It has been just over one hundred days since the first instance of COVID-19 whispered its way through the public zeitgeist and quickly came to define the turn of the decade. We have seen all manner of responses to the virus in that time: some good, some bad, proof that human nature, given a prod, will do its thing.
Terms like ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ have become firmly supplanted vernacular and under the assumed panic, essential supplies have been in scarce availability. Chiefly among these now invaluable commodities is hand sanitiser. Growing in popularity to near herculean levels of grandeur, hand sanitiser has sold by the bucket loads to salivating shoppers the world over. This spike in popularity has left precious few stock remaining, inciting gouging and a haphazard DI why posse of those producing their own homemade alternatives, often to disastrous results.
If you are bewildered by the lack of hand sanitizer available, said bewilderment will stand in as a suitable simulacrum of the bewilderment of Danielle Lewis, founder of all Australian essentials brand THE ANSWER. Unable to source a hand sanitiser for herself, Danielle and partner Salvatore did what any innovator would do and created their own. THE ANSWER. is a lovingly crafted brand of essentials for humans and homes, with a premier hand sanitiser in their considered line-up, born, as they so aptly put it, ‘of necessity’.
We had a chance to chat with Danielle on all things sanitation and how to keep your health in check during isolation.
How did you get into the hand sanitiser game?
Our background is in Influencer Marketing through our other business Scrunch. Over the past 12 months we had been working on bringing physical products to life to help influencers monetise their platforms. When COVID-19 turned our world's upside down, I was particularly frustrated by the fact that we couldn't easily access hand sanitiser and hand wash. As a diabetic, it is important for me to be extra cautious and stay germ-free! So, we decided to make it ourselves. Knowing this situation wasn't going away any time soon, we also wanted to make a product that was actually beautiful to use that protected and moisturised the hands - not just stripped them bare!
The response to the global crisis on your part was lightning fast. You guys are on it! From initial concept to final product, talk us through the production process.
We were fortunate that we had been working with the right network to bring a health + beauty product to market for some time, however getting access to the raw ingredient ethanol was the biggest issue. In Australia right now, it is in short supply and we have seen some pretty serious price gouging and exporting going on, which make the cost to produce hand sanitiser right now fairly unsustainable. Fortunately, we have partnered with the awesome guys over at Milton Rum Distillery and have a consistent supply coming through. We were able to pull this all together within a week to start opening up for pre-sales.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there on proper hand washing practices. Is it safe to replace our normal soap and water wash with a hand sanitiser?
Short answer, no. Hand sanitiser should be used in conjunction with a regular hand washing practice. We recommend hand washing in line with the World Health Organisation standards, so lather up for 20 seconds... and do it regularly! Hand sani is great for those times when you can’t wash your hands when you are on the go. I always have a pouch in my handbag, partner's pocket and the car!
How does THE ANSWER. differ from other hand sanitisers?
THE ANSWER. is 100% Australian made. It features the gorgeous Australian botanicals Lemon Ironbark and Native River Mint to enhance the antibacterial qualities whilst also protecting your hands. So, THE ANSWER. thoroughly cleans whilst keeping your hands safe. To top it off, the mint and lemon give a cool, refreshing feeling. While we use no fragrance, the natural scent of the lemon and mint leave your hands smelling divine! It's #handsani you'll actually want to use!
A lot of people are after a reliable way to clean their hands. What are some key things we should be looking for in our sanitiser?
According to both the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO), hand sanitiser should have at least 60% alcohol content. However prolonged use of high quantities of alcohol on the hands may cause dryness and irritation. Balancing the alcohol with protective and moisturising ingredients is so important as well! THE ANSWER's hand sanitiser fuses the best of both worlds, with a higher alcohol percentage balanced out with moisturising agents to help keep your hands fresh and your skin healthy.
Where and when can we get our hands on THE ANSWER?
We are taking pre-orders for THE ANSWER. now for shipments commencing next week. Head over to at theanswer.store to secure yours now.
