40+ Loads of Laundry Later, We Can Say These Are the Best Detergents for Sensitive Skin
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Doing laundry is enough of a hassle; going through all that sorting, washing and folding, only to have your skin break out in an itchy rash, is straight-up infuriating. Searching for detergents for sensitive skin can be equally annoying—you’re staring at a sea of white and baby blue packaging, all reassuring you that their brand will do everything to your clothes and nothing to your skin, making you wonder, which one really works? Am I paying for scentless goo that gives the illusion of clean, only to leave my clothes smelling dank and my wallet lean? Are you Emperor’s NewClothes-ing me, Big Detergent?! And you too, Mom and Pop Detergent?!
That’s why we took it upon ourselves to research and test 20 laundry detergents from brands of all sizes (Arm & Hammer and Tide to Molly’s Suds and Blueland) to bring you what we’re deeming the best laundry detergents for sensitive skin, based on their ingredients, value, how they made our clothes look, smell and feel, and how our skin felt after wearing the freshly laundered duds afterward.
The Best Laundry Detergents for Sensitive Skin at a Glance
Meet the Expert
Dr. T N Rekha Singh, MBBS, MD, specializes in dermatology, venereology and leprosy, and has written journal articles and delivered lectures on the topics. She has trained more than 90 specialists during her 11-plus years at the Oliva Skin & Hair Clinic in India.
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I'm a Classic Over-Pourer, But This Laundry Detergent From Dirty Labs Gets the Job Done With Less
How We Chose the Best Laundry Detergents for Sensitive Skin
First, we chatted with Dr. Singh for her recommendations on what to look for—and avoid—and consulted the National Eczema Association’s guidelines. We primarily took ingredient lists into account, since Dr. Singh recommended basic soap, plant-derived oils (such as coconut, palm and olive), vitamin E and vitamin B5 as green flags to look out for. We avoided detergents that included preservatives, artificial colors and dyes, parabens and other harsh chemicals. For the most part, we avoided anything scented, unless it used natural fragrances (we’ve listed those below for easy reference). It was a bonus if it was marked as SkinSafe or Safer Choice certified, since those carry more weight and external vetting that they’re free of major irritants and chemicals than the term “hypoallergenic,” which isn’t regulated by the government.
From there, we narrowed it down to 22 detergents that advertised as being gentle or safe for sensitive skin, which were tested on at least one load of laundry and vetted on the following criteria:
Value: How does the price compare to the number of loads it tackles?
Accessibility: Is it easy to buy online or find in stores? Is it often sold out or only available at retailers with high shipping thresholds?
Odor removal: What scent(s) did the detergent have, if any, and did it fully remove odors? Even when we washed workout gear or clothes with sweat (or spit-up stains) on them?
Stain removal: How well did it remove stains, such as tea, grass stains and pureed carrots? We don’t expect every stain removed, since this isn’t a spot treatment, but could it provide a decent clean on its own?
Packaging: Was it bulky? Did it leak or leave your hands feeling sticky? Was it easy to open and measure out the appropriate dose of detergent?
Clothing feel: Were there any residues or a film on clothes? Did it leave them feeling soft or stiff? How did it feel on testers’ skin, and did they experience any irritation?
Thankfully, none of the detergents we tested seemed to irritate testers, and they all did a decent job removing odors and leaving clothes feeling soft, without fading. But which ones would testers eagerly restock in their own homes? Here are the winners.
The 11 Best Laundry Detergents for Sensitive Skin
1. Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty Free Power Pods
If you love the convenience of popping a laundry pod into the wash and you still want to ensure a serious clean, look no further than Tide Hygienic Clean Free Power Pods. They’ve been recognized by the National Psoriasis Foundation and National Eczema Association for their ingredients (which are hypoallergenic, dye-free and perfume-free), and in our tests, they removed coffee and baby food stains without pretreating or spot-treating. No mess, no fuss—just fresh, soft clothes, straight out of the wash. (Plus, the pods are made to be used in hot or cold water.)
