Australia is brimming with an array of unique native flora, and it's their beauty and fragrance that ultimately inspired Belinda Everingham to launch her natural, sustainably minded product range, BONDI WASH in 2013.
Fast forward to 2025 and the brand has grown to include options for the home, body, baby and dog, collaborated with the likes of May Gibbs, Will & Co, and, most recently Melbourne-based distillery, Autonomy Distillers, and can be found across several bricks-and-mortar stores—including a Bondi flagship—through to online retailers such as The Iconic.
We caught up with Belinda to learn more about how BONDI WASH came to be, the ways in which our own backyard inspires her, Belinda's all-time favourite product, what's coming up for the pioneering Bondi-based brand, and more.
Let's dive into your background—how did you get to where you are today, and what was it that prompted you to launch BONDI WASH?
I was born in Melbourne and raised in Canberra by nature-loving, environmentalist, hippy parents. Professionally I studied economics and worked in strategic consulting for most of my career, but tired of it and eventually started thinking about more creative alternatives.
I've always been conscious of the products and ingredients I use. I was reacting to chemicals in household cleaning products and started wondering what impacts they might be having on the environment and my kids.
But it was a holiday in far north Queensland that really inspired the vision for the business. I was surrounded by incredible native rainforests and reading the novel 'Perfume' by Patrick Suskind set in France, which is all about the power of scent. I'd always had a love for fragrance, and it struck me that Australia could create something special from their native plants—just like the French have done for years.
The business came together very quickly after this—launching after lots of testing with a range of truly natural and fragrant household and body washing products.
How did you arrive at its name?
I live in Bondi. It references the beautiful, fresh waves of BONDI WASH. It also says 'Australia' in a modern, fresh way.
You reside in Bondi and your products take their inspiration from the Australian bush. How do these stunning and varied landscapes help shape your product development process?
The visual beauty of the coastline is really inspiring. I hope our products evoke the same feeling of watching the wash of the waves off Sydney beaches—refreshing, clean, invigorating.
And believe it or not, the streets in Bondi are full of native trees that bring inspiration—wattle, paperbark, banksia for example are all in abundance here.
"The visual beauty of the coastline is really inspiring. I hope our products evoke the same feeling of watching the wash of the waves off Sydney beaches—refreshing, clean, invigorating. And believe it or not, the streets in Bondi are full of native trees that bring inspiration—wattle, paperbark, banksia for example are all in abundance here."
Are there any BONDI WASH products that you would describe as epitomising our suburb, and if so, what is it that makes them archetypically 'Bondi'?
It's got to be our Swim & Sport Wash! Bondi really is this utopian bubble of active, healthy people—swimmers, surfers, yogis.
Our Swim & Sport Wash is a gentle wash designed to care for swimwear and activewear so it's perfect for the Bondi local. It's also fragranced with our cooling and refreshing scent of Sydney Peppermint oil, which comes from a variety of eucalyptus trees native to coastal NSW.
You launched sister brand WASH WILD in 2021, what was the driving force behind this?
I created WASH WILD to offer a safe, effective and accessible range of home and body washing products that are still truly natural. It's more 'wild,' young and really showcases the incredible power of Australia's native plants.
In developing the fragrances in the BONDI WASH range, I realised each essential oil possesses restorative and anti-bacterial qualities.
We worked with the CSIRO to develop W4C, a blend of Australian oils that is most effective at killing germs naturally, and now in every WASH WILD product. I like to think people can 'escape to the bush' throughout the day while using WASH WILD.
What is your most loved BONDI WASH product, and why?
Oo this is hard—I love and use so many but it's probably the Bench Spray.
It was the first product I developed and is still our most-loved—it makes cleaning up really feel like a pleasure. The concept of the Bench Spray was originally something to replace what I'd been using on the kitchen bench, but I love that it can be used in so many other ways.
"Our Swim & Sport Wash is a gentle wash designed to care for swimwear and activewear so it's perfect for the Bondi local. It's also fragranced with our cooling and refreshing scent of Sydney Peppermint oil, which comes from a variety of eucalyptus trees native to coastal NSW."
What do you enjoy most about living here?
I love the eclectic, creative community here. It's full of interesting, lovely people—I think it comes partly from the beautiful beaches on our doorsteps.
It reduces everyone to the same level and people tend to stress less about the little things here. Of course, the food and drink scene is also one of the best. Bondi really has it all!
How do you spend an average day in Bondi?
It starts with a morning walk with our border collie, Billie, to the local dog park. It's a lovely ritual with lots of familiar faces to chat to and happy dogs.
I always try to squeeze in some sort of morning movement—usually yoga or a jog. On a sunny weekend, I often head to the Bondi Farmers Markets to pick up some fresh flowers and fruit and veggies, followed by a swim at Icebergs or off the rocks at Bondi.
The rest of the day is a mix of seeing friends, spending time with my kids and catching up on work. In the evenings, I like to try Bondi's newest food spots.
What's next for BONDI WASH? Are there any new products, collaborations and so forth in the works that you might be able to share?
There has been a lot in the works of late. We opened a new store in Chatswood at the end of last year, and launched Nativo Aperitivo, a native botanical alcohol in collaboration with Melbourne-based distillery, Autonomy for the summer.
Behind the scenes, we're also working on developing a natural skincare range. There's lots to look forward to!
Explore BONDI WASH
Visit the website and online store
Follow BONDI WASH on Instagram
Go behind-the-scenes with the team on TikTok
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