You’re likely here because you’re curious about earth-friendly hand soap. Or, like many of us, you’re trying to figure out if this particular hand soap is worth the money. Maybe you’re even researching if foaming hand soaps even work, like me when I first hopped on the Blueland train (and that’s especially valid in times like these).
I stood in your shoes when I first heard about Blueland hand soap, I too was wondering all of those things. Looking back, the only thing I would change is how quickly I actually made the leap and tried it out. Spoiler alert, I’ll never go back and I even recommend it over brands like Mrs. Meyer’s.
Ratings
Overall Score
Function
Durability
Ease of Use
Appearance
Packaging
Does it get the job done? (Function)
Overall, yes! The soap cleans like I want any soap too. If I’m working with really sticky or slimy things in the kitchen, I might have to work extra hard at it, but I have to do the same thing with other soaps anyways so I see no difference there.
Better yet, long gone are the days where scents just weren’t that great for these kinds of products. If you’re a huge fan of fantastic fragrances with your handwashing then these make the task just that much better. That’s a plus for me.
Durability
I’ve had my bottles for almost 2 years now and they’re still going strong. They’ve survived a few moves but no drops, and they pump like they’re brand new. I’ve also gifted them to friends who have moved as well, or friends that have cats (that are happy to shove things off the counter) and I’ve yet to hear bad news.
Ease of Use
The hardest thing about using the hand soaps is…patience! Yes, that’s right! When it’s refill time and I’m trying a new scent, it takes a lot of willpower not to hurry up and try it out before the tablet has completely dissolved. Other than that, the process is incredibly straightforward and fun.
Something to note, I use 2 – 3 pumps each time. At first, this was something that stood out to me and was a little annoying even. But I got used to it really quickly and I don’t even consider it a con. Over my successive purchases, I have noticed better formulas and stronger scents though. I used to pump 3 times, but now I could really do 2 and be just fine.
Regardless of how many pumps you’ll need, I’ve never noticed that the soap runs out quickly. A full bottle often lasts me well over a month (mind you, I’m one person and have two bottles in my apartment).
Do I want to show it off? (Appearance)
Absolutely! And in fact, every time I need to refill, I hop on Snapchat and Instagram to share the process with my closest friends and family. My only complaint is that the giant “Blueland” on the front isn’t the cutest, and the “Blueland” cut out at the top of the pump attracts dirt and grime and is hard to clean.
They have updated the look a little bit since I purchased my two bottles. And, they’ve even made a limited edition black pump bottle. I’d recommend that if you see it and it goes with your aesthetic!
Packaging
Blueland packaging is excellent! The packaging you receive in the mail for your initial kit will be completely recyclable. After that, you’ll be ordering refills and those are recyclable and compostable. The little wrappers that your tablets come individually wrapped in have a super thin foil lining. Many people think the wrappers aren’t compostable because of them but they are indeed compostable because the lining is so so thin!
Would I recommend this product?
Without a doubt, yes! I love my hand soaps and, as I said, I have one for each sink in my apartment. I’ve even purchased them as housewarming and Christmas gifts for friends and family, and they’re as hooked as I am. In fact, they’ve even ordered new scents before I have! They also send me updates and mini-reviews of how they’re liking their items.
It really is such an easy and fun alternative to plastic that everyone can love.
So what is Blueland?
Blueland is a company specializing in home cleaning products that are eco-friendly. They have an expansive and growing line of products that focus on minimizing environmental impact all along the production chain. One of the first things you’ll notice is that they really emphasize little to no single-use plastic usage.
What is Blueland hand soap? How does it work?
Blueland’s hand soap is kind of a 3 part product. The product consists of the reusable glass bottle, the actual hand soap tablets, and the water from your sink. When you combine all 3, and with a little bit of time, you get the foaming hand soap in whatever scent you’ve chosen.
What options do I have to buy?
Kits and Bottles
If you’re just getting started, then you’ll have to choose one of their kits for your first purchase. (Unless you want to bring your own bottle to the party, which I haven’t tried but I’m sure you could do.) Their kits include:
Hand Soap Duo ($30) – This comes with 2 forever bottles and 6 soap tablets
Hand Soap Starter Set ($16) – This comes with 1 forever bottle and 3 soap tablets
And if you’re looking at their other products too, they also have larger kits:
The Clean Suite ($83)
The Everyday Clean ($69)
The Clean Essentials ($39)
All of these include their Glass/Mirror, Multi-Surface, and Bathroom bottles with 1 tablet for each, as well as one hand soap bottle and one hand soap tablet. Check out the hyperlinks to see what makes each of those kits unique.
