Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap vs Liquid Hand Soap: which is safer?

Dial Liquid Hand Soap is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Dial Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap

Dial

Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

aqueous liquid soap base (surfactants, glycerin, water)

Confidence

72%

PossibleFragrance allergens and sensitizers

PossibleAntimicrobial residue and skin colonization

ReportedAquatic toxicity and environmental persistence

Our pick

Dial Liquid Hand Soap

Dial

Liquid Hand Soap

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 63/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

water-based liquid soap formulation

Confidence

78%

PossibleFragrance allergens

PossiblePreservative sensitization (parabens or alternatives)

PossibleEye and mucous membrane irritation

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Fragrance allergens and sensitizers, Antimicrobial residue and skin colonization and Aquatic toxicity and environmental persistence on the Dial and not on the Dial.
  • We flag Fragrance allergens, Preservative sensitization (parabens or alternatives) and Eye and mucous membrane irritation on the Dial and not on the Dial.
  • The Dial is aqueous liquid soap base (surfactants, glycerin, water) where the Dial is water-based liquid soap formulation, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

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 soap: see the full ranking