Get Your Lather on With Our 7 Best Hand Soaps
Forget face masks — hand soaps are the wellness item worth hoarding. Soap’s hand-in-hand relationship with health makes handwashing our first line of defense against colds, flu, and other seasonal illnesses. Regular hand washing helps keep us fit and safeguards our families and communities.
It’s no wonder so many hand soap brands exist on the market. Retailers are bursting with choices, and it’s hard to tell which is the best hand soap. Should you go with a fancy soap or a hardworking antibacterial hand soap?
Let’s put one concern to rest. All soaps work equally well to kill germs in a household environment. There’s no evidence that antibacterial soaps are better at cleaning your hands than regular soap. You need to leave the lather of antibacterial soap on your hands for six times longer than with regular soap to get those benefits.
What’s worth considering is how your hands feel after washing. You’re looking for fresh-feeling, moisturized hands that aren’t dry or irritated. It’s also important to feel good about the brand you’re supporting — looking for vegan, cruelty-free, or environmentally friendly products might be important to you.
Luckily, we’ve done a bit of research for you. Here are the seven best hand soaps available on Flip.
1. Murchison-Hume Superlative Hand Soap
Introducing one of the best-smelling hand soaps you can buy: the Murchison-Hume Superlative Hand Soap. You’ll fall in love with the decadent combination of shea butter and chamomile as they soothe and nourish your skin while a delicious fig fragrance elevates the senses. Plus, all this goodness gets wrapped up in a cruelty-free bow. Hardworking hands have never had it so good.
2. nooni Gentle Liquid Hand Soap
Looking for artificial fragrance-free hand soap? nooni’s got you covered. Infused with apple water for hand and cuticle care, these suds create a rich, cushiony lather that leaves hands feeling moisturized and nourished, even after repetitive washing. By excluding synthetic fragrances and dyes from its formula and only using ingredients derived from nature, hand soap has never been gentler on sensitive skin and noses.
3. D.S. & Durga Big Sur After Rain Hand Soap
Craving a hand soap with a luxury feel? Look no further than D.S. & Durga. The fragrance is reminiscent of the West Coast after a thunderstorm, and the soap has an ultra-moisturizing formula made with vitamins C and E, glycerin, green tea leaf extract, and hyaluronic acid. Paraben, phthalate, sulfate, and cruelty-free, this is an indulgence you can feel good about.
4. Wise Sea Kelp Soap
This 100% natural hand soap doesn’t skimp on quality botanicals. Formulated with sea kelp, olive oil, and shea butter, this soap doesn’t only clean — it moisturizes, detoxifies, and nourishes skin. Pink pepper, geranium, bergamot, and juniper essential oils combine to deliver a fresh, clean scent you’ll love. Bonus round: Wise handcrafts each bar sustainably using a vegan, palm oil, and cruelty-free formulation.
5. Tenoverten The Cleanse
Powered by botanical extracts, this luxury cleanser works hard to revitalize and replenish skin’s moisture balance. Jojoba oil, oat extract, and plant-derived allantoin work together to soothe and condition dry hands. Its gentle yet effective hydrating lather transforms the routine task of washing your hands into a nourishing self-care ritual.
6. Dally Barefoot in the Grass Hand Wash
There’s nothing fresher than the scent of a wide open grassy field gently stirring in a summer breeze. Bring that experience home with Dally’s Barefoot in the Grass handwash. Fresh cypress, juniper, basil, bergamot, and eucalyptus blend together for an uplifting scent that runs wild. While it refreshes your senses, its natural ingredients work hard to reduce inflammation and nourish dry, irritated skin.
7. Rock Creek Starry Night Soap
Starry Night swirled soap transports your senses beyond the glare of big city lights and into the glow of a stunning night sky. This plant-based hand soap features warm sandalwood, crisp wild currants, tonka beans, and Tahitian vanilla to create a scent like no other. It also combines natural moisturizers with activated charcoal and kaolin clay, turning bar soap into an exfoliating and nourishing skincare product.
FAQ
Can you convert liquid hand soap into foaming soap?
Some people (especially kids) prefer a foaming hand soap to either bar or liquid soap. While you can’t use bar soap in your foaming pump, it’s simple to convert liquid soap.
Mix 4 parts water with 1 part liquid soap, pour the mixture into your foaming hand wash dispenser, and get washing. Remember to use a foaming soap pump — they’re equipped with an aerator that creates bubbles. If you use a regular pump, you won’t get the lather, just diluted liquid soap.
Which hand soaps should you avoid?
You wash your hands to stay healthy, so it makes sense to want a wholesome product. It’s important to dial back the harsh, artificial chemicals that could impact overall health negatively and choose a hand soap, body wash, and other skincare products that use naturally sourced components. Here are six harmful ingredients to watch out for.
- Artificial fragrances. Fragrance doesn’t boost the efficacy of soap, and considering companies don’t have to disclose a scent’s components, it’s hard to know what you’re putting on your skin. It’s best to avoid fragrance and choose an unscented product when possible.
- Parabens. Parabens have been linked to a host of health issues. Check the ingredient list, and if any of the names end in -paraben, consider returning the product to the shelf.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). This surfactant causes various health issues. When inhaled, SLS can irritate your throat, leading to soreness and coughing. Continuous topical exposure can lead to mild or moderate skin irritation.
- Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone. These ingredients act as preservatives in beauty products and can lead to skin and respiratory irritation.
- Cocamidopropyl betaine. A common allergen, this ingredient has been found to cause contact dermatitis for those with sensitive skin.
- Triclosan. The FDA banned triclosan in 2016, but if you’ve any older products on your shelf, it’s worth giving the ingredient list a second look. It’s linked to hormone imbalance, among other nasty side effects.
What's the best hand soap for eczema?
If you suffer from eczema, dermatologists recommend avoiding handwashing with harsh chemical ingredients and fragrances. These products strip away skin’s natural oils leading to irritation and a potential flare-up. The best hand soaps for eczema contain natural ingredients like coconut oil, glycerine, oatmeal, and aloe vera, that trap moisture in the epidermis and promote healing. Always follow up any scent-free, moisturizing hand soap with a rich moisturizer to replenish the oils lost.
If you’re struggling with dry skin and need help finding the perfect hand soap, check out product reviews on Flip. Our community of reviewers will help guide you toward a safe and effective product.
