It’s a Wash Lather up naturally to fight the spread of germs
It took an outbreak of staph infections last fall to get people to
pay attention to the number-one way we can all stay healthy: washing our hands. In September 2007, the Clean Hands Report Card from
the Soap and Detergent Association revealed that one-third of adults
seldom or never wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, and 24
percent don’t always wash after using the bathroom.
Even those who do scrub up regularly may think antibacterial soaps
give them extra protection from germs. But a recent study from the
University of Michigan School of Public Health proved that antibacterial soaps don’t clean better than traditional formulas. It’s really washing often and long (for 20 seconds or more) that gets hands clean, explains Allison Aiello, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the
University of Michigan and one of the Report Card’s lead researchers.
Plenty went looking for hand soaps you can use with an environmentally clean conscience. Here are a half-dozen of our favorites, laid
out according to scent and sudsiness.
—Jessica Hartshorn
EO Lemon &
Eucalyptus Hand Soap
$8, eoproducts.com
Eucalyptus and lemon
essential oils give it an
invigorating scent—try it
as your kitchen hand soap,
since both oils are also
naturally antiseptic.
Kiss My Face C-Weed
Organic Foaming Soap
$7, kissmyfacewebstore.com
If you love lather, this is the
foamiest organic soap we
found, and the zingy citrus
scent lingers.
6
6
HUGO Oatmeal
and Almond Liquid
Hand Soap
$8, hugonaturals.com
This vanilla-spiced blend
of vegan ingredients
makes for a foamy yet
softly scented soap.
Suds/Lather
6
6
6
JASON Lavender Satin
Soap for Face and Hands
$5.50, jason-natural.com
With its lavender scent, this
mild, lotion-like soap soothes
your senses while y ou wash.
6
Pure Life Soap Company
Hand and Body Soap
$8, purelifesoap.com
Made from a base of organic
aloe and olive oil with a hint of
mint for scent, this mild cleanser
claims to help skin heal.
Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap
$5–$12, drugstore.com
Organic tea tree oil is a primary cleansing ingredient in this
soap; buy 32-ounce refills to save money and waste.
Scent
Trade This for That PENS
A pen-a-day habit doesn’t draw high marks when it comes to the environment because
most aren’t refillable and rarely get recycled. Enter the metal alternative (pictured here:
Axel Weinbrecht Design’s Beta P Pocket Pen). The Beta stainless-steel stylus has an
alloy “nib” that writes on almost any type of paper, and with no ink to dry out, it will
last for decades instead of days. Scribes, take note. $29.98, grand-illusions.com
plentymag.com | 91