range (33.3 oz) | Authenticity risk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon third-party | $120–$220 | Medium | Fastest shipping, visible return policy |
| The Nordic Home / boutique resellers | $90–$180 | Low | Trusted stock, but sells out fast |
| eBay, Mercari, estate finds | $55–$200 | High | Patient buyers hunting MSRP |
Amazon third-party listings. Search "The Laundress Le Labo Santal 33 Signature Detergent," and you will see a rotating cast of third-party sellers. Prices range from $120-$220 for a 33.3 oz bottle that originally retailed around $55.
Filter for sellers with return policies and recent reviews. Avoid listings that will not show a batch code photo.
The Nordic Home and specialty resellers. Boutique retailers that stocked the collab in 2021 and 2022 sometimes list remaining inventory. The Nordic Home has carried the Santal 33 bottle on and off. Shipping and authenticity are usually solid, but stock disappears fast.
eBay, Mercari, and estate finds. Estate and influencer destash listings are the wild card. If you're patient, you can score an unopened bottle for closer to original MSRP. You can also get a recalled 2022 bottle, so this channel needs the most homework.
Red flags. Any bottle without a visible batch code is a pass. The 2022 CPSC recall covered units potentially contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella aerogenes, and Pseudomonas species. Counterfeits also exist, with off-register labels, thinner plastic, and a scent that leans synthetic woody rather than the real ambrox-sandalwood warmth.
Why Is Le Labo Detergent So Hard to Find?
In November 2022, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of roughly 8 million units of The Laundress products over possible bacterial contamination. The brand went dark for months. When it returned, it did so cautiously, with a reformulated core line and new in-house fragrances.
The Le Labo partnership did not return. Harper's Bazaar reported the recall covered nearly every product The Laundress made, including the Le Labo collaboration and the baby detergent, and the brand hasn't reissued the collab since.
The flagship successor is Soft Focus Laundry Detergent, which the brand describes as a perfumer-crafted formula with long-wearing fragrance sillage. It is a genuinely nice product. It is not Santal 33 in a bottle, and reviewers on Reddit's r/laundry community have been pretty clear about that.
What Famous Le Labo Scent Are You Chasing?
Before you buy any dupe, know what you are matching. According to Le Labo Fragrances, Santal 33 is built on cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox, leather, and sandalwood.
The signature is not just "woody." It is the ambrox-sandalwood heart with a leather smokiness that reads unisex and slightly animalic.
If a Santal 33 dupe detergent lists only cedarwood or a generic "sandalwood scent," it will fall short. The ambrox backbone is what makes the fragrance feel expensive and modern.
The leather note is what makes it recognizable from across a room. For a deeper look at how fine fragrance houses translate to laundry, the engineering gap between perfumery and laundry chemistry is bigger than most buyers realize.
Rose 31, for pink-bottle fans, is a different animal. Rose, cumin, cedar, olibanum, oud, and musk.
It is a spicy, savory rose, not a sweet one. Most "rose detergent" options on the market lean floral candy and miss the cumin bite entirely.
What Detergent Smells Like Le Labo Santal 33?
Mozi Wash Golden Hour is the closest Santal 33 dupe because it's the only option on this list built around an ambrox-sandalwood backbone instead of generic cedar. Domenica Luxury Laundry Liquid is the close second. Here is the honest scorecard — scent match rated 1-10 against Santal 33 specifically, not against generic "luxury laundry."
| Product | Scent match (1–10) | Longevity | Price per load | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozi Wash Golden Hour | 8 | 5-7 days | ~$0.90 | moziwash.com |
| The Laundress Soft Focus (White Santal) | 6 | 3-5 days | ~$0.70 | thelaundress.com |
| Domenica Luxury Laundry Liquid | 8 | 4-6 days | ~$1.20 | domenicaformulations.com |
| Snif Old Money | 5 | 3-4 days | ~$0.80 | snif.co |
| Laundry Sauce (Platinum) | 4 | 4-5 days | ~$1.10 | laundrysauce.com |
Mozi Wash Golden Hour leans into warm sandalwood and amber with the ambrox backbone that most dupes miss. It was formulated in the gap the Le Labo collab left behind.
If you loved Santal 33 for the warm, slightly leathery sillage on cotton sheets, this is the closest I have tested. Browse the full perfume-inspired detergent lineup for scent families beyond Santal.
