Are you scouring the web to find the best non-toxic hand soap brands in Canada for a clean lather? You are not alone. Thousands of people are ditching their chemical-laced formulas for natural, organic hand soap tablets and liquids – and for a pretty good reason.
To help you find your new, favourite fragrance-free hand soap or essential-oil fragranced option, I made a list of safe picks, below.
P.S. Don’t forget to check out the 7 best non-toxic dish soap brands in Canada (2024) for more eco-friendly options.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
Best Non-Toxic Hand Soap For Natural Lather in Canada
Certainly, while shopping for foaming hand soap, you’ve likely been tempted to simply grab one of the popular bottles and be done with it at least once. They’re conveniently available, smell pleasant, and fulfill their purpose: cleaning the skin. So, why bother with the effort to research, locate, and test non-toxic hand soap tablets and liquids? The answer is painfully simple.
Conventional hand soaps often pack a punch with a cocktail of harmful chemicals that, let’s be real, we could all do without. Take parabens, for instance—these sneaky additives are often used as preservatives, but they’ve been linked to all sorts of health issues like hormone disruption and even potential cancer risks. Yikes, right?
Another ingredient to keep an eye out for is triclosan. This antibacterial agent might sound fancy, but it’s actually been shown to mess with our hormones and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Then there are synthetic fragrances. Sure, they might make your soap smell like a bouquet of flowers, but they can be a real nightmare for sensitive skin. Think irritation, allergies, and who knows what else lurking in those mystery scents. P.S. I also wrote a whole guide on the most non-toxic ways to scent your home.
On the other hand, the best non-toxic hand soap brands in Canada formulate natural hand soap liquids and tablets without harsh chemicals commonly found in traditional soaps. They opt for organic and gentle ingredients, such as plant-based oils, essential oils, and botanical extracts. This means you can scrub away with peace of mind, knowing you’re treating your skin with care.
On top of that, most products come in eco-friendly packaging, such as refillable containers or compostable materials, helping to minimize plastic waste. Some brands even offer bulk non-toxic hand soap refill options, reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles altogether.
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Hand Soaps
Parabens: These sneaky additives are often used as preservatives, but they’ve been linked to hormone disruption and even potential cancer risks.
Phthalates: Often found in fragrances, phthalates have been associated with reproductive issues and hormone disruption.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): These foaming agents can strip your skin of its natural oils, leading to dryness, irritation, and potential skin sensitivities.
Triclosan: Despite its antibacterial properties, triclosan has been shown to contribute to antibiotic resistance and disrupt hormone function.
Artificial Fragrances: Synthetic fragrances can contain a cocktail of chemicals, including phthalates and allergens, that may irritate the skin and trigger allergic reactions.
Formaldehyde: Often used as a preservative, formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Propylene Glycol: This ingredient, commonly used as a solvent, can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions in some individuals.
What Are the Healthiest Hand Soap Ingredients?
Non-toxic hand soaps are powerhouses in their own right, thanks to a lineup of specific ingredients that make them just as effective, if not more so, than their chemical-laden counterparts.
Coconut Oil: This amazing oil isn’t just for cooking—it’s a key player in non-toxic hand soaps too. Coconut oil is naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial, meaning it helps to zap away germs and leave your hands feeling clean and fresh.
Olive Oil: Another kitchen staple that doubles as a skincare superhero, olive oil is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids that nourish and moisturize your skin. It’s also gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin types, making it a star ingredient in non-toxic hand soaps.
Aloe Vera: Known for its soothing properties, aloe vera is like a breath of fresh air for dry or irritated skin. It helps to calm inflammation, hydrate parched skin, and promote healing—all while leaving your hands feeling silky smooth.
Essential Oils: Ah, the sweet scent of essential oils. Not only do they add a natural fragrance to your hand soap, but they also come with a host of benefits for your skin. From antibacterial tea tree oil to calming lavender, essential oils help to cleanse, purify, and rejuvenate your hands with every wash.
Vitamin E: The raved-about skincare ingredient, vitamin E helps to protect against environmental damage, soothe dryness, and promote healing—all while keeping your hands looking youthful and radiant.
11 Non-Toxic Hand Soap Brands in Canada
1. Better Basics
Better Basics is one of the best brands on Amazon with an array of natural hand soap formulas to choose from. This luxurious liquid hand and body soap is ethically and meticulously crafted with plant-based ingredients, including essential oils, aloe vera, olive oil, and coconut oil. To help us minimize waste, the company offers a convenient 1.5L bulk refill option, designed to reduce environmental impact while keeping your skin nourished and refreshed.
