More and more people are migrating towards natural hand soaps because of their perceived health benefits. And this makes a lot of sense considering that many commercial hand soaps can have chemicals in them that consumers might not want to be absorbed by their skin. Natural soaps, on the other hand, offer a better solution. They’re capable of cleaning the hands just as well as soaps that are filled with additives, and the hand-washer doesn’t have to worry about what might be in them. Let’s examine a few of these natural hand soaps and see which ones are the best.
Quick Summary of Natural Hand Soaps
Reviews
Puracy Natural Lavender & Vanilla Hand Soap
Puracy is a company that’s been working on creating more natural household products for quite some time, so we weren’t terribly surprised when we discovered this product and found that they had outdone themselves. This product has a thick consistency that’s almost like honey and it works itself into a rich lather that swiftly deals with dirt and bacteria. It’s a product that was specifically created by medical professionals so consumers can wash their hands without having to come into contact with potentially harmful ingredients. This product is free of SLS, SLES, triclosan, petrochemicals, animal by-products, and even perfumes.
So, if this natural hand soap doesn’t contain harmful chemical ingredients, what can be found in it? The ingredients that can be found it in include such plant-based and mineral-based ingredients such as Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, Lauryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Benzisothiazolinone, Purified Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Aloe Barbadensis, Sodium Citrate, Vegetable Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, and Glyceryl Oleate. And let’s not forget that it also contains Vanillin and lavender essential oil to naturally scent it.
We found that this product was hypoallergenic and safe to use as well. All good reasons for people to give this product a try. The one thing that we didn’t like about this product had nothing to do with the soap itself but had to do with the packaging. We found the pump tops a little bit difficult to pop up so they could dispense soap. We eventually got it to pop, but it took a bit of coaxing to get the job done. However, we think that’s only a minor flaw that’s not only the best natural hand soap that we’ve ever used but is probably one of the best overall hand soaps we’ve used. We certainly think that it’s a soap that many people are going to be proud of having in their bathroom or by their kitchen sinks.
- Made with natural ingredients.
- It creates a great lather.
- It cleans very well.
- It has a nice scent to it.
- Tops are difficult to get to “pop” up.
Bessential All-Natural Foaming Hand Soap
Let’s begin the review of this natural hand soap by going over some of the ingredients that can be found in it. Unlike some types of commercial hand soaps, this product isn’t ashamed of its ingredients, so they place it right on the label. According to this product’s label, this soap is made with water, coconut oil, olive oil, Capryl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, vegetable glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice, hemp seed oil, honey, orange peel oil, rosemary leaf extract, Glyceryl Laurate, and citric acid. All of these ingredients come from natural sources so consumers can rest assured that they’re not getting harmful ingredients.
This product is free of parabens, SLS, gluten, alcohol, PEG, and even gluten. It’s a product that’s manufactured out of quality ingredients in the U.S., so no chemicals are hiding in its formulation. It’s a product that’s been formulated by beekeepers and has been approved by beekeepers as well. And it’s a product that’s never, ever tested on animals. And while all of those qualities are admirable, what’s special about this soap is that it does a fine job of cleaning a person’s hand. It’s a product that removes dirt and bacteria and is made with coconut, olive, and hemp seed oil, so it moisturizes as well. It also contains honey, an ingredient that naturally softens hands.
This is most certainly a product that many people are going to enjoy using, particularly since it has an orange scent derived from essential oils. That makes it very pleasant to use. However, even with all of these things we like about this product, we do have to say that there was one thing that we didn’t like: its price. We felt that this product was just a little bit more expensive than some of the other natural hand soaps we’ve tried and reviewed. It wasn’t a whole lot more expensive, but enough to give some people some serious thought about purchasing. In our opinion, despite this product’s higher cost, we still felt that it was a product we felt good about recommending.
- It has an invigorating scent.
- It cleans well.
- It’s made with natural ingredients.
- Costs more than other natural soaps.
Seventh Generation Free & Clean Unscented Soap
Seventh Generation is a company that’s been perfecting its line of all-natural household products for quite some time. They’ve been making quality products for over 25-years now, so they’re turned making household products out of plants an art. They’re so good with their process, they can make quality cleaning products that have no synthetic dyes, fragrances or phthalates. They also make products free of chlorine and triclosan as well. Want proof of that statement? If you do, then all you have to do is check out this natural hand soap that they have made. This is a soap that’s free of all of those ingredients, yet is capable of getting hands nice and clean.
This formula is certified by the USDA to be 97% Biobased, so consumers don’t have to worry about harmful chemical agents being absorbed by their skin because this product doesn’t contain any. It’s a hand soap that’s made with plant-based surfactants and cleaning agents, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, and Glyceryl Caprylate. Although it does contain two types of synthetic ingredients—Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate—these ingredients are found in extremely low quantities.
