Up until not so long ago, finding a zero waste hand soap was pretty rare! They all used to come in plastic bottles or jugs. Recently a few companies took action on this issue and are now offering a few plastic free hand soaps alternatives.
In this article, I’ve hand-picked (get it?) 15 Eco friendly hand soaps options that will keep our hands clean and our houses sustainable.
I personally love Cleancult’s Blue Sage Liquid Hand Soap. The coconut-based formula is great for sensitive skin and for retaining moisture, all while being completely sustainably sourced and zero-waste.
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Top 5 Zero Waste Hand Soaps
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What zero waste hand soap options are available?
There are a few different variations of environment-friendly hand soaps that you can choose from. Whichever form of soap you currently use in your Eco friendly bathroom is probably also available in a zero-waste packaging. Whether it’s capsules, soap-bars, foaming soap or regular liquid hand soaps.
If you’re on a journey to achieving a zero waste kitchen, you may also appreciate our review articles about Zero waste dish soap, Eco friendly sponges, and zero waste dishwasher detergents.
15 best zero waste hand soaps
If you’re looking to make the switch to a more organic and sustainable house by using zero waste cleaning products, then having a sustainable hand soap on your sink is a great place to start.
1. Cleancult Refillable Liquid Zero Waste Hand Soap
If you’re looking for the best environment-friendly hand soap, look no further than the Cleancult Liquid Hand Soap. The coconut and blue sage formula on this eco-friendly hand soap smells great, cleans effectively, and is tough on dirt and germs.
In addition to all that, it nourishes and moisturizes your hands with Vitamin E and coconut extracts. Other hand soaps strip away moisture from your hands, but the Cleancult Liquid zero waste hand soap is one of the few refillable hand soap brands that add moisture whenever you wash your hands with it, leaving your hands feeling, smelling, and looking great every time. It is GMO-free, made in the USA, and according to reviews, produces some pretty great suds that makes for a satisfying clean.
It comes as no surprise that this sustainable hand soap by Cleancult comes in a biodegradable package, meaning that it contains no plastic whatsoever. All of the refills in this zero waste hand soap range are made with sustainably sourced ingredients and come to you shipped in reduced-waste packaging, topped off with a plant-based cap that is biodegradable.
Use it with a shatter-resistant, rust-free and refillable hand soap dispenser in different color choices (sold separately) for the best hand-washing experience.
Reviews
Reviewers love the looks of the glass dispenser and the great smell of this hand soap in general.
2. Plaine Products Refillable Hand Wash
The Plaine Products Citrus And Lavender Hand Wash is the perfect companion for your bathroom or kitchen needs. Containing no harsh chemical detergents, this pampering natural hand soap cleans tough while leaving a light scent of warm citrus and soothing lavender essential oils on your skin.
Plaine Products Hand Wash is free of any sulfates, parabens, phthalates and palm oil, making it an eco-friendly hand soap for those who are looking to save the environment in small ways. Vegans will love the fact that it is vegan certified, leaping bunny cruelty free certified and contains non GMO ingredients which are designed to biodegrade without any effects to the natural environment.
For those with babies, this sustainable hand soap is hypoallergenic and baby safe to keep your family and loved ones clean and protected. It is free of single-use plastic, which means you’ll be saving the environment while staying clean and protecting yourself from virus transmissions.
Reviews
Reviewers have left favorable comments on this zero waste hand soap, with remarks about the pleasant scent and the plastic free packaging being the most common across the board.
3. By Humankind Eco friendly Hand Soap bar
This hand soap bar by the brand By Humankind is a pretty creative and sleek design and is sure to catch the attention of any guest in your house, or just as a piece of modern design to fit into your eco-friendly bathroom or kitchen.
The cube shape is designed for easier grip and handling when hand washing, and the soap bars – or cubes, rather – are cold processed, allowing it to retain more glycerin that gives it better moisturizing qualities and pH moderation. This is great news for those with sensitive skin.
