This $13 body wash makes your apartment shower feel like a tropical paradise

Remember the feeling of leisurely walking off the beach and stepping underneath one of those outdoor showers to rinse off all of the lingering sand from your sun-drenched, salty skin? Ahh, #TBT. While tropical vacations suddenly feel far off, there is one product that can make your shower feel like you’re getting that post-beach rinse: the Bondi Sands Body Wash ($13).

The drugstore body wash (yes, I said drugstore!) has a coconut scent, but that doesn’t accurately portray all of the notes that will waft into your nose as you lather up. Just a pump of the stuff brings to mind sunny visions of being on a beach vacation and having sunblock and sand permanently stuck on your body and in your scalp. Or perhaps it gives you the feeling that you’re sipping on a piña colada, decorated with a fresh pineapple slice and mini parasol. Either way, it’s the scent that I’d imagine just lingers in the air in Australia, and using the body wash is pretty much the closest you can get to being on the Gold Coast right now. (Unless, ya know, you live there.)

The magic isn’t just in the scent of the body wash, though. The formula is pH-balanced, which means that it won’t strip your skin of its natural moisture. Plus it has aloe vera to soothe and add extra hydration to your skin along with glycerin, another moisturizing ingredient. The body wash is really gentle for all skin types, so after you step out of the shower, your skin is left smooth and soft—not dry and tight—with a hint of that dreamy coconut scent.

As everyone sticks close to home during quarantine, people have had to get creative when it comes to fighting cabin fever (not to mention the agonizing fear of not knowing when traveling will be possible again). This is why I’ve become so attached to the Bondi Sands Body Wash: As I lather up with it and the bubbles rid my body of dirt and grime, the coconut scent truly transports me to a beach. All it takes is eight bucks to get a product that turns your tub into a verifiable ocean-adjacent outdoor shower. Oh, and pro tip: Use your favorite beach towel instead of a bath towel to dry off with to add to the vacay vibes.