My Obsessive Search for The Perfect Hand Wash Ends Here

In this age of constant hand washing and sanitizing ad nauseum throughout the day, I’ve become more than a little obsessive about my product choice. Aside from disturbing the aesthetics of my minimal bathroom with their lurid packaging, supermarket-sourced washes can be extremely drying. And don’t even get me started on the scent.

I made it my quest to find a beautifully packaged option that doesn’t dry out my skin or smell overly flowery or dessert-like. I came across Bondi Wash when I tried their beautifully scented Bench Spray. Impressed with its bush-fresh scent and grease-busting power, I headed to their beautiful flagship store in Bondi to try out a few of the other products. Naturally hand wash was first on my list.

The sleek brand was created by Bondi local Belinda Everingham after she experienced headaches using a commercial surface spray. A lifelong love of fragrance (further fuelled by reading Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume) prompted her to create a home and personal care range that showcases Australian native scents in all their rugged and zesty beauty.

Bondi Wash products are, in fact, designed with the same careful consideration as a fragrance: multi layered with distinctive Australian native oils (such as Tasmanian Pepper, Sydney Peppermint or Lemon Tea Tree) and blended with other essential oils from Australia and around the world. In addition to creating uplifting and delightful aromas, these oils are also selected for their anti-bacterial properties.

“The Hand Wash is one of our original and most loved products,” says Belinda when I get in touch to ask her about the range. “We have now got four natural scents and my current favourite is the new Native Citrus scent which comes in a black bottle.”

The sleek monochromatic packaging blends seamlessly into my bathroom, and I’m also a big fan of the fresh, zesty Citrus scent. It reminds me of peeling a mandarin while walking through freshly rained-on bushland. It’s a far cry from sickly vanilla and coconut I’ve become averse to.

“Designed to be naturally anti-bacterial, they contain no harsh chemicals like SLS and triclosan which can dry out your hands, irritate or cause downstream environmental damage.”

The impact on our planet is top of mind when designing packaging and Bondi Wash offer an incredible discount when you buy the 5 litre refill. A single 500ml pump pack sells for $30, whereas if you buy the refill you pay just $18 for the same amount. It’s also 9 less plastic bottles you’re discarding. Plus, the formulation is more concentrated. The pumps dispense 1ml as opposed to other pumps that usually give you 2ml. They still foam just as well yet they last twice as long.

All the Bondi Wash hand and body washes are also soap and sulphate-free, which is great news for my kids, who suffer from eczema. To create the lovely fine foam, they use gentle plant-derived surfactants paired with skin-loving aloe vera, sunflower seed oil and vitamin E. All the products in the range are 99% derived from nature so I can rest assured it’s the purest hand washing option I’ll find. I can finally cease my search and get back to washing my hands. Again, and again, and again…

In association with Bondi Wash. Words by Sigourney Cantelo. Photography by Alice Mahran.