The Best And Worst Hand Soap Brands On The Market
Throughout the day, people wash their hands for all sorts of reasons. The thing is, not all hand soaps are great for a person's skin. According to experts, some soaps are fine and have moisturizing properties, while others can cause rashes and irritate the skin.
The next time hand soap shopping is on the agenda, keep these upcoming brands in mind.
Worst: Softsoap Aquarium
The exterior of Softsoap Aquarium might look appealing, but it isn't a great soap to use. This particular hand soap contains ingredients that aren't great for skin, including Cocamidopropyl betaine, BHT, and SLS.
According to PubChem, "Cocamidopropyl betaine may cause allergic reactions and skin sensitivity and has been suspected to be a possible environmental toxin."
Worst: Triclosan Soaps
While the ingredients triclosan and triclocarban are largely banned in the United States, they still slip into some hand soap brands, such as Dial and Softsoap. There are multiple concerns revolving around the two agents, including increased hormonal levels and skin allergies.
According to Mayo Clinic, "In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that triclosan is not generally recognized as safe and effective for antiseptic products intended for use in health care settings."
Worst: Method Pink Grapefruit
Method Pink Grapefruit hand soap might smell nice, but there is a risk associated with the "fragrance." The company uses the blanket term, and only they know exactly what the "fragrance" ingredients entail.
This soap also contains Methylisothiazolinone. According to the International Agency of Research on Cancer, "Methylisothiazolinone is a probable human carcinogen." This means it can potentially cause cancer.
Worst: Simple Pleasures Hand Soap in Coconut Lime
It might smell like summer in a bottle, but Simple Pleasures Hand Soap in Coconut Lime contains an unknown "fragrance" and Methylisothiazolinone, both of which are not great for anyone's skin.
The former contains unknown ingredients while the latter agent, according to the FDA, is known to cause numerous allergic reactions.
Worst: Softsoap Coconut & Warm Ginger Hand Soap
In any other circumstance, both coconut and ginger are great for people's immune systems and skin, just not when it comes to Softsoap Coconut & Warm Ginger Hand Soap. This hand soap contains both Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine.
According to the FDA, both of these ingredients are known skin irritants and should be avoided.
Worst: Nature's Gate Liquid Hand Soap in Oatmeal
The brand might sound legitimate, and oatmeal tends to soothe skin, but don't let Nature's Gate Liquid Hand Soap in Oatmeal make its way into a shopping cart. This hand soap is known to contain some ingredients that may cause irritating skin reactions.
One such ingredient is sodium hydroxide, a known skin irritant that has been deemed "toxic" by government agencies in Canada.
Worst: Jergens Lotion Enriched Cream Hand Soap
For the people who trust the smooth skin that comes from Jergens Lotion Enriched Cream Hand Soap, don't. This soap contains numerous chemicals that are horrible for both the skin and a person's immune system, namely parabens methylparaben and propylparaben.
According to PubChem, "parabens have been under close scrutiny for years because of a possible link to breast cancer. This link isn't strongly supported, but some people still have a fear of parabens."
Worst: Bath & Body Works Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps
Bath & Body Works is notorious for its numerous fragrances, a blanket term that's never defined in its list of ingredients. If that wasn't bad enough, the Deep Cleansing brands make micro-abrasions in the skin, allowing harmful chemicals to penetrate deeper faster.
One of these chemicals is Diazolidinyl Urea. According to ewg.org, there is strong evidence that this chemical is a human toxin and allergen.
Worst: Jergens Extra Moisturizing Cherry-Almond Hand Wash
Sadly, the popular brand of Jergens Extra Moisturizing Cherry-Almond Hand Wash is one of the worst on the market. This hand soap contains numerous chemicals that are horrible for skin allergies, including Cocamidopropyl Betaine.
According to Dermatitis medical journal, Cocamidopropyl Betaine is an allergen that has increased sensitivity in humans by 7.2% over the years.
