Best Non-Toxic Hand Soap for Everyday Use: Wash Your Hands With No Worries
1. Meliora
2. Attitude
3. Plaine Products
4. MamaSuds
5. Alpine Provisions
6. Blueland
7. Dr. Bronner's
8. Grove Collaborative
Since COVID-19, handwashing has become an even more essential part of our daily lives. This increased frequency has led many of us to think more carefully about how we wash our hands and the impact it can have on our skin.
Frequent handwashing can sometimes cause allergic reactions due to the chemicals found in some hand soaps. But don’t worry anymore! In this article, we will explore organic soaps and introduce you to the best non-toxic hand soap brands.
Identifying Harmful Ingredients to Avoid in Hand Soaps
When choosing hand soap, be careful of the following ingredients to prevent allergic reactions and keep your hands’ skin clean and healthy.
Fragrances
Carefully reading the product packaging, you may see “Fragrances” or “Parfum” written as ingredients. If you think they are just a scent to make your hands smell more pleasant, you’re selling it short. Fragrances are normally a complex mix of hundreds of chemicals that can cause irritation, allergies, and dryness. If someone with sensitive skin uses soap including Fragrances, it may cause even harsher results, such as deep and serious skin problems.
Parabens
Are the soaps sold immediately after they are set on the shelves? Of course not! The shelf life of hand soaps is important and that’s why Parabens get into the game. Some studies show that parabens may disrupt hormones and contribute to certain health problems, especially in long-term use. While the research is ongoing, it's better to avoid them if you're worried.
Sulfates
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) or shortly, calling them sulfates, are cleansing agents that create the lather in soap. Although they are essential for cleaning dirt and oils from the skin, they can be harsh and dry.
It is better to use organic skincare products and avoid them in soaps, or at least use soaps that have less amount of Sulfates. In some cases, applying soap with Sulfates can lead your skin to lose the natural oil and potentially irritate it.
Triclosan
This is an antibacterial agent that may contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. This is known as a toxic ingredient and it is best to avoid soap bars including Triclosan.
Formaldehyde
This is also a preservative that is sometimes instead of Parabens, and sometimes aligned with Parabens. In both options, it is better to avoid this ingredient.
So, what’s the Solution?
Look for a non-toxic hand soap that is gentler on your skin and less likely to irritate (this can be concluded by testing, or searching well). Meanwhile, choose the hand soaps labeled "fragrance-free," "paraben-free," and "sulfate-free."
In case you don’t have much time to search, we have a full list of Top Organic Soaps for Men
You can also opt for natural cleaners when you don’t really need to deeply clean your hands, or the dirt is more skin-deep. In addition, you can consider using a gentle, fragrance-free hand soap for daily use and a stronger soap for occasional heavy-duty cleaning.
What Constitutes Quality in Natural Soap Bars?
The quality matters, but your skin type also matters in defining the quality of a natural soap bar. However, when choosing a quality natural soap bar, it is nice to consider the following tips:
Check for ingredients
Look for hand soaps with natural ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera, or shea butter. These ingredients will help you have moisturized skin and avoid allergic reactions, sensitivity, irritation, etc. Once you see a non-toxic soap with these ingredients, note that it is a great organic soap for men and women. Be careful to avoid soaps with the harmful ingredients mentioned above.
Quality Performance
Does the soap have the cleansing power you need? Is it lathering enough? Have you experienced dryness after using it? These are the questions you need to answer to make sure the soaps have quality performance for you.
Sustainability
Consider brands that use sustainable practices, such as sourcing organic ingredients and using eco-friendly packaging. These brands offer non-toxic soap bars and make it no worries for you to check for ingredients and performance!
Best Non-Toxic & Natural Hand Soap Brands
Are you ready to learn more about non-toxic and natural hand soap brands? Don’t miss saving our list!
Scents: Essential oil scents like lavender, citrus, and rosemary (also available fragrance-free)
Made Without: Parabens, sulfates, dyes, triclosan, and harsh chemicals
Price: From 7$
Sustainability: Uses recycled paper packaging, cruelty-free
Meliora's natural hand soaps offer a variety of essential oil scents like lavender, citrus, or rosemary, or fragrance-free options for sensitive skin. Their commitment to clean ingredients ensures a gentle wash without harsh chemicals. This brand also offers some natural cleaners for a healthier home.
