The 11 Best Hand Soaps of 2023

Best Overall

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap

4.9

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What can we say? We think this popular hand soap is both effective and great-smelling! It's made with plant-derived cleaning ingredients and scented with essential oils. Aloe vera extract, glycerin, and olive oil make it soapy and give it the right consistency to lather up. It's also free of parabens and phthalates.

We love that this well-known brand comes in a variety of scents, so you can find the best one for you. These comforting smells include many that are also part of a line of cleaners from Mrs. Meyer’s. Many of them work well in the kitchen, such as honeysuckle and rosemary. There are also seasonal scents that come out in the fall, winter, and spring. But what we love most is not only how great it smells, but also how it gets rid of messes and dirt when you wash your hands.

Mrs. Meyer’s is a bit expensive for hand soap, but the pleasant scents and formula that's safe for even sensitive skin and noses makes it a great option for most households. There are also foaming options, too!

Price at time of publish: $14 for 3-pack

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 12.5 fl.oz. | Scent: Peony, Compassion Flower, Honeysuckle, Rosemary}

Best Budget

Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap, Fresh Breeze

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This trusted brand of soap is budget-friendly and very effective. It's made without parabens and phthalates and has a light scent. We love that it comes in a convenient pack of six so you can make one purchase for your entire home that will last for awhile. For sensitive noses, there's also an unscented option for those who prefer something without a fragrance. We feel good knowing that these soaps are pH balanced and work to get rid of bacteria on your skin.

These are a bit smaller than some other brands, but we can overlook that, especially because some bottles have additional nourishing ingredients, such as moisturizing aloe vera or milk and honey.

Price at time of publish: $11 for 6-pack

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 7.5 fl.oz. | Scent: Fresh breeze}

Best Splurge

Aesop Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash

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Talk about luxurious! This hand soap smells so amazing, as it's made from botanical extracts. Vetiver root, petitgrain, and bergamot combine for an elegant scent. It also includes tiny bits of pumice stone to exfoliate your hands while you wash. That way, you're left with wonderful-smelling and smooth hands. Aesop describes the overall scent as woody, earthy, and smoky.

It’s not surprising that this formula is quite expensive, which is why we're naming it as Best Splurge. It doesn’t include any disinfecting agents, but it's very effective at cleaning dirt and debris from your hands. When it’s time to refill, buy the slightly cheaper refill option and use the pump from your previous hand soap.

Price at time of publish: $39

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 16.91 fl.oz. | Scent: Vetiver/Petitgrain/Bergamot}

Best Bar Soap

Yardley London Moisturizing Bath Soap Bar

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Sometimes it's best to use a tried and true old school method. This bar soap is moisturizing as well as affordable and effective. It uses shea butter, cocoa, and vitamin E to add moisture to each wash.

Best of all, it's free of parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate, and there are six scents available. We think the cocoa butter is best to work on dry skin. It can also be used in the shower or bath as well as for your hands.

Because it is a bar soap, you’ll need a soap dish or sink caddy to keep it safe. It's unlikely that you will use an entire bar quickly, so you can keep it on hand for months to use by the sink.

Price at time of publish: $2

_{Type: Bar | Amount: 1 | Scent: Cocoa butter}

Best Liquid Soap

Hand in Hand Nourishing Liquid Hand Soap

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There are so many scents from Hand in Hand, which means there are plenty of choices. There are some that are expected, such as lavender or peony, plus a collection of holiday scents. There are even less-common scents, such as cactus blossom and island mimosa. Expect these bars to be made of 100 percent vegan ingredients. The formula uses shea butter and coconut oil for moisture as well as cleaning. 

This is a foaming dispenser, so you may go through it more quickly than you would traditional liquid soaps. But the soap is affordable and an especially great value based on the high-quality ingredients and multiple scent options. You can also get refills, although these are only available in the most popular scents.

Price at time of publish: $13 for 4-pack

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 10 fl.oz. | Scent: Lavender}

Best Foaming

J.R. Watkins Foaming Hand Soap with Pump Dispenser

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We think you can't go wrong with a brand that's been around since 1868. This set of three foaming hand soaps uses plant-based ingredients to clean. There are 15 scents, including some refill pouches. Some of the most popular scents include lemon, agave water, lavender, and white pine. You can get them in a set with three foaming hand soap dispensers or refill pouches. These are meant to be used with J.R. Watkins dispensers, although they work with any foaming hand soap dispenser.

While they don’t have any moisturizing formulas, we noted that these may not be the best for people with dry skin. And even though they come in a set, they are still a bit pricey. The hand soap uses high-quality ingredients (think calendula and oats) — free of dyes, parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde. 

Price at time of publish: $15 for 3-pack

_{Type: Foam | Amount: 9 fl.oz. | Scent: Lemon}

Best Antibacterial

Dial Complete Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap

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This liquid hand soap from Dial gets rid of 99.9% of bacteria when you use it with water and wash for at least 30 seconds. Work up a substantial lather, and scrub your hands for at least 30 seconds for the full antibacterial effectiveness. It comes in a package of four pump bottles, which are each 11 fluid ounces.

While we noted that there aren’t a lot of fragrance options, you can opt for an aloe vera-scented hand soap that also works against bacteria. This soap does use more chemical-based ingredients, but it's still gentle enough for most skin.

Price at time of publish: $12 for 4-pack

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 11 fl.oz. | Scent: Spring Water}

Best for Eczema

Free & Clear Liquid Cleanser

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This Free & Clear soap is an extra-mild formula that is free of many of the irritants that can cause eczema flare-ups. It doesn’t have parabens, sulfates, dyes, fragrances, lanolin, or formaldehyde. It's also non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog pores. To use, all you need to do is wash and rinse, and then pat dry with a towel.

It comes in a slightly smaller quantity than most other cleaners and is a bit more expensive. You can get a larger size, but it costs even more. For those with eczema, however, having a hand soap that is effective without causing flare-ups may be worth the extra cost and protection.

Price at time of publish: $9

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 8 fl.oz. | Scent: Unscented}

Best for Dry Skin

Dove Nourishing Foaming Hand Wash

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There are beneficial ingredients and moisturizers in the Dove Nourishing hand wash. It's also a rich, foaming solution that feels nice on your skin, and it's made with gentle plant-based cleaners. Bonus: It does not include alcohol, dyes, parabens, or sulfates. Plus, it's scented with aloe and eucalyptus.

But while this soap is nourishing, it's also dermatologist-approved and effective at killing 99 percent of bacteria, which is a big plus in our book. That way, your hands feel totally moisturized and clean!

Price at time of publish: $4

_{Type: Foam | Amount: 10.1 fl.oz. | Scent: Fresh}

Best Eco-Friendly

Everyone Lavender Coconut Hand Soap

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This liquid soap is great for the environment and for people with sensitivities to harsh ingredients and chemical fragrances, while still being strong against dirt and germs. It's scented with lavender and coconut from essential oils. It also uses plant-based ingredients for cleaning and sudsing. The packaging is even eco-friendly because it's made with recycled materials.

You may want to secure the top because it can be prone to leaking in shipment. They come in a three-pack of 12.75 fluid ounces with pump tops, and there is also a one gallon refill container that you can use when your smaller containers are empty.

Price at time of publish: $18 for 3-pack

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 12.75 fl.oz. | Scent: Lavender and coconut}