Now more than ever, we understand the importance of frequently washing our hands. And in washing often (and for longer intervals each time), we also better understand the importance of having a high quality, nourishing and hydrating formula. Because if you’re going to constantly cleanse and rinse your skin, you need the best hand soap out there — something that replenishes lost oils and keeps skin strong but supple.
The easiest solution is to push drugstore soaps aside, and to prioritize top-shelf solutions that deliver on a promise of cleanliness, softness and firmness. They build a lather without breaking down the skin’s moisture barrier, and they’ll in turn save you money on restorative hand lotions (not to mention the pain and annoyance of dry, chapped hands).
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Having a quality hand soap is even more imperative in winter, when the cold, dry air also impedes on skin’s moisture levels. Suddenly, a simple warm-water wash can double as a disinfectant and moisture boost.
If you’re searching for a soap that hits these marks, then scroll below — we’ve got 10 of the best hand soaps on the market right now, in both liquid and bar options.
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Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash
This list can’t exist without Aesop’s Resurrection hand soap at the top of it. It combines a trio of oils — mandarin rind, cedar and rosemary leaf — for a crisp and woody jolt to the senses, as well as a soothing rinse. It also employs extracts of orange, rosemary and lavender to soften and calm the skin. If this soap stands proudly on your sink ledge, then your guests know they’re in good hands.
C.O. Bigelow Lemon Hand Wash
C.O. Bigelow Lemon Hand Wash
C.O. Bigelow’s hand wash uses oils and extracts of lemon, which lather the skin with a shot of skin-smoothing Vitamin C. Not only does it clean hands, but it also helps brighten, firm and soften the skin — almost like a lotion and soap in one.
Grown Alchemist Hand Wash - Sweet Orange, Cedarwood & Sage
Grown Alchemist Hand Wash - Sweet Orange, Cedarwood & Sage
Oils of coconut, camellia seed and rosehip combine in Grown Alchemist’s aromatic blend. Together they hydrate, soothe and clean your hands. Nutrients from fennel seed and sea buckthorn berry further nourish, while the scent of sweet orange, sage and cedarwood help melt away stress.
Common Good Hand Soap
Common Good Hand Soap
Available in lavender, bergamot or unscented, this biodegradable hand soap from Common Good eliminates bacteria but leaves your skin feeling fresh and moisturized.
Claus Porto Guest Soap
Claus Porto Guest Soap Box
If you’ve got a soft spot for aesthetics, then Claus Porto is your go-to (not that any brand here is slouching in that department). While their liquid soaps are stellar and their larger bar soaps are equally eye catching, we especially love these various macaron “guest soaps” which add a pop of color and olfactive excellence to your bathroom sink.
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Caldrea Hand Wash Soap, Tangelo Palm Frond Scent
Caldrea Hand Wash Soap, Tangelo Palm Frond Scent
This fragrant hand soap from Caldrea is made with a nourishing blend of olive oil, aloe vera and essential oils that both cleans and moisturizes the skin. And because its formula is so gentle, it’s also great for washing delicate clothing items.
Marseille Liquid Hand Soap
Marseille Liquid Hand Soap
Made with natural oils, sea water, ash and lye, this liquid hand soap from Marseille’s oldest soap factory, Fer à Cheval, is hypoallergenic, organic and free of parabens, petrochemicals and preservatives. Its light scent and moisturizing quality make it a winner for frequent hand washing.
Sachajuan Shiny Citrus Hand Wash
Sachajuan Shiny Citrus Hand Wash
Swedish beauty brand Sachajuan — best known for its A+ hair care — continues its full-body takeover with this soothing, crisp hand soap. It has a citrus and jasmine scent, and uses a natural emulsifier (guar beans) to build a soft, nourishing lather.
Le Labo 'Bergamote 22' Bar Soap
Le Labo 'Bergamote 22' Bar Soap
There aren’t enough great things to be said about Le Labo’s unisex scent, Bergamote 22. It’s a crisp, woody and musky fragrance that turns heads and soothes its recipients. And this palm- and olive-oil bar soap incorporates the scent. It turns your bathroom into an aromatherapy spa, and can be used on the body or hands. We suggest using it as a hand soap to make it last longer, since you’re going to want to savor it.
REN Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp And Magnesium Energising Hand Wash
REN Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp And Magnesium Energising Hand Wash
Magnesium and kelp are two things you never knew you needed in a hand soap. REN’s formula brings them to the forefront, and for good reason. Magnesium is soothing on conditions like eczema, and it improves the skin’s moisture barrier. Kelp further moisturizes and nourishes, while loading the skin with antioxidants.
MALIN+GOETZ Eucalyptus Hand & Body Wash
MALIN+GOETZ Eucalyptus Hand & Body Wash
You can put this in your shower or on your sink ledge, and we like it both ways. MALIN+GOETZ’s formula is packed with amino acids to preserve the skin’s moisture barrier and to defend against toxins. This soap also uses eucalyptus oil to give skin a refreshing tingle (and to tickle the senses, too).
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Oribe Côte d'Azur Revitalizing Hand Wash
Oribe Côte d'Azur Revitalizing Hand Wash
Oribe’s signature Côte d'Azur scent sends you straight to the French Riviera, while this hand soap sends germs straight into the afterlife. It flushes away grime and soothes hands with a blend of oils: sweet almond, meadow foam, starflower, jasmine and grape seed. Together they keep skin soft and supple, while lemon peel extract carefully cleanses.
Bastide Figue d'Ete Provence Liquid Hand Wash
Bastide Figue d'Ete Provence Liquid Hand Wash
Speaking of France, Bastide hails from the heart of Provence — where soap making is practically a sport. This recipe touts a fresh fig scent, and uses a blend of coconut and olive oils. It leaves your hands buttery soft, as if you passed a Marseille-milled bar of soap through your grip.