What is the healthiest bar soap to use?

The healthiest bar soaps are made with saponified plant oils — typically olive, coconut, shea, or castor — and contain no synthetic fragrance, artificial dyes, parabens, or triclosan. Short ingredient lists are the best indicator of a clean soap. Look for soaps that are either unscented or scented only with essential oils, and made without palm oil (or with certified sustainable palm). Traditional cold-process soaps made by small-batch producers tend to be the cleanest options, as they retain naturally occurring glycerin that commercial soaps often strip out. ⚠️ Please verify against our Natural Soap Guide for specific brand recommendations.

What ingredients should I avoid in bar soap?

The main ones to avoid: synthetic fragrance (listed as “fragrance” or “perfume” — a single term that can represent hundreds of undisclosed chemicals including phthalates), artificial dyes (FD&C or D&C colors), triclosan and triclocarban (antibacterial agents linked to hormone disruption and antibiotic resistance), parabens (preservatives with hormone-disrupting properties), PEGs and propylene glycol (synthetic humectants derived from petroleum), and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in bars where it’s used as a synthetic lathering agent rather than a naturally derived cleanser. A bar soap with five or fewer recognizable ingredients is almost always a safer choice.

Are natural bar soaps as effective as antibacterial soap?

Yes — and the FDA agrees. In 2016, the FDA banned triclosan and 18 other antibacterial chemicals from consumer hand soaps, concluding that they were no more effective than plain soap and water for preventing illness, while carrying potential risks including hormone disruption and contribution to antibiotic resistance. Plain soap works by physically removing pathogens from the skin through the mechanical action of lathering and rinsing — it doesn’t need to kill bacteria to be effective. A natural bar soap used properly is just as effective as conventional antibacterial soap.

What's the difference between natural soap and regular soap?

Most commercial soap bars are technically detergent bars — they’re made with synthetic surfactants, petroleum-derived ingredients, and synthetic fragrance, and the naturally occurring glycerin produced during saponification is typically removed and sold separately. Natural soaps are made through saponification of plant or animal oils, retain their glycerin (which is moisturizing for skin), and use only naturally-derived ingredients. The result is a bar that cleanses without stripping the skin’s natural moisture barrier. ⚠️ Please cross-check specific brand claims against our Natural Soap Guide.

Is non-toxic hand sanitizer as effective as regular sanitizer?

Yes, as long as it uses ethyl alcohol (ethanol) at 60% or higher as the active ingredient. The CDC and WHO both recommend ethanol-based sanitizers as the gold standard. What makes a sanitizer non-toxic is the inactive ingredients — avoiding synthetic fragrance, artificial dyes, and concerning preservatives — not the active ingredient. Benzalkonium chloride-based sanitizers (common in “gentle” or alcohol-free formulas) are less effective against viruses and have more questions around safety. Stick to ethanol-based formulas with clean inactive ingredients for both effectiveness and safety. ⚠️ Cross-check specific brands against our Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer Guide.

Natural hand soap and sanitizer bottles with bar soaps, lavender, and eucalyptus leaves on a neutral background.

Hand Soap & Sanitizers

Sanitizers

Hand Soaps

Bath & Body

Sanitizer Guide 📖

Soap Guide 📖

Bath & Body Guides 📖

Most conventional hand soaps and sanitizers contain synthetic fragrance, harsh surfactants, antibacterial chemicals like triclosan, and preservatives that disrupt the skin barrier. Everything here is chosen for genuinely clean formulations — effective at cleansing without the chemical load.

How to Choose the Healthiest Bar Soap and Hand Wash

1. Bar Soap vs. Liquid Hand Soap

Bar soap is often the cleaner choice. Traditional bar soaps have short ingredient lists, no need for liquid preservatives like methylisothiazolinone, and minimal packaging. The concern that bar soap spreads bacteria is largely a myth — studies show that properly used bar soap does not transfer pathogens between users. Look for bar soaps made with saponified plant oils (olive, coconut, palm-free options are available), no synthetic fragrance, and no artificial colorants.