Worst: Softsoap Black Raspberry & Vanilla Hand Soap
For many people, Softsoap used to be a go-to brand. Now, steer clear of Softsoap Black Raspberry & Vanilla Hand Soap, as it contains harmful ingredients such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
According to the David Suzuki Foundation: One Nature, "Depending on manufacturing processes, Sodium Laureth Sulfate may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. The International Agency for Research on Cancer [considers] ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and 1,4-dioxane as a possible human carcinogen.
Worst: Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Kitchen Lemon
Both "anti-bacterial" soap and a "kitchen lemon" scent are appealing to many people. But those people should think twice before purchasing Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Kitchen Lemon.
This soap contains harmful chemicals such as Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Triethylene Glycol. A study in An Bras Dermatol states people are becoming increasingly sensitive to the former ingredient while a study in Epidemiology saw a higher rate of birth defects in mothers who've used products containing Triethylene Glycol.
Worst: Jason Calming Lavender Hand Soap
Even though Janson markets itself as being "all-natural," that's not entirely true. Jason Calming Lavender Hand Soap contains multiple chemicals that aren't great to put on human skin, namely Hydroxycitronellal and Lilial, commonly found in calming lavender.
Studies down in the EU found that the former chemical causes skin and eye irritation while the latter has been banned due to everything from dry skin to dermatitis.
Worst: Up & Up Gentle Skin Cleanser
The term "gentle" shouldn't fool anyone. Up & Up Gentle Skin Cleanser contains the harmful chemical Butylparaben, a paraben. A 2016 study done by the Technical University of Denmark saw negative effects while administering the chemical to test subjects.
Their study showed that, in rats, the reproductive systems of both males and females were stalled.
Worst: Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap In Japanese Cherry Blossom
Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Japanese Cherry Blossom might have the word "gentle" in the title, but it is anything but. This soap contains two ingredients that are linked to dryness, irritation, and contact dermatitis -- Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone.
It also contains Lilial, an ingredient that is banned in the UK.
Worst: Dial Liquid Antibacterial Hand Soap Gold
Dial is a popular brand among consumers. Sadly, the Liquid Antibacterial Hand Soap Gold is not a hand soap people should trust. While the "fragrance" tends to be an issue for those with sensitive skin, the soap also contains Butylphenyl Methylpropianol, aka Lilial.
This ingredient is known to cause dry skin and horrible allergic reactions.
Best: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Hand Soap Lemon Verbena
Mrs. Meyer's is becoming widely more popular with its use of natural ingredients. There is no "fragrance" here, only essential oils, rosemary, aloe vera, olive oil, and other plants that keep the soap smelling fresh and feeling light.
The company is very eco-friendly, with the bottles even being designed so harmful chemicals don't expel into the product.
Best: Everyone Hand Soap, Lavender + Coconut
Everyone Hand Soap, Lavender + Coconut is another brand that is making headway in the market. Eco-friendly and cruelty-free, this particular soap s completely free of phthalates, dyes, harsh chemicals, and parabens -- pretty much everything linked to skin irritation!
The company makes a slew of great-smelling soaps, including Lavender + Coconut and Spearmint + Lemongrass.
Best: Sally B's Skin Yummies Foaming Hand Soap, Unscented
Sally B's Skin Yummies Foaming Hand Soap, Unscented is known to make a product free of artificial ingredients that will irritate a person's skin. Using all-natural organic ingredients, Sally B's hand soap is one of the better (albeit pricey!) soaps on the market.
There are no mysterious "fragrance" chemicals found here!
Best: Be Green Bath & Body Citrus Hand & Body Soap
Be Green is a company that cares about its products, creating hand soap that is eco-friendly and good for the skin, particularly sensitive skin.
Using non-toxic and clean ingredients, people with pre-existing skin conditions don't have to worry about something like eczema getting worse because of mysterious "fragrance" chemicals in the ingredients.
Best: ATTITUDE Baby Natural Foaming Hand Wash
One of the better hand soap brands on the market is ATTITUDE Baby Natural Foaming Hand Wash. With hypoallergenic and safe ingredients, this soap is both PETA certified, and dermatologist tested.
Great for people with sensitive skin, this soap excludes harmful ingredients such as synthetic fragrances, SLS, triclosan, formaldehyde, SLES, and more.
