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At a recent all-staff Zoom meeting, the Epi staff embarked on a spirited debate, a bit beyond the scope of our usual cooking-related discussions: hand soap in the kitchen.
According to some members of the team, keeping a bottle of hand soap by the kitchen sink is nonnegotiable. To them, something skin-specific is the only thing that will do, even in the middle of dinner prep. For others, distinguishing between types of soaps in the kitchen is less important, and if it’s good enough for their dishes, it’ll work for their hands. I tend to think that, regardless of which camp you fall in, the most important thing is that it’s clear—to you and anyone who may come to visit your kitchen—which soap is which. (And which is lotion!)
There is nothing worse than being deceived by a sinkside dispenser, thinking you’re getting one thing and ending up with a handful of something else. My mom decants her dish soap into a tall, pretty bottle by the sink, which tricks me into expecting luxury hand soap every time I’m home. I’m more than willing to use the same citrus Dawn for my post-lunch plate as I am for my palms, but I seem to be among the minority. To ensure that you never have confusion on your hands (literally), get yourself a soap setup that speaks for itself.
Kitchen hand soaps for setting by the sink
These are a few hand soap brands to love, not just because their product is good, but because their bottles make it very clear what they contain through distinctive shaping and explicit labels. I like herbal-scented kitchen hand soap because it feels right at home among the groceries. Each of these brands sell their hand soaps in one-off bottles and as large refill packs; to limit your plastic usage and waste, buy one labeled dispenser bottle to start you off, plus a bulk container to refill from as you go.
Hand lotions for post-dishwashing self-care
“When you go to wash your hands and it’s actually lotion?” digital director David Tamarkin remarked at that fateful meeting, a look of pure disgust on his face. “Is there actually anything worse than that?!” Keeping lotion by the side of your kitchen sink makes a lot of sense in theory: Extended dishwashing sessions (a.k.a. all of 2020) can dry out and irritate your skin if you don’t have a good postgame care regimen ready to go. But Unexpected Lotion is universally unpleasant, so it’s important that your kitchen moisturizer makes itself known. Pick specifically-shaped bottles or squeeze tops to keep things straight.
Refillable pump bottles for decanting
Rid your sink of all branding and add a little style at the same time by keeping your kitchen hand soap in a refillable pump bottle. I say hand soap because I think that’s the only acceptable move here—putting dish soap in a fancy marble dispenser or lotion (especially if there isn’t hand soap, but just lotion) in an opaque bottle makes you an agent of chaos. We’re trying to limit uncertainty here, not create it! Of course, if you want to be extra direct, you can opt for a bottle that lets you add your own label, leaving no room for confusion.
All-in-one options
One step beyond being okay with using dish soap as hand soap is purchasing a product formulated to succeed in both capacities. When it comes to something you use on your body, an all-in-one product is rarely the answer (hello and, more important, goodbye shampoo-conditioner hybrids), but dish/hand soap combos are a practical exception. The original option is Dr. Bronner’s, with its alleged 18 uses and extensive label literature, but you can also look for brands that are explicit about being gentle on your skin.
