This Is Seriously The Best Smelling Hand Sanitizer Ever

By now most of us would consider ourselves certified hand sanitizer connoisseurs. I, for one, have an extensive collection: key chain-friendly tubes from the bodega, a few bargain brand pump bottles, even a coveted (and especially #rare) PURELL® mini I happened to buy on a whim one day months before it became something I'd ever have to panic about. But despite all that variety, we know that hand sanitizer, the virus-killing liquid gold, most always smells like moonshine straight to the face. After all, the stuff needs to be a minimum of 70% straight alcohol to be effective. 

It's enough of an assault on my senses to make me dream of the days of Bath & Body Works' sticky, saccharine, but at least decent-smelling bottles we all had hanging on our backpacks in junior high. But such displeasure is just one of the many sacrifices we all have to make in the midst of a pandemic, right?

Well, maybe not!

After a harrowing search and series of experiments using my own hands as guinea pigs, I may have finally found the best-smelling, in a decidedly grown-up way, hand sanitizer on the market. Praise the antibacterial gods. 

Fortified with soothing essential oils and presented in an especially aesthetically pleasing tube of minimalist chic is this formula by men's grooming company Maapilim. The rich gel is FDA-approved, quick-absorbing (leaving behind absolutely no stickiness!), and even has aloe vera to take care of that chronic dryness from extensive hand cleaning. 

But the thing that really struck me about Maapilim's sanitizer was how much the scent instantly brought me back to the lobby of my favorite hotel: The Miami Beach EDITION. It's no secret that the EDITION pumps its own signature scent throughout all of its properties, but I was distinctly reminded of the plush, plant-filled outpost on Collins I've found myself working in, lounging in, and occasionally stumbling through at 5 am. 

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All you need is a change of scenery 🌴 #MiamiBeachEDITION
A post shared by The Miami Beach EDITION (@miamibeachedition) on Mar 2, 2020 at 9:07am PST

I knew I couldn't be imagining it so I did a little research. As it turns out, they both boast a musky blend of bergamot and cedarwood. I guess you can call me the Olfactory Columbo.

Now there's no need to thank me and my impeccable scent-sniffing skills, but if you fancy a trip to Miami every time you sanitize, I'd most definitely recommend this stuff. I'd use it even if I weren't constantly freaking out about coronavirus!