Byhumankind Individual soap cubes are only ready for shipping after a 5 week curing period, to allow for any excess water to evaporate from the soap. This concentrates the soap and makes for a richer product with the highest cleaning and moisturizing power with the best scent.
Byhumankind biodegradable package that comes with this zero waste hand soap has no single-use plastic involved in shipping, eliminating at least 1.33 oz of single-use plastic waste per bar sold. In addition, By Humankind offsets 100% of their carbon footprint, investing in strategic forest preservation projects for a carbon-neutral effect on the environment.
Reviews
There are no reviews on this product as of time of writing.
4. BlueLand Refillable Hand Soap Tablets
For those who prefer using hand soap tablets, this might be right for you. Each one of the BlueLand hand soap tablets produces 9 oz of foaming soap that leaves your hands completely clean and with a choice of 4 different scents including Iris Agave or Perrine Lemon – smelling great, too.
Formulated without any triclosan, parabens, phosphates or any of that toxic nasty stuff, this natural hand soap is certified Platinum Material Health by Cradle to Cradle, and Leaping Bunny cruelty free certified.
The compostable packaging contains no plastic, making it one of the preferred choices for plastic free hand soap. This soap has also maintained its 5-star review over 9700+ plus reviews, which is an incredibly impressive feat.
Reviews
Customers love the scent of the tablets and the effectiveness of the foam lather with less plastic packaging involved in shipping.
5. Grove Co. Hydrating Sustainable hand soap
Thoughtfully formulated with 97% plant-derived ingredients and 100% natural fragrances, the Grove Co. Hydrating hand soap promises to leave your hands clean and soft with moisturizing aloe vera. It is made without harsh chemicals like triclosan, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, dyes, or synthetic fragrances, making it a great environment-friendly hand soap choice.
This natural hand wash by Grove is USDA BioPreferred program certified to contain at least 97% plant-based ingredients and is scented with no synthetic materials at all. It comes shipped in infinitely recyclable aluminum bottles that eliminate plastic waste – the company itself is committing to be 100% plastic free by 2025.
Reviews
The reviews left on this zero waste hand soap are favorable across the board, with customers loving the moisturizing effects, pleasant smell, and cleaning power from this plastic-free hand soap.
6. CleanCult Plastic Free Bar Hand Soap
A blend of essential oils in each of these, USA made, soaps from Cleancult leaves your skin clean and soft – just like how it feels after a day at the spa. This zero waste hand soap produces velvety and sudsy lather that is safe for all skin types and it can be used on all areas of the body, too.
The soothing scent of bamboo and lily leaves your home with a pleasant smell post-clean that reminds you of the after-rain smell that everybody loves.
It’s recyclable packaging is a cherry on top of the cruelty-free, GMO-free and vegan qualities it possesses. If you’re looking for a hand soap bar that is organic, this one will make you feel good from head to toe.
Reviews
Reviewers enjoy the non-perfumey scent and the tough cleaning yet non-drying characteristics of this soap.
7. Supernatural Concentrated Plastic Free Hand Wash
If you’re looking for cleaning products that focus on reusability, this hand wash concentrate from Supernatural helps you cut down on single-use throwaway plastics that end up polluting oceans and rivers.
This entire set of cleaning concentrates covers all areas of the home – Wood+Floor, Counters+Granite, Glass+Mirror, and Bath+Tile.
It is formulated with non-toxic ingredients, and is packed with a blend of pure and potent botanicals of the highest quality for the most powerful cleaning experience for your home.
Reviews
The reviews on these cleaning concentrates prove that the natural aroma and high cleaning power of this product has left a lasting impression on their customers.
8. Shopetee Plastic Free Liquid Hand Soap
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Shipped in wax like stick pods and a pump dispenser, the Shopetee Lemongrass Liquid zero waste hand soap concentrates create a great refillable hand soap experience that cleans and saves the environment at the same time.
You will have to mix these concentrates with some water however, to create the liquid hand soap.
