Kassia is the Editor of AWOL, and a straight-up travel…
An unusual side-effect of our current situation is that getting your hand sanitiser from the grocery store is SO 2019 now. For one thing, it’s been next to impossible to find in your usual spots since panic buying took its toll. For another, how very boring when a whole bunch of fun and unexpected productions lines have answer the call and started producing their own.
Seeing the need for a lot more hand sanitiser, fast, Australia’s medicines regulator changed its rules to allow more businesses to produce it without needing government approval. Don’t worry, this change comes with the stipulation that new producers could only use one of two World Health Organisation recipes to ensure they’re up to standard.
Following the announcement of places like Bundaberg Rum and Carlton & United Breweries making their own hand sanitisers and donating them to frontline medical staff, many local joints have joined in.
From local breweries to organic skincare labels, here are the best hand sanitiser brands in Australia right now.
Saba Organics has been producing certified organic skincare for a long time now, but their 70% hand sanitiser is more useful than ever. Just a couple of sprays onto your hand, rub it in and you’re laughing. It also actually smells SO good, with lavender, rose and kakadu plum, as well as a scent free one.
On that note, if you’re looking to nab a few at a time, Saba Organics have partnered with Aussie travel startup July to make the Travel Well Kit. Get two organic Saba hand sanitiser and two mouth fresheners in a cute travel box for $50 or free using the code ‘FRESH’ when you purchase any travel case. Supporting two Aussie brands and staying safe? Yup.
Why not order your gin and a Gin Aroma hand sanitiser at once? Sydney distillers Manly Spirits Co are giving away 50 millilitre bottles with every full-size spirit purchase (they do vodka and whisky too) — it’s one per customer though so don’t get greedy. Plus they have five litre tubs for community organisations.
Who says hand sanitiser can’t be artistic? Not Melbourne-based design shop Third Drawer Down. Each pump bottle is covered in fun artworks by either David Shrigley or Magda Archer, not to mention they have some pretty playful names. Starting from $12.50, they’re available in 500, 150 or 100 millilitre sizes.
I know, what is Melbourne coffee empire St Ali doing making hand sani? These are the times we live in. They’ve partnered with local water-treatment company HydroChem to make 250 and 500 millilitre pump bottles, each one reminding you to “Be Calm, Be Kind, Be Clean”.
#6 Earp Distilling Co
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Newcastle’s family-run distillery Earp Distilling Co have added hand sanitiser to the list of drinks they’ve been making since 1883. Be warned, there have been actual lines out the door for this stuff so they’ve had to ration it to five litres per person per day, but that’s still very generous.
Archie Rose Distilling Co is a Sydney gin and whisky institution, and they’ve now answered the demand for hand sani. I’m not going to lie though, they’re selling out even before the new batches are full ready to go, so get on that list immediately and cross your fingers.
Popular Aussie beauty brand Grown Alchemist has added two new products to their organic skincare range: the 50 millilitre spray bottle of Hydra-Hand Sanitiser for $40, and the Hydra-Gel Hand Sanitiser in 50 millilitre bottles for $15 or500 millilitre bottles for $55. So yes, you can pick your fave way to sanitise.
A little aromatherapy can’t hurt us at the moment, which is the bread and butter of Queensland skincare brand Perfect Potion. Using essential oils and plant extracts of tea tree, lemon and lavender oils, they’ve created their own 50 and 250 millilitre spray bottles of hand sanitiser.
Famous for its Bloody Shiraz Gin, Victorian gin distillery Four Pillars is now in the cleanliness game. They’re producing one-litre bottles of hand sanitiser, which they’ve named Heads, Tails and Clean Hands. Each bottle is going for $40 and they’ve limited purchases to five per customer.
Arguably the most famous skincare brand coming out of Melbourne, Aesop have started making a Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Wash. The formula is made to be non-sticky as well, hallelujah, but is made with mandarin rind, rosemary leaf and cedar. It’s another popular one, expected to return end of April.
Over in South Australia, small-batch craft gin distillery Prohibition Liquor Co added a juniper-scented hand sanitiser to its line up. You can’t buy it on its own, but a 100 millilitre bottle comes free when you buy a full-size bottle of gin. As if you needed another excuse to treat yourself.
On a normal day, Karst Stone Paper turn mining and construction waste into beautiful stationery. Given the state of things, they’ve teamed up with personal-care supply-chain network Rescue (founded by people who lost their jobs) to make hand sanitiser. Once again, stock is limited so get in quick.
You may covet Mr Black for their craft coffee liqueur, but now you can love their newest product too. In partnership with Central Coast distiller Distillery Botanica, they’re making the Love Thy Neighbour hand sanitiser. A good message and a good way to stay healthy.
Sydney rum makers Brix Distillers have also added a hand sanitiser to their offerings. You can buy them in 300, 200 and 700 millilitre sizes starting at $28. Or you could nab yourself one for free when you purchase a bottle of rum, which sounds like the better option to me.
Kassia is the Editor of AWOL, and a straight-up travel addict. She was born without a sense of direction, yet an intense desire to explore the world. As such, she's lost 90% of the time but she's learned to roll with it. You can catch her latest adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
