Who will be the next Australian status soap to get a $3.7b deal like Aesop?

Visit the bathrooms at Lizard Island Resort, the renovated Icebergs Dining Room at Bondi or The Grifter brewery in Marrickville and the cool curves of Leif’s hand wash add to the sensory experience.

The 10-year-old Sydney label is also stocked in Jardan and David Jones, Skins in the Netherlands and I.T in Hong Kong.

“The Aesop deal is an inspiration,” says Leif co-founder Jonnie Vigar. “What I love is the way it was done slowly, growing for more than 20 years. That’s a lesson for us.”

“It’s great to see Australians in this space doing well. It’s like seeing the success of the fashion brand Zimmermann.”

Leif began as a side product of the design business Container Made, where Vigar and co-founder Brenan Liston developed eye-catching packaging for Australian haircare entrepreneur Kevin Murphy.

“We discovered that there’s a whole area we can play in with Australian natural ingredients along with our design content,” Vigar says. “We are also committed to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint by developing a new concept with our packaging.”

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With French brand L’Oréal having acquired Aesop, and the French L’Occitane Group last year taking control of Melbourne washroom rival Grown Alchemist for an undisclosed sum, getting attention in France is a step closer to global success.

“We are about to strike a deal with a French eco resort,” Vigar says. “You think the French would look down on Australian products but there’s genuine interest and excitement.”

“They love the fact that someone hasn’t seen it before.”

The growing profile of Leif and Hunter Lab as status soaps is perfect, but for instant appeal many people are sticking with Aesop’s amber bottle.

Leading real estate agent Gavin Rubinstein and star of the Amazon Prime series Luxe Listings Sydney still recommends Aesop in the bathrooms of properties, harbourside or otherwise, on the market.

“I like the smell and aesthetically how their products look,” Rubinstein says. “I think they nail brand and back it up with a quality product. To me, they are the stand out.”

L’Oréal will be relieved.

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