Scents
When it comes to scents, they have several options. Their basic hand soap refill pack has Perrine Lemon, Iris Agave, Lavender Eucalyptus. These are pretty generic scents, the kind that you would expect most people to enjoy. I personally love all of them, but Perrine Lemon would be my least favorite if I was forced to choose. And, only because it’s the most simple and least powerful scent in that pack.
They also currently have a Garden Hand Soap Refill Pack that features Bergamot Rose, Lily Mint, and Satsuma Orange. As tempted as I am to open packets and smell them before use, I abstain from doing so. So, I’ve only been able to try the Bergamot Rose and it is VERY floral. If that’s your vibe then 10/10 recommend it. I personally enjoy it and they seem to be improving the formula as well.
Blueland also appears to release refill packs seasonally. In the past, I’ve purchased holiday-oriented scents, which were Gingerbread, Evergreen, and Peppermint.
Evergreen was subtle but very enjoyable, and Gingerbread is my all-time favorite! Every time I wash my hands I relish the scent and it even makes me look forward to getting home and washing my hands! I’m no Peppermint fan so that one has sadly been sitting at the bottom of my jar and will probably be gifted away.
Cost and Comparability
Cost is really important. Eco-friendly products have a reputation for being expensive so I’ve already done the math for you.
I’ve made two charts and included them below. The first will cover a cost breakdown of Blueland’s products and the second will cover a breakdown of popular and inexpensive brands you can find at Walmart.
| Product | Total Price (USD) | Cost per Tablet (USD) | Ounces (oz) | Cost per Ounce |
| Hand Soap Refill Pack (3 Tablets) | $6 | $2.00 | 9 | $0.22 |
| Hand Soap Refill Pack (6 Tablets) | $11 | $1.83 | 9 | $0.20 |
| Hand Soap Refill Pack (9 Tablets) | $14 | $1.56 | 9 | $0.17 |
| Product | Total Price (USD) | Ounces (oz) | Cost per Ounce |
| SoftSoap Liquid Hand Soap | $0.98 | 7.5 | $0.13 |
| Method Foaming Hand Soap | $2.98 | 10 | $0.30 |
| Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap | $3.88 | 12.5 | $0.31 |
| Dial Complete Liquid Handsoap | $1.97 | 11 | $0.18 |
Blueland holds up exceptionally well in this price comparison. Overall, all 3 of the refill packs have a very comparable cost per ounce compared to other brands. This is especially true when you purchase the 9 Tablet size refill pack.
At 17 cents per ounce, Blueland is situated comfortably between the two most affordable and common choices from the ones I looked at from Walmart.
What’s up with their subscription option?
Blueland offers a subscription option when you purchase one of their kits. That option also comes with a 10% discount on that particular kit and you have the choice to set your refill shipments at 1, 2, 3, or 4 months apart. You can pause, skip, or cancel these at any time.
They don’t seem to offer subscriptions for the refill packs, however. But those get cheaper, the larger pack you choose. A 3 pack will run you $6, a 6 pack will be $11 (a savings of 8%), and a 9 pack will cost $14 at 22% savings.
If subscription gigs are your thing, then having that option is great! I tend to just order the 9 count refill packs and that lasts me forever.
What makes this a sustainable choice?
There are a lot of things making this hand soap a sustainable one. For starters, the bottle is reusable and made of glass. This replaces those single-use hand soap bottles you’ll find at the local supermarket.
The refill packets themselves are compostable and very small. Because the refills are concentrated tablets and are so tiny, it takes less energy to ship them compared to liquid soap alternatives, which saves on fuel consumption and emissions.
And lastly, the packaging your items ship in is recyclable. They even use paper-based tape!
Does Blueland have any special certifications?
They have a bunch of certifications listed on their “Our Certifications” page. They include:
B Corp Certified
Cradle to Cradle Certified
EPA Safer Choice
EWG Verified
Leaping Bunny
Climate Neutral Certified
USDA BioPreferred
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