I tested 12 top clean and natural hand soap brands to find the winners! These are made with the safest ingredients without any parabens, phthalates, triclosan, dyes or MIT. Keep reading to learn how to find the best one, which ingredients to avoid and my favorite non-toxic hand soaps compared!

How to find the best non-toxic hand wash

Ingredients to Avoid

Sulfates: Sulfates, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), are commonly included in personal care products to create foam but are known to cause irritation. It’s best to avoid in something you use frequently like hand wash.

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: These are known irritants and corrosive agents at high concentrations. Repeated exposures can result in severe burns, persistent dermatitis, and ocular damage.

Perchloroethylene or “PERC”: This substance is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.

Parabens: Preservatives like methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben prevent bacteria growth and extend the shelf life of products such as lip balm and lotion. A UC Berkeley study found they can stimulate breast cancer cell growth at low concentrations, suggesting even minimal exposure may lead to cancer.

Phthalates: Used to add flexibility in plastics and improve absorption in personal care products, phthalates are known to disrupt hormone production. A 2018 review linked phthalates to possible negative effects on the male reproductive system.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG): used to enhance the thickness of personal care products and improve their ability to deliver moisture to the skin. But keep in mind the manufacturing process can introduce impurities and by-products, such as ethylene oxides and 1,4-dioxane, which are known to be carcinogenic.

Synthetic Fragrance – Synthetic fragrances can include carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, allergens, respiratory irritants, and neurotoxic substances. “Fragrance” can be actually listed as a single ingredient without disclosing that it may actually contain thousands of different chemicals.

Best Non-Toxic Hand Soaps Compared

I tried Aleavia Natural Hand Wash

I bought Aleavia’s holiday hand soap as soon as it came out! Their hand wash is 100% plant based, made with organic ingredients and is paraben and sulfate free, non-toxic and vegan. It gives a gentle lather and feels incredibly hydrating on my skin. I love that their formulas all contain prebiotics to nourish the skin’s microbiome. Balsam Fir is my latest scent obsession and smells exactly like the holidays, full of warmth and spice from cinnamon bark and balsam fir. I find its liquid gel consistency to feel light and nourishing. Aleavia’s ingredients are always truly natural and high quality and the hand wash is made with organic butters, plant oils, Dead Sea Salt and Sea Kelp. Bonus points for being relatively affordable!

Price: $12.99 for 8 oz
How it feels: moisturizing liquid gel
Key ingredients: Organic coconut oil, Dead Sea salt, organic sea kelp, organic glycerin, organic cinnamon bark essential oil
Scents available: Citrus & Sea Kelp, Balsam Winter
Refills available: No
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Includes sustainably-sourced essential oils

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I tried Beekman 1802 Pure Goat Milk Hand Wash

I find Beekman 1802’s goat milk hand wash to be super simple and ideal for sensitive skin. The consistency is a lot thinner and runnier than other clean hand soaps I’ve tried. It rinses off a lot quicker. The star ingredient is goat milk, which is high in lactic acid, minerals, vitamins A, B3, B12, and D, as well as omega fatty acids to hydrate and nourish skin. They’ve got sooo many different scents but they’re not all natural.

Price: $22 for 12.5 oz
How it feels: thin and runny liquid gel
Key ingredients: Goat milk, jojoba seed oil, glycerin
Scents available: Unscented, Sunshine Lemon, Honeyed Grapefruit, Honey & Orange Blossom, Lavender, Fresh Air, Almond Honey Cookie, Lilac Dream, Coconut Cream
Refills available: No
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Includes sustainably-sourced essential oils

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I tried Blueland Eco-Friendly Hand Soap (refillable!)

I use this for myself and for all my airbnb guests because it’s the most economical hand wash I have. Each bottle lasts forever and I simply pop in a new tablet and add water to refill it. The Starter Set only costs $10 and comes with their beautiful glass bottle and three tablets. After that a refill only costs $2.25. Their formula is made without parabens, phosphates, ammonia, VOCs, chlorine bleach, or phthalates and sourced from vegan, gluten-free and soy-free ingredients. Their fragrance-free one is the safest since the scented ones do use synthetics. But if you must have a fragranced one, my favorite is Iris Agave. The only downside is that it contains no actual skincare ingredients.

Price: $10 for glass forever bottle and 3 tablets
How it feels: comes out as foam
Key ingredients: no special key ingredients
Scents available: Fragrance-free, Iris Agave, Perrine Lemon, Lavender Eucalyptus, Pacific Mist, Evergreen, Toasted Vanilla, Wintry Pine, Sweet Chestnut
Refills available: Yes
✔ Vegan ✔ Leaping Bunny Cruelty-free ✔ Cradle to Cradle Certified™ ✔ EPA Safer Choice

Blueland Website

I tried Homecourt Liquid Hand Wash (Luxe!)

Homecourt is the only hand wash brand in this list with scents that aren’t entirely made of essential oils, but they are sooo good. For anyone who wants to impress guests while hosting them through the holidays I would def recommend their scent Cece. I’ve lost count how many times my guests have complimented my Cece products.

Their hand wash contains moisturizing Argan oil, hydrating Australian hibiscus flower extract as well as coconut-derived surfactants to cleanse without irritating skin. It’s a nicely thick and moisturizing liquid gel consistency that leaves a lasting scent that lingers longer than most hand washes. I also tried their Balsam Fireplace holiday scent and it’s super festive but Cece is still my all-around fave.