Psst: If you’re not a fan of pods, Tide also makes a liquid version. It did just as well in testing, and you can dab on a little to spot-treat tough stains, but the pods ultimately won out for their convenience.
2. Molly’s Suds Ultra-Concentrated Laundry Detergent
Out of a concern to provide families with cleaning products that offered the fewest, safest ingredients possible, nurse-turned-entrepreneur Monica Leonard founded Molly’s Suds. Its detergents have gotten buzz for containing just ten ingredients (nine, if you choose the unscented variety), which received an A rating from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
The proof is in the laundry: We experienced no issues with irritation, including a tester who struggles with eczema flare-ups. We also loved how soft and fresh our clothes smelled—even post-HIIT leggings—and that the (naturally derived) scent we tried, lavender, offered a very light aroma as you poured it in, yet didn’t linger on the clothes when they came out of the dryer. It wasn’t the toughest on stains (slight discoloration remained), but with some spot treating, you could take care of that.
3. AspenClean Unscented Laundry Detergent Pods
At 50 cents per load, these pods were one of our pricier options, but the vegan, hypoallergenic tablets justify their price tag with their eco-friendly design. The compostable container is made of recycled paper, and inside, you’ll find 36 powder-filled pods made of 99.9 percent natural ingredients. There’s virtually no scent to the pods, but they were effective at removing odors without leaving any sort of residue on clothes.
While the EWG-verified ingredients offer peace of mind that they meet the group’s strictest standards for health and the environment, that does come at the cost of stain removal: If you spill coffee or smear ketchup on your clothes, you’ll need to dab them with water and launder them right away, otherwise they’ll linger if you rely on this product alone.
4. Swash Smells Like Nothing Ultra-Concentrated Laundry Detergent
We’re all guilty of using too much detergent, which is why Swash made it their mission to help save you from temptation: One squeeze = one ideal amount of detergent for a load of laundry (two for large loads). Admittedly, we were tempted to squeeze it repeatedly (sure, it’s ultra-concentrated, but could that really be enough?!), but we were rewarded for our restraint. It got rid of stains without leaving clothes feeling starchy—and did so better than any other squeeze bottle we tested.
While some competitors’ caps leaked or cracked, we had no issues here, though some reviewers noted that the cap can be loose when you receive it, so double-check before your first use. We also liked how little space it took up in our laundry room, despite being good for 80 loads.
5. Cleancult Laundry Detergent Sheets, Free & Clear
At first, laundry detergent sheets seemed like a novelty: Place this tissue-sized sheet into your washing machine and voila! It dissolves into detergent. But some are surprisingly effective cleaners. Of the ones we tested, Cleancult excelled at leaving clothes smelling fresh-off-the-clothesline, thanks to a faint linen scent, while removing most stains. (Like many gentle detergents, pureed carrots were tough to remove, requiring a spot treatment to fully disappear.)
The packaging is also eco-friendly; it arrives in what looks like a slim tissue box, and it’s certified plastic neutral.
6. Tru Earth Eco-Strips Laundry Detergent
As far as unscented sheets go, Tru Earth gets our vote—and we also find it’s excellent for travel, since the strips arrive in a slim paper envelope, taking up less space in your carry-on than a folder. Half a strip works for a medium-sized load, or you can use a full strip for large (or particularly dirty) ones. Like Cleancult, they work in hot or cold water, as well as in HE machines, and our tester appreciated how reliably the detergent removed odors without imparting any scents or leaving a residue.
7. Arm & Hammer Free & Clear Sensitive Skin Detergent
Deemed 100 percent Skinsafe—meaning it excludes all major irritants, making it ideal for those diagnosed with eczema, atopic dermatitis and other sensitivities—Arm & Hammer is an affordable, reliable pick for anyone who breaks out in a rash at the mere thought of trying new products. It’s dermatologist-tested, like many other picks on this list, and works with hot or cold water, as well as in HE machines. But what gave it the edge over a few other liquid detergents was the one test most brands struggled with: removing pureed carrots. Those bright orange stains had just the faintest trace in one spot we tested, and they disappeared completely when the detergent was used as a spot treatment before washing.
