Let’s face it – most men put more thought into picking their fantasy football team than they do into selecting their body wash. If it foams and doesn’t smell like a gym sock, it’s good enough.
That disconnect is likely the reason why men’s body wash has stayed fairly stagnant for the past 50 years. But when you pause and reflect, that lack of care starts to feel like a huge misstep.
Our daily showers are a significant part of our routines, yet we lather a product all over our body and hair that we really know nothing about – except that it was on Clubcard price.
What’s more, I’d be willing to wager that a decent number of men aren’t feeling any benefit from the bottles they blindly lift off the supermarket shelves. I’m talking cracked, dry skin and a scent that disappears as soon as the towel runs over it.
But three men decided enough was enough. They put serious thought into dragging men’s body wash out of the Stone Age and into the 21st century.
Together, they looked at the pain points of our daily showers – plastic bottles rattling around the tub, waste galore, sub-par soap, and empty dispensers at the gym – and came up with the ultimate solution.
Everyone, meet Bob.
Jointly created by Max Agace, Michael Brennan, and Will Richards, Bob was designed to scrub away old habits and replace them with a 3-in-1 solution that tackles everything from the quality of men’s body wash to the ease with which it’s applied. No rinse-and-repeat ideas.
As part of our Founders Series, we sat down with the squeaky-clean trio to take a good peek behind the shower curtain at why Bob was formed, what makes him different, and their plans to place him in every man’s shower.
The Birth of Bob: The Game-Changing Men’s Body Wash
Like many great partnerships, the initial beat of the butterfly wings that eventually led to Bob happened purely by chance. Having met through family, Michael and Will ended up as next-door neighbours.
In fact, if they had their bathroom windows open, they probably could have heard each other belting out ballads in the shower.
But it was Mike who had the original brainwave to start Bob, as Will explains: “Bob was born out of Mike’s frustration with the current shower game.
“I hopped on board when I saw a big space open for rebellion against the existing market – and Max joined later, bringing his creative magic to the mix.”
That brings us to the name. If you’ve ever watched BBC One’s The Apprentice, you’ll have seen scores of entrepreneurial hopefuls brainstorming straplines for their brands.
The running theme? Power words like endeavour, innovate, spark – or some other over-the-top synonym for creativity and hard work. It’s a trope that runs through the health and wellness industry, too.
Bob, on the other hand, is refreshingly disarming. It’s familiar and homely, yet still unique. We all know a Bob, but he’s certainly not a cutting-edge 3-in-1 men’s body wash kit.
As it turns out, that was very much the ploy.
“We wanted something timeless, familiar, and distinctly British,” Will added. “Robert became Bob – a strong name that doesn’t try too hard but still makes you smile. Just like the product.”
Now, some of you may have reached this point still wondering, ‘What is Bob?’
At its core, Bob is a handheld, refillable men’s body wash tool that consists of:
- A reusable applicator with exfoliating bristles that evenly distribute soap while providing a gentle scrub.
- Hard soap bars (aka Bob bars) specially formulated to match men’s skin pH (5.5) and deliver a deep, moisturising clean.
- A spill-proof travel cap and shower mount for mess-free portability and storage.
Bob primarily works on a subscription basis. Once men have snagged the starter pack, all they need to do is choose how often extra Bob bars are delivered.
“We looked at everything wrong — and right — with men’s body wash today,” Will continued. “Then built something better: a product that’s not just functional, but personal. It’s about owning a tool for life, not just another bottle or bar of soap.”
Dubbed the world’s first hard, refillable men’s body wash bar, Bob has earned rave reviews since hitting the market. From the quality of the Bob bars to their role in reducing plastic waste, men across the UK are loving having Bob in their shower.
Market-disrupting innovation doesn’t come easily, however. The applicator, tested to last for up to 3,721 showers, presented a huge challenge for the trio to perfect.
When asked about the toughest setback of the journey so far, Michael said: “The overall development of a new product is tough.
“We decided to design and create an entirely new way of washing, and with that came incredible technical challenges to overcome.
“Creating a complex refilling system that can be easily manufactured—and, most importantly, easy for you and me to use and clean—was no easy feat.
“We completely underestimated how long it would take to turn our idea into a fully manufactured product.
“There were moments when we felt like we were never going to be able to get Bob to market before we ran out of funds, but thanks to our early investors, the dedication of our team, and our pre-order community, we made it!”
Echoing Michael’s sentiment, Max added: “In total, it took us 18 months to design, develop, test, and mass manufacture our first product.
“We must have 3D printed at least 20 different prototype designs with the help of our incredible design agency, Beta Design Studios, who played a pivotal role in supporting us to create Bob.”
Hitting The Ground Running
That first sale is a seminal landmark for any business. It’s the proof and validation that all those hard yards, late nights, and early mornings were worth it.
