Best hand soap
“Favorite hand soap?”
30 answers from 28 people · Updated Sep 25, 2026
I’m sorry to report Richard’s tomato vine hand soap is still the best (and first!) in the game.
3
Nothing is better than this soap and I stand by this. I love the one with pumice stone in it so it lightly exfoliates your hands.
103
This soap really is a special treat and such a great housewarming or new parent gift.
Diptyque Softening Hand Wash, 12 oz.
I’m smelling my hands for like hours after using this. Your guests will be impressed.
I’m actually not sure if I would DIE on this hill. But it’s the first hand soap that has made me audibly gasp in my life.
31
Susanne's a queen in my house. Truly clueless on how this first ended up by our guest bathroom sink but it's been there ever since. It smells great without being 'perfumed', cleans well without feeling clinical, looks great without being too much. I obviously recognize this isn't the case, but I like the idea of little old Susanne off in some small town making her soap to send us every so often. Thanks Susanne!
172
Los Poblanos Lavender Hand Soap
The most sophisticated lavender. This was a staple in my dad’s bathroom. It’s somehow spicy and clean and lavender all at once.
Frama Columnae Hand Wash 375 mL
My favorite hand soap. It smells like walking among Greek ruins, olive trees, and sunshine.
21
Cucina Fruits & Passion Hand Soap with Olive Oil
About seven people have bought this after washing their hands in my kitchen. A delightful, verdant, blossomy scent.
13
Trudon Scented Hand Soap Carmen
expensive but very worth it and can use the bottle to make the soaps you use to refill it with look luxurious. The Carmen scent stays on your hand for hours and smell like royalty.
1
Upstate Stock Ferris Lake Hand Soap
Smells like someone left a bowl of lemon peels on the dock of a very expensive lake house and then a gardener wandered by carrying jasmine branches. It’s bright. Not cloying or sweet or overpowering. They sell refill bags which I appreciate as well.
6
À la maison hand soap in honeysuckle
Drop the Mrs. Meyers and get into this luxe but cheap hand soap that makes your hands smell delightful and surprisingly isn’t drying, making it perfect for a handwashing obsessee like myself
1
My go-to is Meyer’s oat blossom scent! It smells more refined than a classic lavender or lemon scent while not being too specific, and goes with both kitchen and bathroom spaces. The smell lingers too 😋
11
Blueland Eco-Friendly Foaming Hand Soap Starter Set
plastic-free, lovely scents, good foaming action. we have 3 of these refillable bottles and a basket of tablets under the sink!
3
Cire Trudon Abd el Kader’s hand wash cousin.
![Botanical Hand Wash [DALLY]](https://lyric-images.gumlet.io/75c16f59-774f-4d10-b509-b942611a0e29.png?format=auto&compress=true&q=auto&w=1200)
"Clean" hand soaps are hard to find without spending $30+ on one bottle. For the price point, Dally has mild yet still noticeable scents, and has no toxins, parabens, fragrances, blah blah blah. I also like looking at the bottle (though I wish they'd come out with a refillable option).
2
this is my fancy bathroom hand soap. I get endless compliments on it and somehow the knockoff perfume box vibe it brings to the table really does it for me.
3
Hand Wash | Herbarium | 500 mL
The most herbaceous, lush hand soap.
Once upon a time in NoHo I went to a nail salon that had this soap in their bathroom. It’s been a staple of mine ever since.
2
One of the few IYKYK soaps on this list. This scent is iconic in a number of households and goes so far beyond the already plenty attractive Lavender moniker. It opens with English and French lavender, but follows with peppermint, rosemary, and bergamot and oak moss. You'll find reasons to get your hands dirty when you have this by the sink.
9
Hand Wash | Apothecary | 375 mL
Guest bathrooms + gifts.
Zara Home White Jasmine Liquid Soap
an absolute favourite hand soap, the scent is understated and fresh but still sets itself apart from the typical "soapy" hand soap smell
I really do not like the smell on my hands after peeling mandarins or grating garlic and this is the only thing I’ve found that eliminates this scent.
29
Nice Soaps That Aren't From Aesop
10 recs
Look Aesop makes some great stuff, soaps included. But it's 2026. We can do better. Aim for quality rather than what was once an aspirational bottle to have by your sink. At a bare minimum, feign individuality and take a stab at what you think will be the 'next' Aesop.
