It can be quite the challenge to find non-toxic hand soaps that are naturally scented. Even many “clean” brands try to sneak in artificial fragrance and mask it with clever marketing phrases. This post shares my 5 best non-toxic hand soaps that are synthetic fragrance free.
Some of the cleaver marketing phrases that brands use are “made with natural ingredients” and “infused with essential oils.” From my experience, if a hand soap is naturally scented somewhere on the label will read “no synthetic fragrance” or “100% natural ingredients,”
The terms aren’t that different, but they often mean very different things.
What’s so Bad About Artificial Fragrances?
According to Environmental Working Group (EWG) the term “fragrance” or “parfum” can include roughly 3,500 chemicals, so you literally have no idea what is in the product you are using on your body or around your home.
Synthetic fragrance can include benzene derivatives (a known carcinogen), toluene, aldehydes and other known toxins that are linked to allergies, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and even cancer.
Many of these ingredients are endocrine disruptors, The term endocrine disruptor is tossed around but not always explained. The endocrine system regulates hormones, which include reproduction, metabolism, heart rate, sleep/wake cycles, mood and more.
I say that to say hormone disruptors are a big deal and can seriously impact your health. You may be thinking but is a little hand soap really going to hurt?
Honestly, probably not, BUT what about hand soap, shampoo, hair gel, hair spray, body lotion, perfume, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish washing liquid, candles … you get the picture.
If we don’t pay attention, we are literally bathing in and breathing in artificial fragrances all. day. long. and then consider this goes on year after year, and it is absolutely reasonable to see how synthetic fragrances can alter our hormones.
For your serious about making the swap to naturally scented personal care and home products, see my related post, Dangers of Synthetic Fragrance and How to Avoid Them.
Are Natural Hand Soaps Effective?
This is a question that sometimes comes up surrounding the topic of hand soap. Yes, natural hand soaps are very effective at rinsing germs away, which is what soap is actually designed to do. Soap is should not actually kill germs but rinse them down the drain.
Back in 2016, the FDA banned triclosan (along with 19 other chemicals), which is an antibacterial and antifungal agent, because the soaps containing triclosan failed to perform better than simple hand soaps. Triclosan and similar chemicals are also linked to drug-resistant bacteria.
Triclosan is still present in many personal care products, and it is absorbed by the body when used. Another big issue with triclosan is that, like synthetic fragrance, it’s an endocrine disruptor which can negatively impact your health as was discussed earlier in this post.
To sum it up, you want a hand soap with simple ingredients, without artificial fragrances and without antibacterials or antifungals.
What are the best all-natural hand soaps?
To show how difficult the challenge to find naturally scented hand soap can be, I discovered that one of the soaps on my list to highlight contained synthetic fragrance. At least the particular scent I was looking at did.
The brand is Attitude, which I have heard many rave about in a non-toxic group that I’m in. It’s a $12/bottle brand and is even an EWG-verified brand (sigh).
This goes to show that reading the individual label is really the only way to know for sure if a hand soap contains synthetic fragrance. Formulas by the same brand can vary from product to product.
Anyways, onto my five best non-toxic hand soaps that are synthetic fragrance free.
Everyone
Everyone is a brand you can trust. The brand is EWG verified, GMO free, cruelty free, gluten free, triclosan free and synthetic fragrance free. In addition, their products are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested.
The company diverts up to 90% of their waste from landfills, and their packaging is made from recycled material. A plus is that Everyone is on the more affordable end as clean personal-care products go.
I have used their hand soaps and body washes for years. One of my favorite hand soap scents is their spearmint and lemongrass, which is a refreshing scent that’s perfect for spring and summer.
Dr. Bronner’s
The Dr. Bronner’s brand is pretty legendary, and their products are the epitome of multi-purpose. You can dilute most any of their castile soaps and use them as hand soaps, but they also offer sugar hand soaps as well.
Fair warning, they are a pretty penny at least on Amazon. Their 62,000 reviews are pretty impressive though, so I assume it’s an excellent soap.
Most of their other soaps are meant to be diluted with water so be sure to read the instructions. As with most brands, their large refills are the most economical option. This gallon bottle may just be enough soap for an entire year!
Molly’s Suds
When I saw Molly’s Suds made hand soap, I didn’t hesitate. I love, love, love their laundry powder, so I had a feeling their hand soap would also be A+.
Their formula is free of toxins, harsh ingredients and synthetic ingredients that are bad for our health and the environment. They offer four options right now: citrus grove, lavender, peppermint and unscented.
Puracy
Puracy was developed by doctors and biochemists. Their ethically sourced, sulfate-free hand soap is naturally scented with essential oils. The plant-powered hand soap formula is biodegradable and renewable.
Their hypoallergenic formula contains 99.96% natural ingredients, is cruelty free and made in the USA. I’m a fan of the Puracy brand and use a couple of their other products as well. You had me at 99.96! Ha!
365 Whole Foods Market
The Whole Foods 365 brand makes liquid and foaming hand soaps, and they are cheaper than most of the hand soaps in this list. If you buy the bulk refills you can save even more.
My favorite variety is the 365 Anjou pear scent, which has a subtle fruity scent. They also do holiday scents in the winter, which are yummy. Think gingerbread and sugar cookie!
Does Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap use natural fragrance?
I’m so glad you asked :). No, Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap is made with synthetic fragrance despite all of their marketing embellishments. I wrote an entire blog post on this if you want the full scoop. This popular brand dupes a lot of people.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post explains why it’s important to avoid hand soap with synthetic fragrance and gives you some options to do just that. While the soaps in this post are more expensive than traditional, it’s money well spent if you have it.
If you don’t have it, you can opt for a soap with simple ingredients that is unscented. This is a good compromise for anyone on a tight budget. As always, thanks for stopping by!
