Which liquid hand soap to choose? To answer this question, Altroconsumo analyzed 41 liquid soaps present in the main Italian supermarkets and discount stores, evaluating the composition of the ingredients from the point of view of environmental and health impact.
The test did not measure the cleaning effectiveness of the products, but only examined the ingredients listed on the label. The score, expressed on a scale from 0 to 100, was calculated with an algorithm that attributes 70% of the weight to the environmental impact and the remaining 30% to aspects related to health. The assessment includes the presence of perfume allergens, persistent and bioaccumulative substances, microplastics, endocrine disruptors and ingredients classified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
The best liquid soaps
Among the 41 products examined, two obtained the recognition of “Best composition”, thanks to formulations free of allergens and considered more favorable for both the environment and health.
1. Cien (Lidl) Liquid Hand Soap with Lotus Flower Extract and Chamomile – 73 points
He won joint first place and received the “Best Composition” seal. It is scented but contains no declared allergens and is sold at an average price of 1.25 euros. Furthermore, the packaging is made with 60% recycled plastic, an element that helps to improve its environmental profile.
2. Infasil Neutral Liquid Detergent – 73 points
It shares first place with the Lidl product. Also in this case the soap is scented but free of declared allergens. The average price is 2.39 euros.
The other promoted soaps
Immediately behind the top rankings we find other products that obtained a “Good” rating:
How the test was carried out
Altroconsumo has selected the most common liquid soaps in large-scale retail trade, excluding products classified as biocides or disinfectants, deemed unnecessary for normal hand hygiene. The analysis focused exclusively on the list of ingredients (INCI), without evaluating the washing performance or the satisfaction of the product. All the soaps examined comply with European cosmetics legislation.
What emerges from the comparison
The test highlights that the products with the best ratings are those characterized by simpler formulations and with a reduced number of substances considered problematic. In particular, the absence of perfume allergens represents one of the elements that contributed to the higher scores, together with a lower environmental impact of the ingredients and packaging.
