I've Tried Basically Every Hand Wash Out There, and This Is Definitely the Best
I have always found great comfort in a fantastic hand wash. In fact, few things please me more than stumbling across a really great soap in a restaurant, hotel or on a friend’s bathroom sink unexpectedly. The key to an A+ formula, I have learned, is not so simple.
While a scent that makes you go weak at the knees is important, I have come across many hand washes in my time that smell wonderful but lacks in other areas. The secret to a really great hand wash, in my opinion, is a luxe-smelling scent that soothes the mind but doesn't overpower, a silky texture that delivers moisture, but doesn't leave a greasy film, and perhaps most importantly, it has to look impossibly chic on the shelf.
Enter Ouai Hand Wash. You might be familiar with Ouai's cult hair products, created by Hollywood hairstylist Jen Atkin (she's everyone's go-to, from the Kardashians to Hailey Bieber). Ouai hair products are not only known its distinguishable Instagram-ready aesthetic but equally its mouth-watering scents.
And now there's a hand care range, and trust me when I say the hand wash is the best I've ever tried—and I've tried a shed load. You see, although I've always been a fan of great hand soap, over the past year, I became somewhat obsessed with finding the perfect formula. As I started washing my hands more than ever before, I realised that some of my go-to products had some serious faults.
Ones that I had previously purchased for their packaging weren't delivering the sort of luxe satisfaction I started to crave in my hand-washing ritual, while others that I championed for their scent were leaving my skin dry, cracked and scaly. So in a quest to find something that ticked all the boxes, I began hoarding hand washes, and somewhere along the way, I stumbled across Ouai's Hand Wash and Hand Lotion duo.
First of all, I want to address the bottles themselves. They are minimalist, chic and feel almost impossibly luxe to hold. On top of that, they're refillable, so you can do your bit for the environment while you shop. Next up, let's talk about the smell. A little bit fruity, a little bit floral and a whole lot musky, mostly they just smell clean—like freshly washed linen and bubble baths. And while the hand lotion is a total joy and makes for a great sink partner, it's the wash that impresses me the most. With a silky slip that works into a rich lather, it soothes tired hands while leaving dry skin soft and supple. Essentially, I'm in love.
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Not only does this stuff smell like a fresh summer's day, the limited-edition packaging is also incredibly cute.
There are few things more luxurious than a Dior hand wash, and this stuff feels and smells just as chic as it looks.
I challenge anyone to find a hand wash that smells quite as fresh and wonderful as this.
Perfect for the kitchen, this soap smells earthy and herby in the best way possible.
If you like citrus scents, but hate the majority of the sickly smelling formulas on the shelves, this stuff is fresh and fruity without being nauseating.
I have gone through bottles of this stuff. Musky and masculine, but with the freshness of tea, it's the sort of wash that has you smelling your hands for hours afterwards.
The perfect pick-me-up on dreary days, this soap smells like a fresh, woodland walk and turns your bathroom into a spa.
Some of my favourite haunts in London use this stuff in their toilets, and it was the first hand wash that really drew me in.
You didn't think I'd forget this classic, did you? Seen on the shelves of basically every chic Instagram feed in existence, this stuff is the crème de la crème.
Up next, the eight cleansers that actually reduce breakouts.
Shannon Lawlor is the beauty director at Who What Wear UK. With over a decade of experience working for some of the beauty industry’s most esteemed titles, including Marie Claire, Glamour UK, Stylist and Refinery29, Shannon’s aim is to make the conversation around beauty as open, relatable and honest as possible. As a self-confessed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for hard-working perfumes, fool-proof makeup products and does-it-all skincare.
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