When we used this product, we noticed that it did a great job foaming up and got our hands very clean. We also noticed that it didn’t have a scent like other hand soaps, so there were no fragrances to worry about irritating our skin. If there’s one thing we didn’t like about this product, it was the fact that over time it tended to dry out our hands. Not a huge deal, but it’s still worth mentioning. Overall, it might not be the best natural hand soap, but it does earn a solid position on our list at number three.
- This is inexpensive hand soap.
- It’s made with natural ingredients.
- They may dry out the skin after a while.
- It does contain low-levels of artificial preservatives.
A Guide To Natural Hand Soap
Since more and more people are climbing aboard the natural hand soap train, we thought that we would make their lives a little bit easier by listing some of the ingredients that consumers should avoid when buying one of these hand soaps. Although we could’ve sat on our laurels after we listed the best natural hand soaps, we decided that we wanted to take it a step further, so below are some guidelines that will help all of our readers buy a great hand soap made with natural ingredients.
Ingredients To Avoid When Buying Natural Hand Soaps
What’s more important than what a hand soap contains in it is what the hand soap doesn’t contain. Too many commercial hand soaps fill their products up with artificial fragrances and chemicals. Some of these ingredients are inert and have no known impact on human health, but others may pose serious health risks when used over time. To help our readers know what to avoid when they’re buying hand soap, we’ve decided to list some of the more egregious chemicals that consumers should avoid.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, also known as SLS, is often used in hand soaps as a surfactant. That means that it’s used to increase the foaming power of the soap and to help the soap lower surface tension. With a lower surface tension, dirt and germs are more easily washed away. Unfortunately, this ingredient isn’t just a surfactant, but may also have posed serious health risks. Some of the health concerns that are associated with this ingredient are irritation to the skin and eyes, and potential organ system toxicity. Some studies have also associated this ingredient with reproductive or developmental problems. Therefore, it’s a safe bet that most people are going to want to avoid this ingredient in their hand soaps.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
This ingredient is often listed as SLES and it’s also a surfactant used for making hand soap foam. As is the case with SLS, it unfortunately also has several health concerns associated with it. Some of the possible health concerns attributed to this chemical agent include irritation to the skin, lungs, and eyes, plus possible carcinogenic effects.
Triclosan
Most people are familiar with triclosan as the ingredient used to give hand soaps their antibacterial properties. And in that capacity, this ingredient does its job quite well. Fortunately, consumers no longer have to worry about this ingredient because it was banned by the FDA in 2016. They banned it because it’s believed this ingredient can cause significant hormonal problems and may cause toxicity. Although it’s currently banned in the U.S., in other parts of the world it might still be in hand soaps, so the consumer should remember to avoid products that contain this ingredient.
Parabens
Parabens are another ingredient that’s a big no-no when it comes to not only hand soaps, but also shampoos, conditioners, or other beauty products. The main problem with this ingredient is that it tends to mimic estrogen in the human body. Because it mimics estrogen, it can cause breast cancer, developmental problems, or endocrine disruption in the body. Another reason to avoid this ingredient is that it’s also toxic to the environment once it’s gone down the drain. Therefore, all consumers should avoid parabens. How can you tell if an ingredient is a paraben? If it has paraben at the end of it, then it’s a paraben.
Fragrances
It’s also a good idea to avoid fragrances. Although not all fragrances are harmful, it’s hard to tell whether a product is using a natural or a synthetic ingredient when it’s just listed as a fragrance. That’s because no labeling requirement requires fragrance manufacturers to list their ingredients. Therefore, it’s best for the consumer to choose either an unscented hand soap or use only hand soaps that are scented by essential oils.
Ingredients That Should Be In Natural Hand Soaps
Okay, more than likely, we’ve scared our readers with all of the harmful ingredients that they should avoid when purchasing a natural hand soap, so we decided to go ahead and list some of the more wholesome ingredients that should be found in natural hand soaps. As a general rule, if the hand soap uses the following ingredients in place of the harmful toxic ingredients listed above, then it’s going to be one that they’re going to want to use. Since we’re a little short on space, we’ll just list the wholesome ingredients that most quality hand soaps use.
More Natural Hand Soap Ingredients:
- Honey
- Aloe Vera
- Avocado Oil
- Essential Oils
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- Plant-Derived Glyceryl Oleate
- Rosemary Leaf Extract
- Vegetable Glycerin
- Coconut Oil
- Hemp Seed Oil
- Citrus Peel Oil
- Flaxseed Oil
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Shea Butter
