Harmful germs can be found just about anywhere. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), washing your hands with soap and water is one of the best ways to protect yourself from them—there are plenty of vegan soaps and sanitizers on the market to help you do just that.
Good Hand Hygiene Practices
The CDC notes in order for handwashing to be effective, hands must be scrubbed for the duration of 20 seconds (need a timer? You can hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
Common areas people tend to miss while washing hands include under the nails, the backs of the hands, and between fingers. Be sure to pay close attention to these areas.
“The ability of hand hygiene, including handwashing or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to prevent infections is related to reductions in the number of viable pathogens that transiently contaminate the hands,” the CDC said in a statement.
The 11 Best Vegan Hand Soaps and Sanitizers
There are countless vegan soap and sanitizer brands out there to help ward off bacteria and viruses. Keep reading for 11 of the best vegan hand soaps and sanitizers that will help protect yourself and others.
1. Love Beauty and Planet Hand Wash Soap
For a soothing, scented wash—Love Beauty and Planet’s cruelty-free hand soaps are good for your hands and the environment. The company—which is certified vegan by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)—is committed to reaching its goal of only using 100 percent sustainably-sourced ingredients. It already uses a number of them, including lavender, vetiver, and ylang-ylang.
The paraben-free liquid hand soap is available in five different scents: Yuzu and Vanilla, Tea Tree and Vetiver, Murumuru Butter and Rose, Coconut Water and Mimosa Flower, and Argan Oil and Lavender. The brand also offers a range of bar soaps, including Argan Oil & Lavender Relaxing Bar Soap.
2. Raw Sugar Simply Hand Wash
Wash away the germs with Raw Sugar’s Simply Hand Wash. The company’s products are all packed with plant-derived organic extracts. They are all cruelty-free and are free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and gluten. Raw Sugar’s new foaming hand wash contains cold-pressed extracts and collagen-boosting plant peptides.
Raw Sugar’s Moisture Loving Hand Wash and Simply Hand Wash for Sensitive Skin are also vegan and cruelty-free. Not all of the company’s products are vegan, however. The brand states on its website that its Raw Sugar Facial Polish contains honey.
For every product sold, the brand donates a bar of soap to a family in need.
3. Puracy Natural Liquid Hand Soap
Keep your hands germ-free with Puracy’s Natural Liquid Hand Soap. The vegan, eco-friendly formula is free from sulfates, triclosan, parabens, phosphates, petrochemicals, and dyes.
The liquid soap is available in three refreshing scents: Lavender and Vanilla, Cucumber and Mint, and Citrus and Sea Salt. The brand also sells a Natural Foaming Hand Soap and Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer. Puracy sells refill soap pouches to reduce plastic waste.
4. Dr. Bronner’s 4-in-1 Organic Sugar Soap
Dr. Bronner’s sugar soap will leave your hands feeling nourished, hydrated, and squeaky clean. The 4-in-1 organic soaps can be used to wash hands, face, body, and hair.
It is available in a number of scents, including Lemongrass Lime, Lavender, Tea Tree, and Peppermint. It contains fair trade ingredients and is vegan and cruelty-free.
5. The Body Shop’s British Rose Hand Wash
The Body Shop’s British Rose vegan hand wash is infused with the “essence of hand-picked roses from England,” according to the brand. It will leave your hands washed, cleansed, and smelling like a fresh bouquet. Its Pink Grapefruit Hand Wash is also vegan, as well its Spa of the World Balkan Juniper Hand Wash and its Spa of the World Tahitian Tiaré Hand Wash.
6. Lush’s Parsley Porridge Bar Soap
Lush is a firm believer in the power of bar soap. It’s website notes: “there’s no scientific evidence to suggest that antibacterial hand wash or sanitizer gets rid of germs any more efficiently than a good scrub with soap and warm water.”
The brand offers a number of vegan-friendly, cruelty-free bar soaps. Its Parsley Porridge option will exfoliate and soothe your skin at the same time, thanks to the addition of aloe vera.
7. Faith in Nature Hand Wash
Free from parabens, Faith in Nature’s vegan hand wash is available in a number of scents, including Grapefruit & Orange and Seaweed & Citrus. In a bid to use less plastic, the brand also offers five-liter bottles of soap for refills and a range of bar soaps.
Vegan Hand Sanitizers
The CDC recommends the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers if access to soap and water is not possible. The CDC does stress the fact that people should use soap and water (not hand sanitizer) to clean their hands if their hands are visibly dirty.
Hand sanitizers that contain 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol are recommended. The CDC notes alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not 100 percent effective at killing all types of germs.
There are a number of germs, such as stomach bugs and parasites, that are able to survive the alcohol in sanitizers. The CDC says hand sanitizers may also not be 100 percent effective at removing harmful chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals.
8. Baby Bum Hand Sanitizer
Specifically formulated for children, toddlers, and babies—Baby Bum says its hand sanitizer kills 99.9 percent of germs without the use of harsh chemicals. It also features naturally moisturizing ingredients, including aloe, monoi coconut oil, and alcohol derived from sugar cane.
The no-rinse antibacterial spray will leave your little one’s hands germ-free without drying them out. Baby Bum’s sanitizer is 100 percent cruelty-free and contains 62 percent ethyl alcohol.
9. Raw Sugar Hand Sanitizer
In addition to its foaming hand wash, Raw Sugar also sells a cruelty-free, vegan hand sanitizer. The sanitizer features cold-pressed extracts and plant-derived ingredients.
It is safe to use on normal, dry, or oily skin types. It is available in scents Peppermint + Sea Salt and Coconut + Lemon Verbena. According to Raw Sugar, the powerful gel is 99.9 percent effective against most common germs. Best of all, the formula won’t dry out your hands. It contains 62 percent ethyl alcohol.
10. Puracy Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer
You can feel good knowing that, according to Puracy, this Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer kills 99.9 percent of germs in 15 seconds. The fast-drying, mess-free foam is alcohol-free, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free.
It is also free from parabens, sulfates, triclosan, animal by-products, phthalates, phosphates, synthetic perfumes, and dyes. While Puracy does not use alcohol to kill germs, which is recommended by the CDC, it uses benzalkonium chloride—a natural antimicrobial ingredient.
11. The Body Shop Hand Cleanse Gel
The Body Shop offers two vegan hand sanitizer options, in Satsuma and Mango. Each are alcohol-based and triclosan-free, with added chamomile to help soothe your skin, as well as a fruity zesty scent.