The Laundress Soft Focus (White Santal) is the official branded successor. It is lighter, powdery, cleaner.
Think "laundered white tee" more than "cashmere sweater at a hotel bar." Good product, wrong vibe for Santal 33 loyalists. The Laundress's original Signature Detergent (the classic blue bottle) is still around too, if you want the brand's foundational scent rather than a Le Labo stand-in.
Domenica Luxury Laundry Liquid is an indie perfumer play out of a small US formulator. Domenica openly markets their liquid as the sandalwood-ambrox answer to the discontinued collab. Expensive per load, but the fragrance pyramid is the most faithful on this list.
Snif Old Money is adjacent, not identical. It leans tobacco-leather and reads more masculine. Great scent, but it is not Santal 33.
Laundry Sauce Platinum is the TikTok favorite. Pleasant, generic masculine-woody.
It doesn't chase Santal 33 so much as a department-store men's cologne. For a deeper breakdown on how it stacks up on price and scent, see our Laundry Sauce dupe breakdown.
For delicates, none of these are ideal. A dedicated silk and wool wash is a safer call for cashmere and lingerie worth protecting.
How Do You Make Any Detergent's Scent Last on Fabric?
Fragrance longevity depends more on technique than on loyalty to one bottle. If you've ever noticed the scent fading by Tuesday, there's a reason.
Know why detergent scent fades before you blame the bottle.
Dose for scent, not just cleaning. Most people underdose. For scent-forward detergents, use the full recommended cap for a medium load, even if your clothes aren't very dirty. Underdosing kills sillage before it starts.
Layer with a linen mist or wool dryer balls. Scent layering works. A matching linen spray on dry fabric reinforces the top notes that wash cycles tend to strip.
Mind temperature and dry cycle. Hot water above ~104°F volatilizes fragrance molecules before they bind to fibers. Wash on cold or warm for scented loads.
Over-drying on high heat bakes the scent out. Use medium heat and remove clothes while still slightly damp.
Pick fiber-appropriate detergent. Harsh surfactants on silk and wool will strip fragrance along with the fiber's natural luster. Use a wash matched to the fabric.
Frequently Asked Questions
What detergent smells like Le Labo Santal 33?
The closest branded option is The Laundress Soft Focus White Santal, but it reads lighter than the original. For a true dupe, Mozi Wash Golden Hour and Domenica Formulations Luxury Laundry Liquid were built around the warm sandalwood-ambrox profile that defines Santal 33.
Is The Laundress Le Labo detergent coming back?
No return has been announced as of 2025. After the November 2022 CPSC recall, The Laundress relaunched with its own in-house perfumer line, including Soft Focus and No. 723, and has not restored the Le Labo collaboration.
What is a good dupe for Santal 33 laundry detergent?
Mozi Wash Golden Hour and Domenica Luxury Laundry Liquid are the strongest indie plays because both include an ambrox-sandalwood base, not just generic cedarwood. Soft Focus is the closest big-brand option but reads cleaner and more powdery.
What is the most famous Le Labo scent?
Santal 33, built on cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox, leather, and sandalwood. It became the Le Labo house signature and the reason the Laundress collaboration sold out so quickly during its 2019–2022 run.
What is the best-smelling luxury laundry detergent?
Among current production, Mozi Wash Golden Hour (warm sandalwood-ambrox), Domenica Luxury Laundry Liquid (sandalwood-ambrox, thicker concentrate), and The Laundress Soft Focus (clean powdery white musk) are the three worth testing. Mozi and Domenica win for anyone specifically chasing the discontinued Le Labo profile.
What laundry detergent do wealthy people use?
Quieter brands than you would guess. The Laundress Signature Detergent is still a staple in affluent households. Beyond that, perfumer-crafted indies like Mozi Wash, Domenica, and small-batch French brands handle sheets and good knits, while a budget workhorse often handles towels and gym clothes.
Which Le Labo dupe detergent is best for someone who loved Santal 33?
Mozi Wash Golden Hour, by a nose. It is the only option I tested that keeps the ambrox-sandalwood warmth without the powdery clean-laundry pivot that Soft Focus takes. Domenica is a close second if you prefer a thicker, more concentrated liquid.
