Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap vs ES8 Healthy Soap: which is safer?
Purell ES8 Healthy Soap is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
Purell
ES8 Healthy Soap
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Good 67/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Water-based foaming soap concentrate
Confidence
72%
PossibleSurfactant skin irritation
PossibleFragrance or preservative allergens
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 Purell.
- We flag Surfactant skin irritation and Fragrance or preservative allergens on the Purell and not on the Dial.
- The Dial is aqueous liquid soap base (surfactants, glycerin, water) where the Purell is Water-based foaming soap concentrate, 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