When shopping for dish soap, choose a product that’s free of sulfates, isothiazolinone preservatives, synthetic fragrances, and phosphates. Our favorite dish soaps are certified by USDA Biopreferred, EWG, EPA Safer Choice, and Leaping Bunny or PETA. To save plastic packaging that will ultimately end up in a landfill, choose a solid dish soap bar or dish soap tablets.

Ingredients

Sulfates
Sulfates are a kind of surfactant, which is used to clean and create the foam we know and love. Sodium lauryl sulfate, also known as SLS, is an emulsifying cleaning agent sometimes found in soap. It’s used to break down and wash away the dirt and grime that water can’t get rid of on its own. It also happens to be a highly toxic threat to aquatic life, from algae, to frogs, to fish. Although there is some debate on sulfates, the World Health Organization (WHO) unequivocally states that SLS “...is toxic to aquatic organisms. It is strongly advised not to let the chemical enter into the environment.”

Isothiazolinone Preservatives
Isothiazolinone preservatives like methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone have antimicrobial properties that make them popular in soaps. However, they are known irritants linked to contact dermatitis in humans, and are highly toxic to freshwater and marine organisms.

Synthetic Fragrances
The most elusive ingredient of all might be fragrances. That’s because fragrances are protected from disclosure. While “fragrance” might appear to be one ingredient on the label, that word could potentially comprise hundreds of chemical compounds just for one scent! It’s not the scent that worries us, but phthalates, which enable fragrances to become soluble. They are known endocrine disruptors in both humans and aquatic life and can even lower the production of testosterone. Studies have found that prenatal exposure to phthalates can decrease mental and motor development in children.

Phosphates
Phosphates, like trisodium phosphate, create that luscious lathering effect in soaps. Phosphates can also cause eutrophication, which is the mineral over-enrichment of bodies of water. This can be a natural process that develops in aquatic ecosystems, but it can also indicate nutrient imbalances due to pollution. While it might sound beautiful, algal bloom – a result of eutrophication – can be harmful to aquatic life and can contaminate drinking sources. Phosphate eutrophication can cause deoxygenation of water, which can threaten marine life and submerged plants, like reeds. This can cause an indirect effect on the habitat and food source of bird species.

Certifications

USDA Biopreferred
USDA Biopreferred dish soaps are made mostly out of materials found in nature (ok, maybe not your backyard), and provide an alternative to petroleum-based products.

EWG
The Environmental Working Group has created a database that aims to be the gold standard in rating personal care and cleaning products based on their ingredients, ensuring products are free from chemicals of concern. Look for the EWG logo to make sure you’re avoiding those pesky ingredients.

EPA Safer Choice
The EPA Safer Choice label indicates that the chemicals in a product have been reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency to meet strict safety criteria for both human and environmental health. The EPA also tests the quality of these products to ensure that they perform as well as conventional products.

Leaping Bunny
Leaping Bunny is an internationally recognized symbol that guarantees no new animal tests were conducted on any of the ingredients in a product. It’s the most stringent animal rights standard, so prioritize this one if you want to alleviate your animal welfare concerns.

PETA Cruelty-Free
PETA’s Cruelty-Free offers a searchable database of companies and denotes whether they conduct, commission, or test their products on animals.

Packaging

Dish soaps come in plastic bottles that are usually non-reusable and non-recyclable due to the soapy residue that we all know is next to impossible to fully wash out. The volume of dish soap packaging heading to landfills annually (considering the $18 billion global market) is significant, and ultimately leads to microplastic pollution. To avoid contributing to this plastic waste, consider buying an alternative, like a refillable one from Blueland or Clean Cult. Another way to cut dish soap waste is to buy it in solid form. Dish soap bars may be a bit harder to come by at your local grocery store, but they’re easy to find online and serve the same function as that bottled stuff you’ve been using forever. Check out mamaforest, No Tox Life, and TOBE.

Fun Fact

Washing dishes with a machine can reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by 72% compared to washing manually.

Certifications

Here are some certifications to look out for when shopping this category.

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