The pods that these concentrates come in is biodegradable both in compost or in the garbage – making it a good zero waste liquid hand soap choice for those who want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Reviews
Reviews on this product are fairly mixed, with comments about leakage of the biodegradable pods during shipping, placed side by side with comments regarding the great scent and effectiveness of the cleaning it gives.
9. Crate 61 Plastic free hand Soap 6-Pack
The Crate 61 best seller soap is 100% vegan and is scented with natural essential oils. In this 6-pack, you get Avocado grapefruit, Coconut, Lemongrass, Lavender, Eucamint and Seaweed sea salt, which is really value for your money.
Formulated with cold pressed virgin olive oil and unrefined avocado oil, each one of these bar soaps lend a rich and bubbly lather to provide softness and moisturizing qualities to your skin while giving you a pleasant scent that lasts.
The best part? It is packed in fully biodegradable paperboard boxes, making it a great choice for those looking for zero-waste hand soaps.
Reviews
Customers generally love the value for money this hand soap pack gives, and the fragrant smell it produces when used. However, one reviewer left a comment stating that the soap bars tend to shrink faster than expected.
10. Soapply Eco friendly Hand Wash
Using a 300-year old method and recipe that incorporates food-grade organic oils, the Soapply hand wash definitely leaves your skin clean and healthy, with a good balance of moisturizing qualities and cleaning power. Because it comes in refills, it saves loads of waste going to landfills and oceans, while reducing the pollution, emissions and extra costs involved in shipping and packing more boxes.
There are no synthetics, parabens, artificial colors or added fragrances in these soaps – this natural hand soap is made from pure, certified food-grade organic ingredients to give you that peace of mind in your eco-lifestyle.
Reviews
There are no reviews on this product as of time of writing.
11. EcoGirlshop Plastic free Lavender Soap
Formulated with calming lavender essential oil and brazilian purple clay that nourishes your skin, you’ll feel your skin and soul soothed by the calming effects of this hand soap bar from Ecogirlshop. The creamy lather it produces is perfect for sensitive skin, and is sulfate, paraben, preservative and palm oil free with no artificial colors or fragrances used in its manufacturing.
It comes in a choice of either unpackaged or in a recyclable box made out of 100% recycled cardboard, making this plastic-free hand soap a great product for sustainable-focused individuals.
Reviews
A single reviewer commented about the great smell and lather from this lavender bar soap.
12. Turmeric Zero Waste Hand Soap
Fancy a little spice in your life? This fugly turmeric soap will definitely give you some in its bag of banged up soap bars, soap ends and soap chunks. Don’t let the looks fool you however, as these soaps leave your skin looking and feeling absolutely beautiful once you’re done washing your hands with them. The nature of these fugly soaps means that shoppers will get the most bang for their buck and is best for those who don’t mind a little aesthetic sacrifice for the most value.
It is made with organic materials like shea butter, olive oil, castor bean oil and sunflower oil. You can use it on all parts of the body, and is suitable for all skin types. It even comes with a satisfaction guarantee, and you can send it back to Amazon if you’re not happy with the product for a full refund.
Reviews
There are plenty of positive reviews on this hand soap, with many commenters loving the fact that the turmeric formulation helps with treating eczema, acne, rosacea and other superficial skin conditions.
13. Tangie Refillable Liquid Zero Waste Hand Soap Bar
For those who are looking for value, this cost-effective hand soap bar costs only $0.15 per oz, which is an incredible bargain. The 3.5 oz bar can dissolve to make an entire gallon of liquid hand soap, and with its natural extracts and effective oils like coconut, olive oil, pomace, jojoba and aloe vera extract, this natural hand soap does effective cleaning work that’s way above its pay grade. You can also add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oils to give it a preferred scent for your personal use.
Reviews
According to the reviews on Amazon, the most common positive comments focus on the creaminess and moisturizing features of this value for money bar soap.
