Alright, let's be clear here: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Scented Hand Soap is not actually an organic or even a 100% natural product. But it's made using 98% naturally derived ingredients, and that's pretty darn close. Also, if you want truly clean hands, as in hands free of dirt and grime as well as microbes, you really do want to allow a bit of chemical cleaning.
The unique, refreshing scent of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Scented Hand Soap will invigorate you even as the soap lifts away dirt and kills off germs, and the aloe vera and olive oil used in the formula will leave your fresh-smelling skin hydrated and nourished, too.
What you won't find here are parabens, phthalates, artificial colors, or animal testing. Also, the bottle is partially made with recycled plastics, so that's nice, too.
Mrs. Meyer's liquid hand soaps lather up quickly, and the scent left behind is mild but lingering. How do I know all that? Well, you'll hear later in the article about how we use Method in one of our bathrooms. Guess what brand you'll find in another? Yeah, you guessed right: This one.
A product reviewer from TreeHugger loved that Mrs. Meyer's soaps manage to be effective while still being "biodegradable," also noting that they "do not contain ammonia, chlorine or phosphates.
Pros: 98% naturally derived ingredients, great scent, earth-friendly brand
Cons: Can leave skin feeling dry
The first thing you'll notice about a bottle of Softsoap Coconut and Warm Ginger Liquid Hand Soap is that it's larger than most other hand soap dispensers. While a common size is 7.5 ounces, these bottles hold 11.25 fluid ounces of soap. Second, you'll notice that when you order a six-pack of these soaps, you pay about three bucks per unit, a common price for pre-filled soap dispensers. So do the math, and you'll realize that you're effectively getting 22.5 ounces of soap for free thanks to the large bottle size.
In case that was confusing, let me be clear: This is cheap hand soap. But it's cheap in price only. Softsoap is trusted by families, schools, offices, and other locations all around America not only because of its price but also because it works well. That claim is backed up by dermatologist testing.
As for the sweet coconut and warm ginger aroma, some people find it a bit too intense, but most people love it. I know I do — I've used this stuff countless times.
Pros: Low price, does not leave a residue, trusted brand
Cons: Scent too cloying for some people
I'm not a huge fan of lotions, to be honest. In fact, I kind of hate the way creams feel on my hands, and I avoid using them as much as possible. But I'm also no fan of dry skin. Thus you can imagine my pleasant surprise when my wife introduced me to Jergens Extra Moisturizing Cherry-Almond Hand Wash. And by "introduced" I mean that's the stuff that happened to be in her bathroom all those years back when we were dating.
This stuff is hand soap first and foremost: It cleans the grease or grime off your hands and kills off germs in the process. But it is infused with Jergens moisturizing lotion and leaves your hands feeling supple and nourished, yet without that vaguely oily, clammy feeling that lotion leaves behind when used on its own.
So whether you hate applying lotion to your hands after washing or if you don't much mind it but would just as soon save time and make cleaning and moisturizing a one-step process, this stuff a great go-to.
Truth be told, I'm not a fan of the scent, but I love the hydrated skin without the need for lotion application.
Pros: Highly moisturizing, gentle cleansing, good price point
Cons: Smell off-putting to some
If you've spent much time in hospitals, medical clinics, schools, daycare centers, and other areas prone to heavy concentrations of germs, you've probably already washed your hands with Dial Original Gold Antimicrobial Soap hundreds of times. Each time you used it, you killed off millions of potentially dangerous microbes.
Using this time-tested soap to keep your hands clean may just be the single best way to prevent contraction or spreading of bacterial or viral illnesses, short of moving into a clean room for the cold and flu season.
If you associate Dial soap with dry hands, then don't worry: The brand has addressed that. While still the essentially made using the same old germ-killing formula, Dial Original Gold Antimicrobial Soap is now also infused with moisturizers.
For the record, not only will this low-cost soap kill off microbes, but it also cuts through grease, lifts dirt, and cleans out cuts and scrapes. In fact, many tattoo artists will recommend it as the gentle soap you should use while healing.
Pros: Kills 99.9% of germs, light and pleasant scent, very low cost
Cons: Consumer complaints about packaging are common
In my house, we use Method dish soap, we've used Method laundry detergent, and in one of the bathrooms, we use Method Foaming Lemon Mint Hand Soap. Why only in one? Because our son loves the smell of some soaps and hates others.
Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of foaming hand soaps — I prefer the good old liquid kind — but I readily admit that a big dollop of foamy soap lathers up quickly, and I certainly like the fresh, crisp scent of this soap.
I also appreciate the fact that Method Foaming Lemon Mint Hand Soap is absent of alcohol, aluminum, parabens, and phthalates, and that the formula includes aloe and vitamin E. Also, there's an elegant simplicity to the design of Method hand soap dispensers that looks good there in the bathroom or beside the kitchen sink.
Pros: Lathers up quickly, great scent, handsome and effective dispenser
Cons: Bottle does not last as long as traditional liquid soap
Alright, let's address the elephant in the room right away: Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash is expensive. It sells for about $39 a bottle, in fact. But one 17-ounce bottle will last a single user for many weeks or even months depending on the frequency of use.
The rich, potent, but never cloying aroma of this soap, a scent blending mandarin orange, rosemary, and cedar, will delight you every time you smell it. As for how your hands will feel after washing with this pricey elixir?
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash is formulated with skin-suppling ingredients that can rejuvenate hands dried out by climate, work, or age, leaving skin feeling better and better the more often it's used. And again, that scent.
A writer with InStyle said Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash smells "divine" and "makes your hands soft and smooth."
Pros: Wonderful scent, nourishing formula, handsome bottle design
Cons: Very expensive
Everyone wants healthy, smooth skin, but it's not always easy to attain during the winter months, when harsh winds and dry indoor heat can cause serious damage. The solution to winter-induced dry, dull, flaky skin? Use a good moisturizer.
The best lip balmSo many lip balms rely on the placebo effect — they feel nice, but don't actually do much for your lips. That's why we made it our mission to hunt down the products that lock in moisture, prevent flaking, heal cracks, and protect your lips from the elements. These are the best lip balms.
The best hand creamsWhen it comes to dry, irritated, and chapped skin, fast-acting and effective moisture is important. Unfortunately, you can go through dozens of products before you find the right cream. These are the best hand creams you can buy for dry skin.
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