As winter creeps closer, my aversion to water increases. It's more of a Goldilocks conundrum, really. It's either too hot or too cold—hardly ever just right. Add a woolen jacket into the hand washing routine and you've got damp wrists for the next several hours. The solution? Good ol' hand sanitizer. Aesop's Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Wash seems like a necessary extravagance, no? An alternative to omnipresent Purell in Aesop’s signature packaging, the oils (Mandarin orange, cedarwood, and lavender to name a few) subtly overpower any alcoholic bouquet, reminiscent of a doctor's office. Leaving hands noticeably soft, smooth, and fresh feeling, it's $10 per 1.7 fluid ounces—expensive for the category but reasonable for the brand. It's nice, every once and a while, to turn a quotidian habit into a luxurious routine. Or, that's what I tell myself when generously applying on the subway.

—Alexis Cheung

Photographed by Tom Newton.