All the Best Hand Soaps We’ve Ever Written About

Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang is a fan of this foaming soap that she first picked up years ago at aJapanesesupermarket and liked so much that it has held a permanent spot by her sink ever since. “I like buying household products at foreign supermarkets and drugstores — mainly for the visual interest,” she says. Shabondama stood out with the high-contrast graphic design of its label and bottle shape. In addition to its unique aesthetic, the soap is fragrance-free, lathers well, and rinses clean, according to Yang, plus she likes that you can buyrefill pouches.

Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa first used this mechanic soap at a climbing gym, taking note of its “subtle” and “not strong or nauseating” orange scent and little bits of pumice that “helped scrape away chalk debris and dirt.” He bought this giant pump bottle of the stuff after waxing a pair ofbootsand realizing that thedish soapand Dial he had at home weren’t enough to clean thewaxoff his hands. Now he uses it a couple times a week after “working with soil forplantsor working on or cleaning mybike,” noting that it doesn’t contain any alcohol, “so it won’t sting any cuts you have,” and doesn’t dry out his hands. “It almost excites me to do projects that get my hands dirty, because it means I’ll have an excuse to use this soap,” Rellosa says.

Handwashing isthe best wayto kill germs, but you might not always have access to asink. Rellosa recommends Rock Doctor, a foamy water andsoapmix that’s compressed in a can. Hesayshe uses one spray on his hands and rubs them together as usual — after the foam liquifies, he just wipes off with atowel. Rellosa keeps multiple bottles in his car,campingbin, andclimbingbag, and he’s constantly pitching the soap to his friends. “It’s such a simple, effective way to keep your hands clean,” he says. Each can contains about 250 washes,accordingto the brand.

If you prefer abar soapto a liquid one, dermatologist Jennifer MacGregor of Union Square Laser Dermatologyrecommendsthis ultra-gentle, unscented option from Dove, as it doesn’t contain harsh ingredients orfragrancesthat could possibly irritate your skin.

If you want to be transported to a Tuscan summer every time you wash your hands,Hannah Traore, founder and director of Hannah Traore Gallery on the Lower East Side, highly suggests this glycerin-and-olive-oil-based soap. “I’ve tried multiple scent,s and they are all magnificent, but my loyalties lie with Zagara (Orange Blossom).” Those loyalties are so deep that the scent is also her perfume, and she carriesthe roll-onin her purse at all times. You can save $3 if you forego the adorably chic packaging that looks like a little takeout container.

Specifically formulated for use in thekitchen, Fruits & Passion’s Cucina collection is made from biodegradable cold-pressedolive oiland other olive-derived ingredients. It was recommended by multiple people we spoke to, and Sea Salt and Amalfi Lemon was the standout scent. Esthetician andStälle Studiosfounder Elizabeth Grace Hand says the soap “leaves my hands extremely soft and smelling like the Mediterranean Sea.” The three-person team behind Instagram shopping account@thebuyguideenthusiastically recommends it to their170,000followers after discovering it during the height of the pandemic and realizing it didn’t dry out their hands like other soaps do.

Named after a cluster of islands near Stockholm that are known for their lush greenery, the & Other Stories Fjäderholmarna hand soapwon overthe Cut’s former beauty director Kathleen Hou during the peak handwashing era of 2020. The brand brought in Byredo creator Ben Gorham to consult on its bath-and-body scents. Hou singled out the verbena-based Fjäderholmarna for its “lemony green” aroma that “doesn’t make me think of Mr. Clean butdoesmake me think of leaning into a lemon tree to pick one straight off a branch.” She describes the lather as “fluffy” and praises the soap for never leaving her hands dry or cracked.

Choosing a multiuse soap can help you clear up space on the countertop, and this Mangiacotti works for washing bothdishesand hands. Robyn Coval, co-owner and vice-president of Bowery Kitchen Supplies,recommendedthisplant-derived soapto us when we were searching for the best products for cleaning cutting boards. She says her customers and co-workers love using the “clean, bright, and fresh” formula for washing their hands, too, thanks to the moisturizing coconut extract and anti-inflammatory vitamin E. “We can’t keep it in stock,” Coval says.

Art director Sandrine Somésaysshe’s obsessed with these handmade bars from SSSoaps that “smell amazing.” They’re designed and crafted inToronto, and she says they’re the culmination of the founders’ years of experimentation withnatural ingredientssuch as charcoal and clay, as well as essential oils like blood orange, lemongrass, and cedar wood. All their soaps are free of animal products and testing.

When we asked actress Mae Whitman about herfavorite things, she called this attractive, antimicrobial soap from Golda super-relaxing and perfect for freshening up. “I wash everything with it andtravelwith the soap because obviously it’s easier than liquids,” Whitman says. Because it’s so recognizable for its spherical shape and unmissable scent, we added it to ourlistof status-worthy hand soaps. (Aubrey Plazais also a fanof the brand).

