Hand sanitizer: a necessity, a growing collection, and an easy/efficient way to keep your hands clean. Listed below are a bunch of sanitizers ranked between the ones I adore and others that I could live without.

Hand Sanitizer Tier List

The Victoria’s Secret hand sanitizer has a refreshing and unique scent, making it a staple in my backpack. The scent lingers on my hands the whole day and brings back memories of tropical vacations spent with my family. The packaging makes it a little tough to squeeze product out especially when you are nearing the end of the bottle, but looks cute nonetheless. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available for purchase on Victoria’s Secret’s website, but if you stumble upon it on eBay or another second-hand website online be sure to add it to your cart! 

The Bath and Body Works PocketBacs are an icon in every person’s purse or bag, and have been around for quite some time. They are a little expensive for how little you get (retailing for $1.75) for how much you get but come with cute designs and a wide variety of scents. Each scent brings you back to a specific moment and toes the line between real items or just a mix of chemicals together. Unfortunately, its consistency becomes thinner over time but it’s alright when you first purchase it. Both the regular PocketBac line and the Aromatherapy PocketBac line are good and in my like category.

The Equate hand sanitizer has a thicker consistency and has a mediocre alcohol scent which does not overpower my nostrils. It is cheap for the amount that you get and is available in many sizes. I bought mine at Walmart for $4.76 and the hand sanitizer has the generic sanitizer scent but does not sting your nostrils. 

The Upper Canada Soap spray hand sanitizer has a very strong alcohol scent but dries quickly leaving your hands refreshed and clean. I bought mine on sale at Old Navy for $1 but it is currently out of stock now. The formula does not dry your hands so it is like a lotion and a sanitizer in one. 

The Mrs. Meyers hand sanitizer in the scent Lavender is a little overpriced retailing for $3.99 and the scent is nice at first but gradually worsens. The spray becomes jammed after using it consistently for a few months and overall it is not the worst product but is definitely not one that I would repurchase. 

The Dollar Tree hand sanitizer in the scent Ocean Breeze is an average hand sanitizer. The packaging is appealing and easy to travel with but it does not smell as it is advertised. For $1.50, the sanitizer itself is alright, but its alcohol-like smell lingers for a little while. 

Speaking of smells, the Scent Theory Keep Clean hand sanitizer also has a prominent alcohol scent and a bit of a thicker consistency compared to the Equate hand sanitizer. In July 2020, Scent Theory was included in a large recall of hand sanitizers and recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of Scent Theory foaming hand soaps. Overall, it was an average hand sanitizer and left my hands feeling smooth and soft.

Thankfully for the health of my hands’ I only had one item that I couldn’t stand. The Cleace 75% Instant Hand Sanitizer has a pungent smell and not only are germs dying, you feel like your hands and nostrils are too. It has a watery consistency and rubs out quickly but leaves behind its distinct smell on your hands. 

All in all, hand sanitizer is a very personalized experience and the products that worked for me may or may not work for others. I hope that my ranking above helps all of the eager shoppers looking for their next favorite hand sanitizer!