Read the ingredient lists for our Hand Wash and our Exfoliating Hand Wash side by side and you will find the same formula twice. The exfoliating version adds volcanic pumice, two thickeners (starch acetate/adipate and xanthan gum) and a couple of minor helpers. The cleansers, the argan oil and the hibiscus extract are identical.
So choosing between them comes down to texture: do your hands need polishing today, or just washing?
The short answer
Use a gentle hand wash for most washes and an exfoliating hand soap when your hands feel rough or gritty after a messy job. Our two share the same cleansing base; the Exfoliating Hand Wash adds ultra-fine volcanic pumice. Dermatologists at the AAD advise exfoliating gently and not too often, so let your skin set the pace and follow the directions on the label.
Exfoliating hand soap vs gentle hand wash at a glance
Gentle for most washes, pumice when hands feel rough
- Both share the same cleansers & moisturizers
- The pumice wash polishes rough, gritty hands
- The gentle wash has six scents & a 1L refill
An exfoliating hand soap does two jobs at once. It cleans like any liquid soap, and fine particles in the gel buff away the dry surface layer of skin as you lather. A gentle hand wash only does the first job, with as little disruption to your skin as possible.
Our exfoliating hand wash costs $38 for 12 oz and comes in Cece, our founder's signature scent of cedarwood smoke, cardamom, cinnamon and white leather. For $36 you get the Hand Wash in the same size, in six scents, with a 1L refill pouch.
Exfoliating vs gentle, topic by topic
2 rounds, scored
How pumice hand soap works
Pumice is lava that cooled fast enough to trap gas bubbles inside, leaving a light, porous rock with a natural bite. In a pumice hand soap it is ground into grains and suspended in the gel, so every pump carries its own abrasive.
Our Exfoliating Hand Wash with volcanic pumice mills it ultra-fine, to exfoliate gently without irritation, and in the bottle it reads as a soft, sandy gel.
It is also one of the cleaner ways to make an exfoliating soap. Pumice soap scrubs with a mineral; insoluble plastic microbeads, once common in scrubs, sit on our list of ingredients we never use.
Moisture comes from organic rosella extract, saccharide isomerate and organic argan oil, all in the Hand Wash too, where the label calls rosella by its other name, hibiscus.
What a gentle hand wash does differently
A gentle hand wash is the one you reach for all day without thinking. The everyday Hand Wash lifts dirt and oil with coconut-derived surfactants, moisturizes with argan oil and hydrates with Australian hibiscus flower extract. Nothing in it scrubs.
Advice from the American Academy of Dermatology for dry skin starts with a gentle cleanser, used only in the amount it takes to remove dirt and oil, followed by hand cream after every wash. A hand wash for dry hands should clean and get out of the way.
Curious how coconut-derived cleansers work? Our guide covers the chemistry.
Using both at the kitchen sink
A kitchen hand soap gets used more than any other in the house: before cooking, after raw chicken, after the trash, after the dishes. Most of those washes should be gentle.
Keep the Hand Wash as the everyday pump, with the Exfoliating Hand Wash beside it for the messy moments. Our Exfoliating Kitchen Trio pairs it with the Surface Cleaner and Dish Soap for $82, a $92 value, so the whole counter matches in Cece.
How pumice hand soap works
Exfoliating 9Gentle 5
Fine grit, carried in a gel.
What a gentle hand wash does differently
Exfoliating 6Gentle 9
Clean without the polish.
Exfoliating Hand Wash vs hand wash side by side
Feature by feature
| Feature | Exfoliating Hand Wash | Hand Wash |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $38 for 12 oz | $36 for 12 oz |
| Texture | A gel with ultra-fine volcanic pumice | A smooth liquid soap |
| Cleansing base | The Hand Wash base | Coconut-derived surfactants |
| Moisture helpers | Argan oil, rosella (hibiscus) extract, saccharide isomerate | Argan oil, hibiscus extract, saccharide isomerate |
| Scents | Cece | Six, from Cece to Balsam Fireplace |
| Refill pouch | None yet | 1L refill, $88 |
| Best for | Rough hands after messy jobs | Every wash, all day |
When to reach for an exfoliating hand scrub
The jobs that call for grit
Reach for the exfoliating wash when plain soap leaves something behind: soil after repotting, dough in the creases of your fingers, or that dull, rough feel hands get after a week of cold air and dishwater.
Pumice is a classic mechanical exfoliant. The entry on exfoliation on Wikipedia lists it alongside sugar and salt crystals, loofahs and brushes. Any hand scrub works by friction, so you never need to press hard.
An exfoliating hand scrub in a jar asks for an extra step: scrub, rinse, then wash. A pumice wash does it all in one lather, which is why it can live by the sink. Unlike a gritty hand soap made for heavy grease, ours stays fine enough for clean kitchen hands.
Follow the AAD's short guidance on exfoliating at home: small, gentle circles for about 30 seconds, a lukewarm rinse, moisturizer right after, and never on cuts, wounds or sunburned skin.
Choose exfoliating hand wash for
- Rough, dull-feeling handsFine pumice polishes the surface as you lather.
- After messy jobsPotting soil, pastry dough, a cutting board of garlic.
- A treat at the sinkA thick gel that feels like a hand treatment.
Choose hand wash for
- Frequent washingA smooth lather with nothing to scrub.
- Dry or sensitive skinThe AAD advises a gentle cleanser for dry skin.
- Kids & guestsNo grit, and six scents to choose from.
Exfoliating hand soap FAQ
Quick answers before you pump
Can you use exfoliating hand soap every day?
Our label does not set a schedule, so follow the directions on the bottle and let your skin decide. General guidance from the American Academy of Dermatology is that the more aggressive the exfoliation, the less often you need it, and that over-exfoliating can leave skin red and irritated. If your hands turn red or sting, go back to the gentle Hand Wash.
Is pumice soap safe for sensitive skin?
It depends on your skin. According to the AAD, people with dry, sensitive or acne-prone skin may find mechanical exfoliation too irritating. We mill our pumice ultra-fine to exfoliate gently, but if your hands sting after washing, choose the gentle Hand Wash.
Does exfoliating soap remove garlic & onion smells?
We make no odor claim for either wash. A thorough wash helps most: the CDC recommends lathering the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails, and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. Cece's cardamom and cinnamon notes leave your hands smelling of something else.
More Homecourt hand wash guides
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