Also, you can rest easy knowing this non-toxic hand soap refill is kids safe, and free from parabens, phthalates, artificial colours, or fragrances. Plus, Better Basics is proudly cruelty-free with leaping bunny certification and women-owned certified.
Price: From $42 for 1.5L
Ethics: Fragrance-free, biodegradable, natural, cruelty-free, plant based, vegan, zero waste
Location/Shipping: Canada
2. ATTITUDE
ATTITUDE, a Montreal-based eco-friendly natural personal care company, is all about creating high-performing, vegan, hypoallergenic, and natural products. They’re EWG VERIFIED, cruelty-free, and hold certifications from ECOLOGO and PETA.
On their virtual shelves, you can find organic hand soap liquid, designed to clean, hydrate, and soften hands. With scents like orange, lemon, olive, red vine, white tea, and unscented, they’ve got options for every preference. Not to mention, they cater to sensitive skin with extra gentle, nourishing, soothing, and calming liquid soap variations.
And if you’re trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle, ATTITUDE offers a bulk non-toxic hand soap refill option.
Price: From $5.47
Ethics: EWG VERIFIED hand soap with organic ingredients, refillable, zero-waste, vegan
Location/Shipping: Canada, ships worldwide
3. Simply Natural Canada
Granted, finding the best non-toxic foaming hand soap tablets that are good for the planet and our skin is not easy. Luckily, Simply Natural Canada has gathered every single amazing brand in one place.
Here, you can find Nature Bee’s tablets which are available in bergamot lime, fresh lemon, honey clementine, sweet citrus, warm coconut, apple ‘n spice, and vanilla mint.
Another great option is the Revolubar foaming hand soap tablets which are made in Canada by Tanit Botanics and come in Jasmine, Lemon Mint, and Peach Coriander as well as in compostable pouches.
Last but not least, is MYNI, the raved-about zero waste foaming hand soap brand that offers biodegradable formulas that cleanse germs while taking care to maintain skin’s natural moisture barrier.
Price: $4.95 per tablet, or $19.95 for kits
Ethics: Natural ingredients, made in Canada, small businesses, zero-waste and biodegradable
Location/Shipping: Canada
4. Cocoon Apothecary
When it comes to the best non-toxic hand soap brands Canada has to offer, Cocoon Apothecary ticks all my quality and sustainability boxes. Plant-based, certified organic, and vegan, their scented and fragrance-free hand soap is formulated to leave your skin looking youthful and radiant. The company enriched the formulas with ingredients like beta-carotene, shea butter, and rosehip oil.
Take their Touchy-Feely Soap, for example. It’s ethically made with saponified coconut oil, lavender essential oil, and rosemary essential oil to be extremely effective in handwashing without drying out your skin. With a pH of 7, a concentrated formula, and glowing reviews, this certified organic hand soap is a winner.
Price: $16.50 (use discount code GINGERDEBHOUSE for 10% off)
Ethics: Cosmos organic certified ingredients, made in Canada, cruelty-free, recyclable packaging
Location/Shipping: Canada
5. Etee
This Canadian-made, non-toxic hand soap is the epitome of sustainability! Etee has been creating vegan, cruelty-free, and zero-waste products for years – but the lemongrass liquid hand soap concentrate is a fan favourite.
Unlike leading brands, Etee skips the plastic and unnecessary emissions from shipping water. Their innovative solution? Backyard compostable pods, developed and manufactured locally, in Toronto.
The natural hand soap is formulated without artificial foaming agents like SLS, sulfates, and parabens. Plus, the mixing process is pretty simple. Simply fill a dispenser or jar with 375 ml (12.5 oz) of water. Rip open your pod of concentrated soap over the jar and squeeze the soap into the water. Stir the mixture and voila!
Price: $24 for 3
Ethics: 100% Plant-Based Ingredients, compostable, made in Canada, chemical-free
Location/Shipping: Canada, ships worldwide
6. Blueland
I first got my hands on the Blueland hand soap that boasts 30,000+ glowing reviews, last year. A friend of mine gifted me the non-toxic foaming hand soap starter kit, complete with a refillable glass bottle and the lavender eucalyptus refill tablets. I absolutely loved it! The B-certified corporation uses plant-based and planet-friendly ingredients to create gentle, cleansing formulas.
Take your pick from the long list of scents: Iris Agave, Perrine Lemon, Lavender Eucalyptus, Pacific Mist, and Evergreen. All you have to do is fill your Forever Bottle with warm water and drop in a tablet—it will dissolve in minutes!