“I used to hate washing my hands — it’s so boring! That all changed once I discovered this soap,”Lovewriter Lesley Arfinsaysof this one from La Compagnie de Provence that comes in a “simple and pretty” glassbottle. The moisturizing liquid is made with coconut oil and has the scent of fresh-cutroses, according to thebrand, and Arfin says she likes that you can orderrefills. “Sometimes I do a little bathroom drive-by, skip thetoiletbusiness altogether, and just let my hands live it up,” she says.

Strategist-approvedfragrance brandD.S. & Durga(which makes an excellent, non-cheesy rose perfume) has expanded on its best-selling, cult-favoriteBig Sur After Rain candlewith a hand soap that is officially my new favorite format of the scent. A perfect example of the brand’s immersive scents and stories, Big Sur After Rain is inspired by the post-rain smell of eucalyptus groves along California’s Highway 1. The moisturizing and refreshing formula contains vitamins C and E, glycerin, green-tea leaf, andhyaluronic acid. While working on this story, I kept six different hand soaps on my bathroom counter, and this was the one I reached for most often. The ever-so-slightly-thick consistency left my hands noticeably more nourished compared to other gel hand soaps, and I couldn’t get enough of the scent. If you want a luxury, quality fragrance and don’t mind a plastic pump, this one is it.

New York–based stylist Mecca James-Williamsrecommendsgiving this orange, sage, and cedarwood hand wash from Grown Alchemist as a housewarminggiftbecause “there is nothing that tells you more about someone’shomethan the soap in their bathroom,” she says. Because the liquid contains coconut oil and vitamin E, it gently cleanses while hydrating,according to the brand. (Strategist beauty writer Rio Viera-Newtonhas also written about the brand).

Aesop’s place in the landscape of hand-soapshas been on our mind since 2018, and while some folks have moved on in search of a new class of status suds, the brand still has its loyalists. According to New York–based writer and influencerJenny Cipoletti, this is “the hand soaps of all hand soaps.” Formulated with botanical extracts and very finely milled pumice stone, “it’s probably the chicest thing you can have waiting for guests in your powder room.”Jess Krux, a chef and nutritionist, names Aesop soap as her all-time favorite, comparing it to “a magical exfoliating massage every time you rub your hands together.” There are three things Krux looks for in a soap — texture, moisture, and scent — and the Reverence variety checks all three boxes, making her hands feel great and smelling like “a midday jaunt into the lush wild citrus fields in Northern California after a warm rain shower.”

Molly Hart, founder of sustainable-lipstick brandHighr Collective, says this “sensorial” hand soap from Cowshed “smells likeSoho House.” The brand shares a founder, Nick Jones, with the members-only social clubs, and he launched it in the late ’90s for use at his first spa. It’s moisturizing enough to soothe Hart’s “overly anti-bac’d hands.” With notes of grapefruit, bitter orange, and lavender, the fragrance was developed using ingredients from the Victorian garden on the spa’s grounds in Somerset, England. Cowshed sellsa matching hand cream, though according to Hart, your hands won’t even need it.

“I’m obsessed with the steam-room nostalgia of Flamingo Estate’s hand soap,” says writer and former magazine editorPhillip Picardi. Scented with clary sage, eucalyptus, and rosemary, the gel cleanser is “gentle enough for multiple washes throughout the day, but the mix of oils means that pleasant scent will linger in the air and on your skin in a delightful way,” Picardi says. Plus the aluminum packaging and pump were designed without springs or pins, making them fully recyclable and reusable.

New Yorkdeputy editor Alexis Swerdloff was given this soap by someone who’d noticed it at the L.A. home of his “most fashionable friend.” She says it “looks beautiful and smells expensive” — which it is — with a mild muskiness that isn’t overbearing. And the feel is just right: “not too heavy but not so thin as to feel insubstantial.”

It’s nearly impossible to use this soap without commenting on the striking glass bottle, the amber hue of the soap with flower petals floating throughout, or the intoxicating scent. Its primary ingredient, calendula, is known for its wound-healing, antiseptic, and soothing properties, making it an excellent salve for overworked hands. The addition of clove and palo santo make it smell like you just litincenseevery time you use it — a particularly appealing benefit inbathrooms— and you can reactivate the scent post-washing by rubbing your hands together. I love giving this soap as ahostorhousewarming gift.

One of the original status hand soaps, Byredo’s luxury hand wash maintains a cult following despite its nearly unrivaled price tag. Schaefer describes the appeal of the brand as “the ideal of what fragrance should be” with scents that are “distinctive but not weird.” The soaps are offered in signature Byredo scents — like Suede, which purportedly smells like the brand’s leather handbag, and Tulipmania, inspired by the great Dutch tulip-bulb frenzy of the mid-1600s. Each is housed in a translucent velvet-matte pump bottle that can elevate any sink. (Although it’s worth noting that the extended staying power of the scents may not be for everyone, as some folks could find it off-putting — particularly while eating.)