Wash your hands without contributing to plastic waste with this guide to my favourite sustainable refillable hand wash brands available right now.

We all know just how important hand washing is. However, all that hand washing can take its toll on the environment.

Between single-use plastic bottles and chemically dubious ingredients, the fight against germs is a decidedly dirty business.

Switching to eco-friendly soap bars is one step you can take. But if you prefer to use a liquid hand wash, then you’ll be pleased to hear that a few eco-friendly brands have started to offer refillable options. This lets you beat single-use plastic waste whilst keeping your hands (and conscience) clean.

Your Sustainable Guide To Refillable Hand Wash

Here are my top eco-friendly liquid hand wash brands letting you refill and repeat to your heart’s content. You’ll find organic, palm oil-free, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free brands all leading the way in the fight against plastic.

You can use these quick links to jump to information about each soap brand, or keep scrolling for the full post:

Neat

Neat’s refillable Green Tea & Bergamot foaming hand wash is a simple yet effective way to keep your hands clean while reducing waste.

Infused with plant-based ingredients like coconut and aloe vera extracts, it gently cleanses and nourishes your skin without the need for harsh chemicals. The refreshing blend of green tea and bergamot adds a light, uplifting scent.

If you buy the starter set, you get a lovely recycled aluminium bottle and a glass refill bottle. All you need to do is pour the solution in the glass bottle into the aluminium bottle and mix it with water. You’re then good to go.

The refill bottles are entirely plastic-free. They are made from glass and can be recycled with other glass bottles and jars. I’d love to see a return and refill option – hopefully that’s something we can see in the future.

The formula is free from parabens, SLS, palm oil, and other unnecessary additives, ensuring it’s kind to both your skin and the planet. Made in the UK and completely vegan, it’s a great option for anyone looking to cut down on plastic without compromising on quality.

Miniml

Zero-waste your handwashing routine with the eco-friendly refill brand Miniml. Available in a delicious range of fragrances – including sweet clementine anti-bacterial hand soap; cucumber and aloe vera; lime, basil and mandarin; and pink grapefruit and aloe vera – there are heaps of options for every preference.

There are no unscented options though, so if you have a super sensitive nose or skin that doesn’t react well to fragrances then skip Miniml.

This eco-friendly hand soap is powerful on dirt, grime and stubborn smells, yet leaves hands soft and clean. Free from VOCs, chlorine bleaches, solvents, lanoline, sulphates, parabens and phosphates, this hand wash is non-toxic and readily biodegradable. Plus it’s safe for septic tanks.

To refill, simply fill a glass Miniml bottle (or your own bottle) with one of its liquid hand wash refills – available in a 1-litre pouch or a 5-litre carton size. With a truly closed-loop recycling scheme, you can then send your refill container – whether it’s a pouch or a carton – back to Miniml to be cleaned and reused again and again.

Alternatively, you can skip this process by refilling your container at your local zero-waste shop. With hundreds of Miniml refill points across the UKit’s never been easier to refill and repeat.

As an Ethical Consumer Best Buy and certified by both the Vegan Society and Cruelty-Free International, you can be sure your hands are in safe hands.

Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the Miniml mailing list.

Bower Collective

Bower Collective’s range of liquid hand washes are made in the UK using 100% naturally derived and ethically sourced ingredients.

This hand wash is guaranteed to leave your hands feeling soft, fresh and protected. Plus it’s extra-gentle on the skin – making it safe for the whole family to use.

Its vegan-friendly and cruelty-free soap is free from harsh chemicals, including petrochemicals, phosphates, preservatives, and enzymes. This makes it readily biodegradable, as well as suitable for use in septic tanks and around pets.

And instead of synthetic perfumes, its hand wash is fragranced with natural essential oils. With options ranging from lime and aloe vera; geranium and grapefruit; and orange blossom and mimosa; as well as fragrance-free options, there’s something for every preference.

Coming in 1-litre refill pouches, this is handy if you lack the space to store 5-litre cartons, or the budget to buy in bigger bulk sizes. And if you prefer bigger sizes, you can purchase a 5-litre box. Here Bower Collective uses its clever bag in a box system. When you’re done, you can recycle the outer box in with your cardboard recycling. Meanwhile, the inner bag can be returned to Bower Collective for recycling.

To use, simply decant the hand wash into a bottle and then return the pouch to Bower in the free pre-paid envelope provided. You don’t even need to wash the pouch out. Simply pop it in your nearest post box as is.

Bower will then refill it with the same product at its refill centre, ready to go again! Each pouch can be reused over and over again. And at the end of its life, Bower ensures that the pouch is responsibly recycled with its specialist recycling partner.

Faith In Nature

Independent and family-owned personal care brand Faith In Nature offers eco-friendly refillable liquid hand wash that you can refill in zero-waste shops across the country. If you don’t have access to a zero-waste shop near you then you can also buy the 5-litre cartonsto refill your own bottles at home. These can then be returned to Faith In Nature for recycling when empty.

Whether you refill at a shop or at home, you can even get a pretty and plastic-free Faith In Nature branded aluminium refill bottle to help you avoid plastic.

As well as the refill potential, there are lots of reasons to love Faith In Nature’s range of hand washes.

For a start, all of Faith In Nature’s products are made in the UK from natural ingredients. This means its products contain no parabens or SLS/SLES.

Secondly, its entire range is vegetarian and vegan-friendly and free from animal testing. And thirdly, its hand washes are free from artificial colours and fragrances.

With heaps of different fragrance options – including Coconut; Grapefruit & Orange; Lavender & Geranium; Seaweed & Citrus; Dragonfruit; Wild Rose; and Aloe Vera & Tea Tree – there’s something to suit every taste.

The Bottom Line

If bar soap isn’t your thing, then don’t get in a lather over single-use plastic. With many brands offering refillable liquid hand wash options, all with stringent ethical credentials, and at a range of different price points, your conscious can be as clean as your hands!