8. Common Good Laundry Detergent, Bergamot
Though it’s available in unscented and lavender, we couldn’t get enough of Common Good’s bergamot scent. The light citrus aroma made throwing in a load of laundry a bit more pleasant, and it was never so strong that it bothered our tester. The plant-based formula gently cleaned clothes, leaving them soft. And, if you’re curious, the scent didn’t linger on clothes; a con for some, a pro for those particularly sensitive to smells.
The cylindrical bottle takes up little cabinet space, thanks to its highly concentrated formula, and our tester said it was less prone to dripping than the typical plastic jug.
9. ECOS Magnolia & Lily Laundry Detergent
At 16 cents per load, this plant-based formula—which contains just seven ingredients and is safer-choice certified by the EPA—earns our pick for best value. Dabbing a little detergent on stains worked well as a spot treatment, because otherwise they tended to linger post-wash, but it was very effective at removing odors. Like our other scented picks, you get a delicate floral fragrance that’s almost so subtle you’d miss it as you’re pouring it into the washing machine, and there’s no trace of it on clothes when they’ve dried.
It, too, is safe for septic tanks and works with HE and standard machines alike, but what makes it stand out is that ECOS is made in zero-waste facilities powered by 100 percent renewable wind and solar energy, making it good for the earth, too.
10. Blueland Laundry Essentials Kit
Not even sure where to begin with all of these laundry products? Start here. Blueland’s Laundry Essentials Kit provides everything you need if you’re just moving out on your own or into a new place—or just realized your skin flareups may have to do with your washing and drying regimen and want to start fresh. There’s a sleek tin of EPA Safer Choice-certified Blueland laundry tablets, which our tester found easy to use, and very compact. She also raved that after washing her pillowcases and sleeping on them, she didn’t experience any breakouts or issues.
And, when you order the essentials kit, you’ll also snag a refillable container of oxi-laundry booster, the brand’s stain remover, as well as a trio of wool dryer balls to reduce wrinkles and static in your clothes.
11. Dreft Free & Gentle Unscented Detergent
Bringing home a newborn makes you look at the world through a new lens: Those ingredients you never considered now have you Googling through the night. Dreft has been a top pediatrician-recommended pick for years for its gentle formula (which also happens to be Safer Choice certified), which was effective at removing most pureed carrots and signs of baby spit-up, particularly when used as a spot treatment before washing, without irritating an infant’s skin or imparting any chemical-y smells on clothes.
That said, you’ll want to wash your hands after washing; we found this container the drippiest of the ones we tested.
What to Look for in Laundry Detergents for Sensitive Skin
“Sensitive skin requires special care and attention when selecting laundry detergents, since the wrong product can cause inflammation and discomfort,” Dr. Singh says. “It’s important to choose one that’s free from fragrances and other potentially irritating ingredients.”
Dr. Singh recommends opting for gentle non-biological detergents, since they won’t have enzymes that can cause allergic reactions. She also notes that you should look for a detergent that’s specifically formulated for sensitive skin, since it’s likely to contain ingredients that are proven to be safe and gentle.
If you have a specific skin condition, you should speak to a dermatologist to find the product that best fits your needs.
How We Tested Detergents:
Each detergent went through at least one load of laundry, featuring a range of clothes with mixed soiling, from workout wear we sweated in to lightly stained kids’ clothes, splattered with pureed baby food. We followed the package’s instructions for each load, taking care to use the exact dosage recommended. Editors compared stains before and after to gauge lift, though that was just a small portion of our vetting process. They also wore the freshly washed clothing, noting its feel and scent throughout the day and documenting any irritations or issues resulting from it. (None of the products we’ve included bothered our testers’ skin.)
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