Describing that feeling, Michael said: “It was an incredible moment.
“We pre-launched Bob on Kickstarter in mid-2024 to prove the concept. During a 30-day Kickstarter campaign, we generated £40,000 in pre-order sales.
“After Kickstarter, we set up a Shopify store and allowed customers to pre-order between August 2024 and January 2025. By January 2025, we had secured 2,600 pre-orders.
“On February 12th, 2025, we officially launched Bob in the UK, and within the first 30 days of our launch, we’re on track to secure our first 1,000 soapscribers!”
Despite the early success, the joint owners are far from resting on their laurels. Max revealed they’re already in the process of starting the next round of investment to introduce new scents and products to the men’s body wash line.
What’s more, Bob is soon set to reveal its female alter-ego, Bobi.
“We’re working behind the shower curtain with a group of Bobi testers to help us curate and develop our first scented Bobi refill bars, as well as finalise the colour options for the refillable applicator,” Michael explained.
“We’re hoping to be in a position to launch Bobi in Winter 2025, but who knows – we might launch earlier…”
For now, at least, Bob will remain an online business. But these three soap stars have plans to bring Bob to retail shelves at some point in the future.
“Absolutely — we foresee Bob working well in retail,” Will added. “However, first and foremost, we need to build a community of happy and fulfilled customers in the direct-to-consumer space.”
Now the introductions are out of the way, it’s time for some quick-fire questions with the three men changing the face of men’s body wash: Max Agace, Michael Brennan, and Will Richards.
Quick-Fire Questions With Max Agace, Michael Brennan, and Will Richards
Why should gents pay more attention to the men’s body wash they’re using?
Max: Since starting Bob, I’ve asked every man around me what they use and what their skin is like. What I found was astonishing. Nearly 80% of the people I spoke to had some kind of issue with their men’s body wash products or routine. Whether it’s stress, temperature changes, or other factors, our skin is a vital organ that deserves proper care. I’m not saying Bob is a cure, but if you care about what you put on your body and what runs down the drain, you should definitely take a look at Bob.
How do you share responsibilities between three co-owners?
Will: We try to keep it lean and clean: Mike drives the vision and big picture, Max leads on creative, and I run everything in between – from operations to growth.
What’s one aspect of business you struggle with, that perhaps Max and Will are great at?
Michael: Together we compliment each other’s skill sets very well. Max is very creative and what you see on our website and brand is all built by him. Will’s ability to create a structure, drive timelines, and make decisions purely backed by data is what has got Bob to where it is today.
And as for me, I’ve previously built and launched a business so my skillset is in selling the dream, raising investment, and ensuring we all feel comfortable within a very uncomfortable and volatile situation known as the start up world. Collectively we work in harmony and rely on each other to deliver the bits we are good at.
If any celebrity could endorse Bob men’s body wash, who would it be and why?
Max: We have three answers for this. The first is Joe Wicks. He’s just Bob through and through – a family man, an athlete, a gymfluencer at heart. But above all, he’s an ordinary man like us.
The second is Jason Fox. Masculine, courageous, and good fun. Who doesn’t like Jason Fox, right? Jason loves the gym, and so does Bob, so we think they’d be the perfect pre- and post-gym workout partners.
And the third is Ernest Shackleton. One of Bob’s key USPs is that it has been built to travel, and we at Bob do not give up. We’d love to see how Bob fared on one of Shackleton’s many trips to the Arctic. Quoting his resilience: ‘Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.’
Wave a magic wand. Where will Bob be in three years?
Will: We’re catching legacy brands napping. In bathrooms across the globe. And redefining what it means to wash & own a men’s body wash product.
What’s been the best moment of the journey so far?
Michael: The best moment comes in two parts for us. The first is actually launching a product to market that we have created. Not many people get their idea to market and so we are immensely proud that we have achieved this.
The second part is receiving feedback and reviews from men who we have never met, who have purchased Bob, and are truly loving using Bob to wash with after the gym, at home, or on holiday. “I will use Bob for life. Game Changer” is just one of the many wonderful comments we have received since the launch.
Finances. How did you go about making Bob men’s body wash a reality?
Max: We opted to raise investment to ensure Bob was properly financed from the start. Developing a new product, manufacturing it and launching it to market is a very expensive thing to do. Now that we have launched we are already in the process of starting our next investment round, to help us fund our growth plans and bring more scents and products to market.
Describe your perfect customer in five words.
Michael: Eat. Sleep. Gym. Wash. Repeat.
Start your soapscription to the ultimate men’s body wash kit by heading to Bob’s online store.
SEE ALSO: Meet Bob: The Travel-Friendly Men’s Body Wash That’s Changing Skincare for Good