Price: Starter kit starts at $18
Ethics: Cradle to Cradle Certified™, Leaping Bunny (cruelty-free), EPA Safer Choice, vegan, gluten-free, soy / nut free
Location/Shipping: USA, ships to Canada, UK, Australia and New Zeland
7. The Bare Home
The Bare Home has been my go-to destination for eco-friendly home and body care starter kits for quite a while. Their top-selling natural body care line is specially crafted for sensitive skin, and thus, it’s enriched with Vitamin E to leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Plus, the natural hand soap and the zero-wase non-toxic hand soap refill kits are toxin-free, biodegradable, and scented with organic essential oils for a refreshing experience. Another reason to love them? By opting for one, 3-litre refill box, you will be given 6+ refills!
This means that you’ll save 40% on your cleaning products when you refill them!
Price: From $12 (discount code GINGERDEBHOUSE will get you 10% off)
Ethics: B-certified corporation, natural and vegan ingredients, refillable, biodegradable, cruelty-free, made in Canada
Location/Shipping: Canada and USA
8. BKIND
If you’re on the market for an affordable non-toxic hand soap that’s natural, free from artificial fragrance, vegan, and cruelty-free, check out BKIND. From an apartment in Verdun to a 17,000 square foot warehouse, they’ve managed to take the entire eco world by storm.
They design and formulate all products locally, in Montreal. Then, the liquid is packed in 100% recyclable plastic. Now, if you are interested in reducing waste even more, choose to buy bulk options.
Price: $20 (use discount code: GINGERDEBHOUSE for 15% off)
Ethics: Natural and vegan ingredients, recyclable, made in Canada
Location/Shipping: Canada, USA
9. Rocky Mountain Soap Company
The Canadian all-natural skincare company Rocky Mountain Soap Company is the mecca of clean hand soap bars and aromatherapy products for the bath and body. They are most known for their dedication to crafting GMO-free, vegan, and cruelty-free products with just 10 ingredients or fewer.
For example, the “Lavender Everything Wash” is made with moisturizing organic coconut, olive, and jojoba oils to remove dirt and impurities without stripping your skin of its natural oils. Plus, when you run out of liquid, you can take advantage of the Rocky Refill program that collects empty containers which are then returned to their workshop, to be sanitized, refilled, and then back on the shelves to be loved again.
Price: From $17
Ethics: Organic ingredients, refillable, made in Canada, vegan, cruelty-free
Location/Shipping: Canada
10. Nature Clean
Nature Clean’s non-toxic hand soap liquid and home cleaning products are completely free from harsh chemicals found in traditional household cleaners. So, it’s really no wonder why this Canadian soap brand has such a cult following. Their biodegradable, gluten-free liquid hand soap is crafted from plant and mineral sources. Not only does it moisturize, but it’s also ideal for those with skin sensitivities or allergies. Plus, it comes in a range of delicious-smelling scents including Sweet Pea, Peppermint, Citrus, and Fragrance Free.
Price: $9.99
Ethics: Biodegradable, natural
Location/Shipping: Canada
11. Live For Tomorrow
The Canadian organic hand soap brand Live For Tomorrow is very similar to Plaine Products. They aim to help us add top-notch, eco-friendly cleaning products, to our arsenals, prioritizing non-toxic, mineral and plant-based formulas with zero waste in mind. Let’s just say that their clean formulas tick all my boxes: certified vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, Canadian-made, and highly concentrated.
What’s more, using coconut and sunflower oil as primary cleaning agents and 100% pure essential oils for fragrance, their all-natural hand soap comes in an array of scents like Lavender, Fragrance-Free, and Rosemary Orange Blossom.
Price: From $14.45
Ethics: Natural, refillable / reusable Aluminum bottles, vegan, made in Canada, Member of the National Zero Waste Council
Location/Shipping: Canada
This post was about the best non-toxic hand soap Canada has to offer
I hope this guide helped you find an affordable non-toxic hand soap for you and your entire family. By ditching harmful chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances, we’re not only safeguarding our skin from potential irritants and long-term health risks, but we’re also reducing our environmental footprint.
Personally, I’ve fallen head over heels for natural hand soaps because they offer the best of both worlds: effective cleansing power without compromising skin health. With ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, and aloe vera, these gentle yet mighty formulas not only cleanse our hands but also nourish and moisturize them, leaving behind soft, hydrated skin with every wash.
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