2. What Makes a Bar Soap Non-Toxic?

The healthiest bar soaps use simple saponified oils — typically olive, coconut, shea, or castor — and are scented only with essential oils or unscented entirely. Avoid soaps with “fragrance” or “perfume” on the label (synthetic fragrance), artificial dyes (often listed as FD&C or D&C colors), triclosan or triclocarban (antibacterial agents banned in some applications but still found in some products), and PEGs or propylene glycol.

3. Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer: What to Look For

Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) at 60–95% is the gold standard active ingredient for hand sanitizers — it’s effective, well-studied, and safe. Avoid benzalkonium chloride-based sanitizers (less effective against viruses, more likely to contribute to antibiotic resistance) and anything with synthetic fragrance or undisclosed inactive ingredients. During the pandemic, the FDA flagged numerous sanitizers for methanol contamination — a reminder that not all sanitizers are equal. Stick to brands with full ingredient transparency.

Read our full Natural Soap Guide and Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer Guide for brand-by-brand breakdowns.

How We Vet

We avoid synthetic fragrance, parabens, triclosan and triclocarban (antibacterial agents linked to hormone disruption), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in high concentrations, PEGs, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and artificial dyes. For hand sanitizers specifically, we look for ethyl alcohol-based formulas with clean inactive ingredients — no benzalkonium chloride, no synthetic fragrance, and no methanol contamination risk.

Hand Soap & Sanitizers FAQs

The healthiest bar soaps are made with saponified plant oils — typically olive, coconut, shea, or castor — and contain no synthetic fragrance, artificial dyes, parabens, or triclosan. Short ingredient lists are the best indicator of a clean soap. Look for soaps that are either unscented or scented only with essential oils, and made without palm oil (or with certified sustainable palm). Traditional cold-process soaps made by small-batch producers tend to be the cleanest options, as they retain naturally occurring glycerin that commercial soaps often strip out. ⚠️ Please verify against our Natural Soap Guide for specific brand recommendations.
The main ones to avoid: synthetic fragrance (listed as “fragrance” or “perfume” — a single term that can represent hundreds of undisclosed chemicals including phthalates), artificial dyes (FD&C or D&C colors), triclosan and triclocarban (antibacterial agents linked to hormone disruption and antibiotic resistance), parabens (preservatives with hormone-disrupting properties), PEGs and propylene glycol (synthetic humectants derived from petroleum), and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in bars where it’s used as a synthetic lathering agent rather than a naturally derived cleanser. A bar soap with five or fewer recognizable ingredients is almost always a safer choice.
Yes — and the FDA agrees. In 2016, the FDA banned triclosan and 18 other antibacterial chemicals from consumer hand soaps, concluding that they were no more effective than plain soap and water for preventing illness, while carrying potential risks including hormone disruption and contribution to antibiotic resistance. Plain soap works by physically removing pathogens from the skin through the mechanical action of lathering and rinsing — it doesn’t need to kill bacteria to be effective. A natural bar soap used properly is just as effective as conventional antibacterial soap.
Most commercial soap bars are technically detergent bars — they’re made with synthetic surfactants, petroleum-derived ingredients, and synthetic fragrance, and the naturally occurring glycerin produced during saponification is typically removed and sold separately. Natural soaps are made through saponification of plant or animal oils, retain their glycerin (which is moisturizing for skin), and use only naturally-derived ingredients. The result is a bar that cleanses without stripping the skin’s natural moisture barrier. ⚠️ Please cross-check specific brand claims against our Natural Soap Guide.
Yes, as long as it uses ethyl alcohol (ethanol) at 60% or higher as the active ingredient. The CDC and WHO both recommend ethanol-based sanitizers as the gold standard. What makes a sanitizer non-toxic is the inactive ingredients — avoiding synthetic fragrance, artificial dyes, and concerning preservatives — not the active ingredient. Benzalkonium chloride-based sanitizers (common in “gentle” or alcohol-free formulas) are less effective against viruses and have more questions around safety. Stick to ethanol-based formulas with clean inactive ingredients for both effectiveness and safety. ⚠️ Cross-check specific brands against our Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer Guide.

An Honest Review of Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula