If you have sensitive skin, it’s likely you often break out in hives or rashes. You might be surprised to learn that contact dermatitis can result from toxic materials present in your laundry detergent. What’s worse, the residue left on your washed clothes can trigger your allergies later on.
While it’s crucial to find a hypoallergenic detergent that’s made of safe and gentle ingredients, you also want one that gets clothes clean.
I’ve spent a week trying out each of the popular hypoallergenic laundry detergents, reviewing, comparing, and ranking them so that you can choose the safest and most effective product for your family.
I’ve sorted them according to ingredients, cleaning performance, and possible allergens, as well as their contribution to environmental causes. Here’s what I found.
1. Earth Breeze Eco Sheets — 9.68/10 (The best hypoallergenic laundry detergent)
Earth Breeze is the best hypoallergenic laundry detergent because of its nontoxic formula and gentle ingredients that prevent an allergic reaction and clean your laundry exceptionally well. The brand also gives back to the community and invests in eco-friendly initiatives.
Pros
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets are certified hypoallergenic, and gluten and cruelty free. They’re so safe for sensitive skin that they don’t need a separate detergent for babies, unlike many other brands. This specially formulated detergent is free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and optical brighteners that could irritate vulnerable skin.
These hassle-free eco sheets take up very little space in your laundry room. They dissolve completely, and you can use them on silk, wool, delicate clothes, and even cloth diapers.
Apart from being convenient and safe for sensitive skin, they also clean exceptionally well, fighting stains on both light and dark samples. They even remove pet dander and harmful allergens from clothes.
Moreover, the sheets work well in high-efficiency (HE) washing machines, and I didn’t observe any fade in my samples.
With Earth Breeze, laundry smells fresh after every wash, and the mild scent is subtle, which is good for people with a sensitive nose. Others who are not big fans of scents may want to choose the fragrance-free option.
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets are better for the environment than traditional detergents. Their ingredients make it a safe laundry detergent for septic systems, gray water, and aquatic life. Since Earth Breeze’s sheets are compact and easy to transport, and come in zero-waste packaging, their shipping and packaging pose less of an environmental burden than leading brands.
At just $0.33 per load, and with free shipping, Earth Breeze Eco Sheets won’t break your bank. It only gets better with their 40% monthly subscription discount, which reduces the price to $0.20 per load. They also accept returns if you’re not 100% satisfied with their product!
Finally, Earth Breeze’s contribution to the environment is noteworthy. They actively donate 10 detergent sheets with every sale they make to a charity of your choosing. The brand is also in the 1% for the Planet club, the members of which donate 1% of their annual revenue to environmental causes. They work tirelessly toward earth conservation initiatives, such as planting trees and cleaning up the ocean.
Earth Breeze sheets easily secure the first spot in the list of hypoallergenic laundry detergent sheets because they’re safe for sensitive skin, have the best cleaning performance, and the brand contributes to the wellness of the earth.
Cons
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets have all that I expect from a hypoallergenic laundry detergent, but the brand is relatively new in the market. Consumers are always hesitant to try anything new, especially when it comes to cleaning products. However, this didn’t stop 14,000 customers from leaving positive reviews on their website. Considering the testimonials, Earth Breeze is quickly making a name for itself.
Overall
Earth Breeze is a well-rounded hypoallergenic and safe laundry detergent, with ingredients that are safe for all skin types, even babies and people with sensitive skin. You get exceptional cleaning, too, at an economical rate.
You’ll rarely find a brand that stands for a cause and takes practical steps to achieve it, but Earth Breeze is committed to eco-friendly initiatives.
Despite being relatively new, they already have thousands of satisfied customers that are happy to endorse this product.
If you want an affordable, hypoallergenic, and efficient laundry detergent that is 100% environmentally friendly, sign up for Earth Breeze here.
2. Heritage Park Laundry Detergent — 8.9/10 (Good performance, but quite expensive)
Heritage Park laundry detergents for sensitive skin have a good thing going with a safe, hypoallergenic, gentle formula and efficient cleaning performance, but they lose points because of their high price.
Pros
Heritage Park liquid laundry detergent has stain-fighting enzymes that are all-natural and hypoallergenic. As a result, this biodegradable laundry detergent is safe for sensitive skin and won’t cause rash, hives, or other allergic reactions. In addition, this product is certified hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested, so you don’t have to worry about authenticity.
If you’re a parent, try out their “baby detergent,” which is safe for your baby’s delicate skin. Heritage Park also has several unscented detergents for people with hypersensitivity and asthma.
This laundry detergent easily removed all the gunk from my test swatches, although pretreating tough stains might get even better results. For cleaning delicate and expensive fabric, their “Silk and Wool” detergent is best.
Cons
First, they are quite expensive and priced at $0.55 per load for a one-time purchase, and $0.49 per load with a monthly subscription. They only offer free shipping if your total bill is more than $45. Earth Breeze provides the same performance at a much lower rate.
Second, you’ll find separate detergents on their website for delicate fabrics and baby clothes. This works well for some, but people often have multiple types of fabrics in a single load, and it’s more economical to use an all-around detergent like Earth Breeze.
Finally, as a caring consumer, you’ll be disappointed to know that they don’t actively contribute to eco-friendly initiatives or use biodegradable packaging, instead using recyclable plastic bottles.
Overall
To sum up, Heritage Park laundry detergent is certified hypoallergenic and cleans well. Its enzyme-based ingredients are biodegradable and free from harmful toxins. While it’s certainly not the most economical laundry detergent and the brand doesn’t contribute to environmental causes, I would recommend it as a second reliable option.
To learn more, visit their website here.
3. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap — 7.9/10 (Strong scent overshadows good performance)
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap, made of natural oils, is hypoallergenic, effective, and certified vegan, although its strong fragrance can be too much for some people.
Pros
Bronner’s laundry products are great at cleaning and tick all the boxes on my eco-friendly checklist. In fact, the only reason it’s behind Heritage Park is its scent, which could be too overpowering for people with asthma.
It’s an all-purpose cleaning soap made up of natural oils like jojoba, coconut, and palm (the reason behind its strong scent). It’s a USDA-certified biobased product that you can even use as face wash and body soap, or for other household purposes like dishwashing. However, its effectiveness for other purposes needs further investigation.
Cleaning-wise it’s on par with our top contenders, and I found it to be effective in removing stains from my heavily soiled samples. You might need to be cautious about the quantity though, as it’s highly concentrated and must be diluted before use.
Bronner’s takes care of their community by sharing the company’s profit among its employees and providing financial assistance to farmers who yield their organic crops.
Cons
While Dr. Bronner’s is a good brand, there are several reasons why I’ve ranked it third.
First, the castile hypoallergenic laundry soap has an overpowering fragrance that may affect sensitive skin and trigger an asthma attack. Although it’s hypoallergenic, you should consider the fragrance before using it.
Second, it’s not light on the budget and costs $1.54 per load. What’s even more concerning is that they’ve no refund policy.
Finally, it comes in recyclable plastic bottles—not very “green.”
Overall
Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap is a certified hypoallergenic and vegan product with exceptional performance. However, some people may find its scent intense, and you may need to steer clear of it if you have fragrance allergies.
Also, they’re more expensive than most brands and don’t contribute to eco-friendly initiatives like Earth Breeze. Overall, it’s a good product, but you can find better value in the top two laundry detergents from my list.
4. Tru Earth Eco-Strips Laundry Detergent
Tru Earth’s hypoallergenic laundry detergent is plant-based and made up of all-natural ingredients. It’s free from dyes, parabens, and artificial fragrances, and is tested by dermatologists. However, their vegan claim isn’t backed up by an authentic certification.
They’re ranked fourth because they lack cleaning performance. If you have little kids, you know they’re mess machines and can get pretty solid stains on their clothes. You may need to pretreat the stains before using Tru Earth detergent strips, which is quite inconvenient if you’ve a busy schedule.
Tru Earth does contribute to humanitarian and eco-friendly initiatives, and I support their efforts. However, it’ll cost you around $0.56 per load, which is almost twice as costly as Earth Breeze.
I’d say there are better options available for you at a cheaper price.
5. Persil Free & Sensitive Laundry Detergent
Traditional Persil products had all those harsh and toxic chemicals commonly found in cleaning products, but their new “Free and Sensitive” detergent is hypoallergenic. Judging from the ingredient list, their claims are legit. The new dermatologist-tested formula is safe for sensitive skin.
If fragrances bug you, you can try out their fragrance-free laundry detergents.
Persil’s cleaning performance is ordinary, and I noticed a fade in delicate fabrics. In high-efficiency (HE) machines and heavily soiled clothes, you may need to use a larger amount of detergent to get good results.
Persil laundry detergent is priced at $0.19/load, but they offer no refund policy or free shipping, which adds to the final cost and essentially defeats the whole point of being priced low.
Despite having a big name and huge consumer base, they don’t contribute much to environmentally friendly initiatives.
When it comes to being eco-friendly, Persil belongs in fifth place. They contain surfactants that harm aquatic life and their big plastic packaging is bad for the environment.
Overall, Persil is a good hypoallergenic detergent but is not environmentally friendly and doesn’t participate in green initiatives.
6. Botanical Origin Plant-Based Laundry Detergent
Next up is Botanical Origin’s laundry detergent, made partly from plant-based ingredients. In total, 67% of the detergent ingredients are USDA biobased, but unfortunately, the rest of the formula comprises fragrances and harmful chemicals, like sodium borate.
This liquid detergent left a strong lingering scent on my test articles, which is absolutely not suitable for people who are sensitive to strong fragrances.
They’re down at sixth place because of their plastic containers that are only 25% post-consumer recycled plastic. Although they aim to shift to nonplastic packaging by the end of 2024 and become carbon neutral by 2040, I wonder what’s taking them so long to launch more sustainable products.
Many brands, such as Earth Breeze, have been carbon neutral, with plastic-free packaging since their inception, so there are certainly better options at your disposal.
7. Meliora Laundry Powder
I had to mention Meliora because they actively participate in meaningful causes by being a part of 1% for the Planet and Women’s Voices for the Earth. They donate 2% of their annual revenue to different charities, which totally deserves a standing ovation. However, they couldn’t clean the test articles in my HE machine, so I was forced to bump them down to seventh place.
They have a “made-safe” certification and approval from groups such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Whole Foods Market Eco-Scale on the safety of their ingredients. You’ll find no toxic fragrances in their formulation, as they use only tested essential oils to add scents to the products.
They’re, without a doubt, very safe for sensitive skin because they use vegetable ingredients in the formula. But this is also the reason that their soaps don’t clean at all. There’s no point in buying a laundry detergent that doesn’t perform the very job it was made for, that is, removing stains from clothes.
8. Grab Green Laundry Detergent
Grab Green laundry detergents are made of safe ingredients, but the powder pods don’t dissolve in the washer and form clumps. What’s worse is the lingering pungent smell that can cause an allergic reaction. You can opt for the fragrance-free product, but there’s no guarantee it will leave your clothes smelling fresh and clean.
They are priced at $0.50/load, quite expensive compared with its winning counterpart, Earth Breeze. In addition, they don’t contribute to earth-friendly activities. It’s better to dish out your money in places that offer more bounce for the ounce.
9. Better Life Laundry Detergent
Down at the ninth place is Better Life, which claims to contain a 100% “plant-based” formula, free of toxic chemicals. But when the bottle arrived I noticed the label contained two of the most toxic chemicals, methylisothiazolinone and benzisothiazolinone.
They blatantly lie to their customers and sell toxic products under the tag of “eco-friendly.” It’s a huge disappointment to see how brands mislead their customers to get a few more sales.
I was further discouraged to see the lousy cleaning power of this liquid detergent.
Save yourself $0.61/load and go for Earth Breeze.
10. Attitude Laundry Detergent
A pricey product that has a bad history of activating skin allergies, I present to you, Attitude laundry detergent. It claims to be “hypoallergenic,” but the results clearly indicate otherwise.
Attitude comes in plastic bottles and does nothing appreciable for the environment. They do, however, plant one tree with every purchase, which is so underwhelming considering how much the top contenders do for society.
Don’t buy from them—instead invest wisely in brands that actually deliver value, such as Earth Breeze.
Other Laundry Detergents I Tested
I tested five other “hypoallergenic” detergents in addition to the ones mentioned above in my weeklong research. Here are the brands that couldn’t grab a place in the top 10 positions:
11. Biokleen Natural Laundry Detergent
Biokleen uses natural ingredients and plant-based surfactants. Their laundry detergent does an average job cleaning and is a bit pricier than the other laundry detergents. However, I think they can up their game if they shift to more sustainable packaging and ditch big plastic bottles.
12. All Free Clear Laundry Detergent
All claims to be safe for sensitive skin, but their laundry detergents consist of an irritant called “isothiazolinones” that can cause contact allergies. They also contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a highly toxic chemical that can harm sensitive skin, especially in warm water.
Plus, the product comes in a big plastic jug that takes up a lot of space and is not eco-friendly.
13. ECOS 2x Hypoallergenic Liquid Laundry Detergent
Another brand that boasts its “hypoallergenic” feature but contains harsh chemicals is ECOS. It has methylisothiazolinone, which can irritate eyes and skin. It also contains preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, which is linked to severe skin allergies and disorders like eczema. ECOS will clean your clothes well, but it’s pretty harsh on sensitive skin despite its hypoallergenic claims.
14. Woolite Delicates Hypoallergenic Liquid Laundry Detergent
Woolite liquid laundry detergent is absolutely NOT hypoallergenic, as it contains synthetic fragrances, SLS, methylisothiazolinone, and benzisothiazolinone. All these chemicals are known to cause skin allergies, rashes, and irritation, yet they so confidently claim to be hypoallergenic.
15. Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free Liquid Laundry Detergent
I had a terrible washing experience with Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free Liquid Laundry Detergent. First, the container leaks. Second, some residue was left after the rinse cycle. The product also has sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which may harm sensitive skin. The unscented variant still had a scent that may irritate some people. Don’t try this if you have allergies or sensitive skin.
The Bottom Line
Earth Breeze stood at the top after my thorough research and test trials of the 15 best hypoallergenic laundry detergents.
Earth Breeze’s eco-friendly sheets performed exceptionally on all fronts.
The ingredients are certified hypoallergenic and safe for most skin types. These detergent sheets are free from artificial fragrances and dyes. Definitely a sigh of relief if you get asthma attacks and nasal allergies from the slightest of scents.
Earth Breeze’s cleaning performance is second to none. It removed food, grease, and grass stains out of my denim, silk, wool, and cotton swatches. Surprisingly, one sheet is enough for even heavily soiled clothes. So, it’s definitely an economical option.
Earth Breeze’s initiative for a better environment and community is commendable. Its eco sheets come in zero-waste packaging and have biodegradable ingredients, making it the best zero waste laundry detergent option. The brand donates 10 laundry sheets to charity with every purchase. Earth Breeze is also a part of the 1% for the Planet club and gives 1% of their revenue to environmental causes.
Earth Breeze is a relatively new player in the industry, but many people have already tried it and left great reviews about the product. You can read them here.
If you’re seeking a no chemical laundry detergent option, Earth Breeze’s eco-friendly sheets provide a safe and effective solution.
Methodology
Many laundry brands put “hypoallergenic” on their labels but secretly add chemicals known to activate allergies and cause skin irritation.
This section is dedicated to walking you through the whole research process that helped me figure out the best hypoallergenic detergents for sensitive skin.
Here’s the seven-step methodology I used to rank these brands:
Step 1: Listing famous hypoallergenic laundry brands
For the first step, I put together a long list of detergents that had the word “hypoallergenic” printed on their labels. The detergents I selected had the most sales and were popular among consumers. Next, I checked out local and online stores to figure out what people are buying the most these days. By the end of this step, I had a list of the 15 most popular hypoallergenic laundry detergents brands.
