THE GREAT AESOP HAND WASH DEBATE
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I guess you could say that alongside scented candles, that luxury bath and body products are my not so guilty pleasures.
From body wash, to body oil, shampoo, conditioner, and yes, hand wash, upgrading these little things that you use every day is easy to dismiss as frivolous, but for me, on an(other) gloomy grey day, if a lovely hand wash makes life a little nicer, and if you’re not bankrupting yourself, then why not? And yes, they make sunny days even better.
These things have the ability to look lovely (though they so often don’t!), smell great, and lift the spirits too.
I love that Aesop (pronounced ee-sop by the way!) is an Australian brand, as I consider myself an honorary Australian having lived there for 23 years between the ages of seven and thirty, and I’ve used it on and off for as long as I can remember. It will always remind me of home, and for years and years I’ve purchased, and adored, their hand wash.
They do two, and I love them both, but my husband and son hate the exfoliating grains in the Reverence one (annoying for me as I love it), so I stick to buying Resurrection, which smells divine too, and has no grains.
If you're not familiar with them, the scent of Resurrection is described as citrus, woody and herbaceous. It’s the ‘safer’ scent of the two, with Reverence being billed as woody, earthy and smoky, and indeed it is. Often copied, but Aesop remains the best in my opinion.
Yes, it’s expensive. No, it’s not THE most expensive. Am I disappointed every time I try to switch to a cheaper option? Yes, I’m afraid I am. Very much so. As I’ve said, it’s the small daily pleasures and a little touch of luxury that make me happy.
I’ve often seen snarky comments about it being a cliché, and yes that is possibly true. But I always say that clichés are clichés for a reason, and *some* things achieve cult status because they actually deserve it - Aesop hand wash is one of those things. The Kardashians? Not so much.
For me, Aesop ticks a lot of boxes (clearly!). Some shallow and some less so, that I’m trying to be more mindful of when purchasing…
Beautiful Packaging? Check!
Delicious Fragrance? Check!
Cruelty Free? Check!
Vegan? Check!
Certified B Corp Corporation? Check!
Recycled and Recyclable Packaging? Check!
Transparent Environmental Ethos? Check!
I know people bang about their bottles being plastic and I’m no expert on this topic, but they do address this conscious decision here on their website, and use a high percentage of post consumer waste recycled plastic. The pumps are reusable, and you can buy refills minus the pumps for a slightly lower price, and the bottles are also recyclable.
Made in Australia, so I will concede that perhaps it’s not a great choice from an air miles perspective if you’re buying in the UK, but again, I’m not an expert on this topic and these things are rarely black and white.
The price? Aesop hand wash (500mls) will currently set you back £31 or £29 for a refill.
I don’t advocate refilling old Aesop bottles with cheap hand wash. Why? Anyone that knows it, WILL know it’s not the real deal, and anyone that doesn’t know it won’t care, so why bother?! But you know, if you want to, knock yourself out. Or take the label off.
No one is forcing anyone to buy posh hand wash. By all means, use whatever you like, and if you care what it looks like, decant it into something that pleases you - I have some nice glass amber bottles with black pumps that I use - I don’t always buy expensive hand wash. I go through phases for sure, including buying bulk unscented hand wash and adding essential oils, but that turned out to be so expensive, I did’t pursue it once it ran out. Doh!
ANYWAY…
If you need some help justifying such a purchase, here’s how I do it…
It makes me very happy. Yes, I am THAT shallow…
I work from home, so I’m not spending money on commuting…
I work from home, so I’m not spending money on take away coffees and lunches. At least not most days…
It’s aesthetically pleasing, so it’s technically a prop…
The checklist above is pretty impressive!
Did I mention it makes me very happy?
And if you can’t justify it, you can always request it as a gift when asked for ideas.
If you’re an Aesop lover, and have found something else you love more, I’d love to hear about it in the comments as I’m nothing if not fickle.
Out of curiosity, I’ve tried several others over the past year, but none of them managed to knock Aesop off its perch.
Aesop is VERY hard to beat, but my quest continues - I love it yes, but my love can include other options too, and I’ve actually just purchased five other hand washes that I’ve been super curious to try, so keep your eyes peeled for that post really soon. I’ve even done a geeky spreadsheet to compare credentials and prices, which is pretty surprising in some instances. Don’t say I don’t spoil you.