Product comparison
Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash vs. Softsoap Antibacterial: which hand soap fits your sink?
Melaleuca Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash and Softsoap Antibacterial compared on format, scent, moisturizing ingredients, active ingredient and size.
Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash
Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash, Mint & Herb. Photo: melaleuca.com
Both soaps clean your hands at the kitchen or bathroom sink. Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash, Mint & Herb, is a foaming wash with glycerin, thyme oil and aloe. Softsoap Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap is a liquid soap with the labeled antibacterial active ingredient benzalkonium chloride.
How Sun Valley and Softsoap compare
| Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash, Mint & Herb | Softsoap Antibacterial, Crisp Clean | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Foaming hand wash | Liquid hand soap |
| Scent | Mint & herb | Crisp Clean |
| Moisturizing ingredients | Glycerin, aloe vera (per the label) | Glycerin; enriched with moisturizers (per Softsoap) |
| Active ingredient | Not listed | Benzalkonium chloride 0.13% |
| Made without | No parabens, formaldehyde or phthalates (per Melaleuca) | Paraben free, formulated without phthalates, pH balanced (per Softsoap) |
| Size | 8 fl oz refill | 11.25 fl oz pump; 50 fl oz refill |
| Price | $9.00 regular / $6.19 member for the 8 oz refill; foaming pump sold separately for $2.00 / $1.29 member | Not listed |
| How you buy | Melaleuca's online store, with member pricing for members | Not listed |
Prices change, so check each maker's site or your store shelf before you buy.
What Melaleuca says about Sun Valley
Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash comes as an 8 fl oz refill, which you pour into a foaming pump bottle sold separately. On its product page, Melaleuca describes the scent this way: "Thyme and rosemary dance with sweet peppermint over soft, dusky sandalwood."
The label reads "With Glycerin, Thyme Oil, and Aloe Vera." Melaleuca says the wash is made without parabens, formaldehyde or phthalates. Its ingredients include aloe leaf juice powder and gardenia extract.
You buy the foaming pump once, then reorder 8 oz refills and pour them in. Melaleuca also sells hand soap alongside its personal care and skin care lines through the same online store, with lower member prices for members.
What Softsoap says about its antibacterial soap
Softsoap Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap in Crisp Clean comes in an 11.25 fl oz pump bottle and a 50 fl oz refill. According to Softsoap's product page, the soap is "clinically proven to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria." It was tested in handwashing against S. aureus and E. coli.
Its active ingredient, benzalkonium chloride, makes up 0.13% of the soap. Glycerin is listed among the inactive ingredients, along with Red 40, Yellow 5 and Red 33. Softsoap says the soap is dermatologist tested, pH balanced, paraben free, and formulated without phthalates.
Which soap fits your household?
Sun Valley may suit a family that likes scented foaming soap at the sink and wants glycerin and aloe on the label. If you already have a foaming pump by the faucet, order the 8 oz refill and pour it in. According to Melaleuca, the member price is $6.19 per refill, down from $9.00.
Softsoap Antibacterial may suit a household that wants a labeled antibacterial active ingredient, benzalkonium chloride at 0.13%, and a 50 fl oz refill jug. Softsoap says the formula is dermatologist tested and pH balanced.
Choose based on what you want at the sink: a scented foaming wash with aloe, or an antibacterial formula in a large refill size.
Questions about these two soaps
Does Sun Valley come with its own pump? No. The 8 fl oz refill does not include the foaming pump bottle. Melaleuca sells the pump separately for $2.00 regular, or $1.29 for members. Buy the pump once and reuse it with every refill.
What is the active ingredient in each? Softsoap Antibacterial lists benzalkonium chloride 0.13% as its active ingredient. Sun Valley's label names glycerin, thyme oil and aloe vera.
Sources
- Sun Valley Foaming Hand Wash: Mint & Herb, Melaleuca
- Softsoap Antibacterial Crisp Clean Liquid Hand Soap, Softsoap
- Softsoap Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap SmartLabel, Colgate-Palmolive
