Instant Disinfectant Hand Sanitizer vs Hand Wash Natural Seventh Generation: which is safer?
Hand Wash Natural Seventh Generation is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Dettol
Instant Disinfectant Hand Sanitizer
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Poor 43/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 5
Material
Liquid hydroalcoholic hand sanitizer formulation
Confidence
75%
PossibleFragrance allergens
ReportedEye and mucous membrane irritation
PossibleSkin barrier disruption with chronic use
Our pick
Seventh Generation
Hand Wash Natural Seventh Generation
PFAS grade
Excellent 100/100
Overall grade
Excellent 92/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
water-based surfactants, plant-derived ingredients
Confidence
82%
PossibleFragrance allergens
PossibleHeavy metal contamination in botanical extracts
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Eye and mucous membrane irritation, Skin barrier disruption with chronic use, Inhalation risk from volatilized alcohol and Ingestion toxicity (children) on the Dettol and not on the Seventh Generation.
- We flag Heavy metal contamination in botanical extracts on the Seventh Generation and not on the Dettol.
- Both carry a flag for Fragrance allergens, so neither choice avoids it.
- The Dettol is Liquid hydroalcoholic hand sanitizer formulation where the Seventh Generation is water-based surfactants, plant-derived ingredients, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Seventh Generation is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More hand sanitizer: see the full ranking