Price: $32 for 12 oz
How it feels: thick and moisturizing liquid gel
Key ingredients: Australian hibiscus flower extract, Argan oil
Scents available: Cece, Cipres Mint, Steeped Rose, Neroli Leaf, Mandarin Basile, Balsam Fireplace
Refills available: Yes ($84 for 33.8 oz)
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Includes sustainably-sourced essential oils

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I tried Kosmatalogy Foaming Hand Soap

Kosmatology and Blueland are the two foam hand soaps I tested and if I compare them, Kosmatology’s foam feels more moisturizing and thicker while Blueland is thinner and more airy. Also, Kosmatalogy’s is scented with 100% essential oils while Blueland’s scented variants are not all natural. Sadly I don’t like Kosmatology’s packaging design but I appreciate how affordable it is at under $10. I find their Lavender Bliss scent very fragrant and relaxing.

Price: $9.95 for 8.5 oz
How it feels: comes out as foam
Key ingredients: Organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic essential oils
Scents available: Lemon Lovers, Botanical Bliss, Free & Clear, Herbal Fresh, Orange Sweetness, Goody Goody Grapefruit
Refills available: No
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Made-Safe, Leaping Bunny and PETA Certified

I tried Flamingo Estate Natural Hand Soap

I find this to be the most nourishing and moisturizing all natural hand soap that comes in an actually beautiful sustainable bottle. I love Flamingo Estate’s eco-luxe, made-right-from-the-garden products. Their 100% natural hand soap skimps on nothing and has six times the normal amount of essential oils compared to other natural hand soaps. And I can definitely notice the difference! The smell is insane and transports you right to their garden estate. I rarely see rosehip oil in a hand wash and Flamingo Estate uses the highest quality kind harvested in Patagonia. The rosemary oil is harvested in Italy, lavender and olive oil in California and Babassu Seed Oil is harvested in Brazil.

Price: $44 for 16.9 oz
How it feels: thick and moisturizing liquid gel
Key ingredients: Rosehip oil, Babassu seed oil, Meadofoam seed oil, essential oils
Scents available: Rosemary & Clary Sage, Roma Heirloom Tomato
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ ✔ Palm-free ✔ Packaged in recyclable aluminium

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I tried Rowe Casa Natural Hand Soap

This is a super moisturizing non-toxic liquid hand soap with tooons of nourishing oils. It’s also the only one I’ve tested that contains anti-bacterial colloidal silver! I find that it lathers extremely well and my hands feel thoroughly cleansed and silky smooth. The scent is 100% therapeutic grade essential oils and smells divine.

Price: $14 for 8 oz
How it feels: moisturizing foamy liquid gel
Key ingredients: Colloidal silver, organic glycerin, organic grapeseed oil, essential oils
Scents available: Immunity, Peppermint & Vanilla, Rosemary & Lemongrass, Pumpkin Spice, Christmas Cheer, Kids Hand Soap
Refills available: No
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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I tried Truly Free Natural Hand Soap

I found Truly to be BY FAR the most affordable non-toxic hand soap on the market. This is a very simple and gentle hand wash with just a handful of ingredients. It dispenses as thick foam that effectively cleanses skin without drying it out. Their Aloe Hand Wash is also a great sustainable option with paper refill packets filled with powder that you simply mix with water. There’s no scent. With my code each bottle comes out to less than $6.

Price: $16.95 for 2-pack (each makes 8.5 oz)
How it feels: comes out as foam
Key ingredients: Aloe Vera
Scents available: Unscented
Refills available: Yes
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Includes sustainably-sourced essential oils

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I tried Public Goods Natural Hand Soap

Public Goods is an amazing sustainable everyday essentials brand and their hand soap offers THE best value if you’re a member. Memberships make sense for those who have to shop in bulk for their families. I find this to be a super gentle liquid soap with a refreshing zesty citrus scent. Note that this is the only clean hand wash that contains phenoxyethanol in this list. There aren’t any skincare ingredients but there’s tons of essential oils like orange, geranium, cinnamon, mandarin, nutmeg, petitgrain, rosewood, celery seed, grapefruit and vetiver.

Price: $8.95 for 12 oz (members price) / $15.95 (non-member price)
How it feels: light liquid gel
Key ingredients: essential oils
Scents available: one
Refills available: Yes ($16.95 for 34 oz for members / $24.95 for non-members)
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Made in Canada

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I tried Natural Sloth Hand Soap

I tested Natural Sloth’s all natural hand soap and find this to be amazing for dry hands. There’s a whole lotta oil content in this that feels deeply moisturizing but isn’t greasy at all. It’s got organic sunflower, olive, coconut, and castor oils along with the most fragrant natural scent from organic orange, rosemary, cinnamon and clove essential oils. It comes housed in a hefty, dark glass pump bottle.

Price: $30 for 8 oz
How it feels: creamy and moisturizing
Key ingredients: Organic coconut oil, organic Castor oil, Organic cocoa butter, essential oils, Dead Sea salt
Scents available: Home, Citrus
Refills available: No
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Includes sustainably-sourced essential oils

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I tried Primally Pure Hand Soap

Sadly, this is sooo expensive, which is why I put it towards the bottom of this list, but I love this brand! For reference, Flamingo Estate’s hand soap is the same price and offers more than double the product in a more eco-friendly container.

Price: $44 for 6.8 oz
How it feels:
Key ingredients: Aloe vera juice, coconut oil, essential oils
Scents available: Sweet Floral Sage, Crisp Smoky Woods, Warm Citrus Spice, Cool Citrus Breeze
Refills available: No
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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My Final Verdict

After testing all the top-rated natural hand soaps, my favorites are Blueland (foam), Flamingo Estate and Homecourt. Plus all of them offer eco-friendly refill options. But for those on a budget budget I’d recommend Kosmatology and Truly Free.