Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap vs GOJO Purell Healthy Soap: which is safer?

GOJO Purell Healthy 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

GOJO Purell Healthy Soap

Purell

GOJO Purell Healthy Soap

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 63/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

water, glycerin, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance (typical liquid hand soap)

Confidence

78%

PossibleSurfactant (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) skin irritation

PossibleFragrance allergens and sensitizers

PossibleBacterial or fungal growth in bottle

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Antimicrobial residue and skin colonization and Aquatic toxicity and environmental persistence on the Dial and not on the Purell.
  • We flag Surfactant (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) skin irritation and Bacterial or fungal growth in bottle on the Purell and not on the Dial.
  • Both carry a flag for Fragrance allergens and sensitizers, so neither choice avoids it.
  • The Dial is aqueous liquid soap base (surfactants, glycerin, water) where the Purell is water, glycerin, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance (typical liquid hand soap), 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