Liquid Hand Soap Review - Budget or Luxury?

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Hand soap is one of those things that is a necessity in every home, at least it should be! There are so many different types of hand soaps with different prices. I love a luxury product, but is it really a necessity?

That’s what we’re going to find out here! I’m comparing 3 of my go-to brands, Molton Brown, Baylis & Harding and Radox. From luxury to mid-range to budget. Find out which one is best for you!

I have always preferred liquid soaps over bars of soaps. I find them more hygienic and easier to use. When I was growing up we often had a some luxury liquid hand soaps at home.

And growing up, the luxury soaps were far superior to any budget ones. That was life then, you paid for quality. However, nowadays with SO much choice of everything the best quality may not be exclusive to the luxury brands.

I decided to find out what really is the difference between the luxury brands and the budget ones:)

Molton Brown

One of my all-time favourite beauty brands is Molton Brown. They exude luxury and who doesn’t love a bit of pampering from time to time?! Their products smell amazing and feel so luxurious!

My favourite Molton Brown liquid hand soap is Naran ji. It smells citrusy with a mixture of grapefruit and orange- totally divine! The orange gives your skin a radiant look.

It doesn’t dry out your hands and the smell lingers for a really long time. When my hands are rough Molton Brown is the best hand soap, it tends to dry out the hands the least due to its moisturising ingredients.

Naran ji is my personal favourite smell of theirs but I’m yet to come across a product from Molton Brown that has a smell I don’t like. They always get it spot-on!

Their products are also the perfect gift for friends and family. Whenever I’m stuck on what luxury gift to buy a friend, I always end up buying Molton Brown simply because there’s nothing to dislike:)

Molton Brown liquid hand soaps are AMAZING. Their only drawback is… you guessed it, the price. They are £18 a bottle, which is quite pricey to put next to every sink in your house, I tend to save them for special occasions and gifts.

Get your favourite Molton Brown products at Molton Brown

Baylis & Harding

This is also considered a luxury brand however, it is a lot more affordable than Molton Brown which makes it a great alternative. Their packaging is actually quite similar to Molton Brown, giving the same vibe.

Baylis & Harding soaps smell really nice and the smell lasts for a really long time. It also feels really soft on your skin and is an all-natural product.

One of my favourite ones is Jojoba, silk & almond oil which comes with added moisturisers leaving your skin super soft. Almond oil is filled with lots of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the skin.

The main difference for me between Baylis & Harding soaps and Molton Brown soaps is the smell. Molton Brown soaps smell more like perfume whereas, Baylis & Harding is more of a strong rough smell, perhaps more natural.

This is totally a personal preference, I’m sure some people prefer a more natural smell.

Despite the fact that I do prefer the smell of Molton Browns soaps, the sinks in my house usually have Baylis & Harding next to them. This is because the price is a lot more attractive and I think you get amazing quality for what you pay- I’m all about good deals;)

Baylis & Harding can be bought from Amazon

Radox

This is my favourite non-luxury budget brand for soaps, with the Radox Moisturising & Antibacterial Handwash being my favourite.

It has a blend of chamomile and jojoba oil. Chamomile is great for sensitive skin and it also balances sebum production. It helps fight infections is really good for dry itchy skin.

Jojoba oil is really good as a hand soap as it’s non-irritating and won’t cause allergic reactions. It’s also high in vitamin E which is known for promoting healthy and clear skin.

It smells good and clean, like you would expect a standard anti-bacterial soap to smell. It’s pretty soft on the skin and it also has a lovely velvety feel to it. I think it’s more gentle than other drugstore soaps.

They claim it removes 99.9% of bacteria so if that’s what you look for in soap then this is the one for you:)

I always think of this soap as a good all-rounder for soaps. It smells good, feels good, removes bacteria, leaves you feeling clean and it is a reasonable price.

Radox hand soaps can be bought from Walmart

My Thoughts

To summarise this liquid hand soap review I would say that yes, hands down Molton Brown have the best hand soap. Their quality is definitely superior to any other brand.

However, for a little less quality and a lot less money, you can get pretty good hand soaps. For me, every so often I treat myself to Molton Brown products mainly because their fragrance is divine and they leave my hands the most moisturised!

However, on a day-to-day basis, I usually use Baylis & Harding or Radox which are great alternatives.

If the cost isn’t an issue for you then go with Molton Brown! If you don’t want to spend £18 on every soap then I would recommend buying it for special occasions.

Molton Brown makes you feel pampered and special which is something that everyone needs to feel from time to time:)

Hollie xx

About Hollie

Hi, I’m Hollie, and I’m passionate about everything beauty. Over the last decade and a half, I’ve tested thousands of products to bring you the best of the best! I also love bringing you fun and creative beauty looks. Learn more.

Beauty profile – 35, dry, aging skin, focused on aging well with a healthy glow and natural makeup look ✨

4 Comments

itspastie says:

at

Hi Hollie,

Thanks for your review, great read. I have never considered what liquid hand soap I buy or use, I normally just buy the cheapest. You have got me thinking though (because I’m a nurse and I wash my hands 100x’s a day) whether I should be considering a better product.
I understand that your review on these liquid soaps is rated more on the smell rather than what’s actually in them. I was wondering whether there are products that are physically better for hand protection and moisturisation?

Let me know!
Thanks again,
Amy

1. Hollie says:
  
  at
  
  Hi Amy,
  
  Thanks for your comment! I don’t know the difference in ingredients but I rated the products on the smell and on how my hands felt after using them. Like I wrote in the article the Molton Brown hand soap left my hands feeling the most moisturised. The other 2 soaps I reviewed were pretty good too. I only reviewed the best soaps that i have used so they are left my skin feeling above average.
  
  Have a great day:)
  
Wying says:

at

Hi Hollie,
I was wondering that the handsoap you recommended is suitable for dry skin?
I was thinking to buy my mother a better handsoap because she is a tailor and she needs to sew more than 6 hours a day. This causes her to have very dry skin.
I have tried to buy her hand cream for moisture purpose. Your post has given me an idea that maybe I can try out a better hand soap as well.

1. Hollie says:
  
  at
  
  They are all suitable for dry skin. I found the Molton Brown hand soap to be the most effective though.
  
  Have a lovely day xx

Liquid Hand Soap Review – Budget or Luxury?