Step 2: Checking the ingredients
The next step was to determine what ingredients cause allergies and irritate sensitive skin. Before ranking the brands based on their ingredients, I had to read a few blogs and research papers to make sure I knew everything about allergy-causing detergent chemicals.
The chemicals likely to cause allergies include surfactants, synthetic fragrances, parabens, dyes, artificial brighteners, chlorine bleach, and preservatives.
Step 3: Online reviews
In this stage, I read hundreds of online reviews, not only the ones on the brands’ websites but also those on other online marketplaces. This gave me a deeper insight into each product’s customer experience.
Some people had an allergic reaction to plant-based ingredients, which led me to learn more about plant ingredients that cause allergic reactions. Many customers faced issues with the lingering smell on their clothes that caused sneezing and watery eyes.
Step 4: Interviews with real customers
Considering how brands put up fake and paid testimonials on their websites, I decided to contact real customers and ask for their opinions on the products. The information I received helped me rank the detergent even better.
I’ve incorporated many different experiences from different customers in my ranking system. Some customers had to visit an ER right after using the product. Others got contact dermatitis and suffered from hives. Some customers had to redo the laundry to remove the smell caused by the detergent.
Step 5: Interviews with hypoallergenic laundry detergent brands
To confirm the claims that many brands made on their package labels, I emailed and called their customer support regarding the certifications and ingredients. Some brands, such as Earth Breeze, emailed back immediately with the details and impact of their ingredients, while others didn’t respond at all.
Step 6: Test drives
I then took my investigation a step further and tested various hypoallergenic laundry detergents in HE machines. I used several swatches of denim, cotton, silk, and wool, ridden with tough stains, such as baby food, ketchup, grass, and grease.
To keep it fair, I made 15 identical batches. Each set had several types of fabrics with the same gunk.
After washing the test swatches in the most popular form of that laundry detergent (eg. laundry detergent sheet, powder, liquid, etc…), the test swatches were dried and observed, once through the naked eye and the second time under a specialized UV light. So, the final ratings were based on efficient cleaning, fading of colors, brightness, and post-wash scent.
The top four on the list were true to their claim of efficient cleaning, and I found them to be effective in both whites and colors. However, the rest of the detergents were subpar. Some of them faded the colors, and some failed to remove the stains entirely.
Step 7: Hypoallergenic laundry detergent analysis
After gathering all the information, I gave the brands final ranking based on the scores they obtained in the following sections:
- Ingredients
- Effect on sensitive skin
- Cleaning power
- Septic safety
- Sustainable packaging and shipping
- Cost per load
- Delivery charges, subscription offers, and refund policies
- Customer service
- Contribution to society and the environment
This scoring system helped me find the brands that ticked all the boxes of hypoallergenic and eco friendly laundry detergents.
If you want to learn more about laundry sheets that clean well, check out my article on the eight best eco friendly laundry detergent sheets here.
The Best Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent That Actually Cleans!
It’s easy to fall prey to the false claims of laundry brands about being gentle on skin and hypoallergenic. After a week of research, I figured out which brands are telling the truth and which brands mislead their customers into buying not-so-hypoallergenic products.
Keeping in mind ingredients, eco-friendliness, and cost, Earth Breeze effortlessly stood out at the top of the list.
- Earth Breeze is free from harmful ingredients that could cause skin discomfort.
- Their laundry sheets clean exceptionally well on both whites and colored items.
- Earth Breeze is super affordable and also offers free shipping with a full money-back guarantee.
- They care for our planet and donate 1% of their annual revenue to different charities.
- They donate 10 laundry sheets to underprivileged communities with every purchase.
- Earth Breeze is a 100% cruelty free and vegan laundry detergent.
- They’re 100% carbon neutral and ship their products in zero-waste packages.
Although they’re relatively new to the market, Earth Breeze Eco Sheets have already received thousands of positive reviews and ratings.
If you want a hypoallergenic laundry detergent that contains 100% safe ingredients, is eco-friendly, and gives back to society generously, you should try out Earth Breeze.