Scents: Watermelon, cucumber mint, and coconut vanilla (also available fragrance-free)
Made Without: Parabens, sulfates, dyes, triclosan, and formaldehyde
Price: From 7$
Sustainability: Uses recycled plastic bottles
Attitude is famous for its fun scents like watermelon and cucumber mint. They also offer natural fragrances like coconut vanilla and a fragrance-free option for sensitive skin. If you are looking for an affordable and sustainable brand, Attitude should be one of your first choices.
It’s worth mentioning that you can find the best eco-friendly toilet cleaner from Attitude as well.
Scents: Refillable pouches come in scents like lavender, grapefruit, and unscented
Made Without: Dyes, parabens, sulfates, and artificial fragrances
Price: From 18$
Sustainability: Uses aluminum bottles and recyclable pouches, Cruelty-free, vegan
Plaine Products is here to bring more sustainability to your life with refillable hand soap bottles. Choose from calming lavender, invigorating grapefruit, cherry almond, or unscented options. Their focus on clean ingredients and refillable pouches minimizes waste and keeps costs affordable.
If you are looking for the same option on organic face washes, Plaine products have an answer for your needs.
Scents: Classic scents like lavender and cassia (also available fragrance-free)
Made Without: Parabens, sulfates, Palm, dyes, and artificial fragrances
Price: From 13$
Sustainability: Made with organic ingredients, vegan and cruelty-free, Biodegradable
MamaSuds keeps things classic with gentle scents like lavender and cassia, however, you can find fragrance-free options if you don’t like the mentioned scents. Their focus on natural ingredients, use of organic ingredients, and affordable price points make them a popular choice.
Scents: Earthy scents like cedarwood sandalwood and grapefruit bergamot
Made Without: Parabens, sulfates, dyes, and triclosan
Price: From 8$
Sustainability: Uses minimal packaging
Alpine Provisions can be a pleasant choice if you are into earthy scents like cedarwood sandalwood and grapefruit bergamot. Their commitment to clean ingredients and minimal packaging ensures a gentle wash that's eco-conscious.
Scents: Unscented tablets, activated with essential oil blends (customizable scent)
Made Without: Dyes, parabens, sulfates, and triclosan
Price: 12$
Sustainability: Uses aluminum bottles and water-activated tablets, climate-neutral, cruelty-free
Blueland offers a unique approach with unscented tablets that you can activate with essential oil blends for a customized scent experience. They have liquid hand soap as well. Their refillable aluminum bottles and water-activated tablets significantly reduce plastic waste.
Don’t miss to check their dishwasher tablets and laundry detergent sheets too.
Scents: Essential oil scents like peppermint, lavender, and citrus (also available unscented)
Made Without: Synthetic detergents, preservatives, and artificial fragrances
Price: From 5$
Sustainability: Prioritize eco-friendly practices, cruelty-free, fair for life
Dr. Bronner's is a trusted name in natural cleaning, offering a variety of castile soap hand washes. You have the option to choose from exciting peppermint, calming lavender, or uplifting citrus scents, or opt for the unscented option. Their commitment to clean ingredients, concentrated formula, and affordable price make them a popular choice.
Scents: Lavender Blossom, Lemon & Eucalyptus, Sunshower
Many incorporate essential oils for a natural fragrance.
Made Without: Parabens, sulfates, Dyes, Phosphates, and artificial fragrances.
Price: From 3$
Sustainability: Refillable options, Cruelty-free, USDA Certified, Beyond Plastic, B Corporation
Famous for its unique scents, Grove Collaborative offers a curated selection of natural hand soaps from various partner brands. They have Formulated without Phosphates and offer reusable/refillable bottles, making the options even more affordable. Grove Collaborative is a sustainable brand and offers other sustainable products like reusable paper towels.
Hand Washing Tips
Remember the following tips for cleaner hands after washing with soap:
Always wash your hands after using the restroom, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, before eating, and before and after preparing food.
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds to ensure they are clean.
Without soap, you only remove weak, surface-level bacteria.
Rinse your hands thoroughly after applying soap.
Avoid touching your face or other sensitive areas with unwashed hands.
Apply enough soap to create a lather.
Clean between your fingers, including the webbing.
Keep your fingernails trimmed and clean, even if they are short.
Don't share towels to avoid spreading germs.
Wash your hands after handling pets, touching garbage, cleaning up spills, etc.