14. The Good Fill Zero Waste Hand Soap
This hand wash is made synthetic free, cruelty free and comes in 100% biodegradable packaging, meaning it is BPA free and safe even in rivers, lakes and oceans. There are no parabens used in the making of this natural hand soap, and you can choose between two distinct scents – Grapefruit with lemon, and Lavender with rosemary. It is also soy free, gluten free and is made without any palm oil.
Reviews
Reviewers mention that the frequent handwashing with this soap especially during the pandemic has been a great experience because of the gentle yet effective cleaning and pleasant scent.
15. The Refill Shoppe Zero Waste Hand Soap
Ready to start on your journey to a zero-waste lifestyle? These refillable hand soap containers from the refill shoppe is – to quote the product name – a “great place to start”. Everything you will ever need is included in this package, with a prepaid postage envelope that you can use to return your refill pouches and change your preferred scent choices. You get to choose between scents like Blood Orange and Cedarwood, Eucalyptus and Spearmint, Grapefruit and ginger and of course, Unscented as well.
Reviews
There are no reviews on this product as of time of writing.
Which plastic free hand soap to choose?
If you lead a busy lifestyle and are looking for a zero-waste hand soap option that is fuss-free, the Refill Shoppe package will suit your needs the best.
If you’re super into aesthetics and would like to have a natural hand soap that not only works well, but looks good on your soap dish in the bathroom or kitchen, pick the ByHumankind bar soap for a more streamlined and sleek eco-friendly look in your home.
Value seekers can choose the Tangie bar soap – a soap that proves that being eco-friendly and super clean doesn’t have to cost a bomb.
For luxury at a great price, the Cleancult liquid hand soap (with the Cleancult shatterproof glass soap dispenser) will do more than just keep your hands clean – it is a zero waste liquid hand soap that will make your eco-bathroom look super fresh.
Is hand soap bad for the environment?
According to studies made over decades, surfactants like soap and shampoo do not pose a serious risk to the environment as they are rapidly degraded.
What Hand Soap is best for the environment
It has been found that liquid hand soap has 10 times the carbon footprint of that of bar soap, because of the chemicals used and the fact that liquid soap has to be packaged in plastic most of the time. Zero waste hand soap is the way to go when it comes to environmental sustainability.
Is natural soap better for the environment?
Yes. However, the results may not be as significant as you think – however, natural soap poses much bigger benefits to humans because of its non-toxic characteristics.
What is the safest Hand Soap to use
Safe hand soaps are non-toxic and non-GMO manufactured, so that you won’t run the risk of skin irritation or harsh chemicals being used on a daily basis that might affect your health long-term.
What’s the point of foaming hand soap
Foaming hand soap allows you to use up to 16% less water per wash as compared to regular liquid soap. In cases where limited water is available, foaming hand soaps can be lathered up on the hand without prior wetting of the hands, saving you even more water.
Is foam soap better than liquid soap
Foam soap may be economical, but research has shown that it is slightly less effective than liquid soap, as liquid soap lather works and cleans your hands more thoroughly when it is in the process of working to a lather.
How do you keep bar Hand Soap from getting gross
The trick is to keep your bar soaps as dry as possible when not in use. Keep it away from direct streams of water as this will shorten its life while leaving it in a perpetual gooey mess on your soap dish. Let it dry between uses.
Is Dove soap Eco friendly?
In the past, the Dove brand hasn’t exactly been known to use eco-friendly manufacturing procedures when making their soaps. However, in 2019, Dove has promised to move to 100% recycled plastic bottles to prove its commitment to sustainability.
My favorite zero waste hand soap
With all the hand washing that is going on these days, it’s no wonder a moisturizing zero waste hand soap that leaves your hands feeling soft and clean is an essential requirement in our daily lives.
One hand soap that does this and so much more is the Cleancult liquid hand soap, with its all-natural organic ingredients and sustainable packaging – you’ll be saving the earth while keeping yourself clean and safe. The protection and effective cleaning the Cleancult hand soap offers gives you the assurance you need to do whatever you need to in your daily life with the peace of mind that you deserve.
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