Laura Mahecha
Director Professional Cleaning Products
The U.S. away-from-home hand care market is approaching nearly $2 billion and consists of some of the fastest-growing categories, including foaming and liquid hand soaps which have posted 5.0% gains year-over-year recently. Strong growth in the hand care market is driven by hygiene awareness in commercial and public settings. Moreover, there is strong demand for hand care products across healthcare, building service contractors, industrial facilities, foodservice, retailers, education, hospitality, and office buildings. Leading suppliers in the market include GOJO, Ecolab, Henkel, Kimberly-Clark, SC Johnson, and Zep.
Liquid and foam hand soaps remain dominant and continue to grow, partly due to dispenser system compatibility and user preference in public spaces. Foam formats, in particular, are favored for low cost-in-use benefits and reduced water usage during rinsing. Additionally, there is continued emphasis on antibacterial hand soap with proven efficacy and compliance with health regulations, especially in healthcare and foodservice. Generally, in healthcare environments, pharmaceutical-grade antibacterial soaps are used, with a stronger corporate focus on high-efficacy hand soaps as part of broader infection-control protocols.
Professional end users are increasingly aligning hand hygiene with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments and wellness certifications. As a result, there is a notable trend toward an increased integration of natural and organic ingredients in hand care products, supported by both consumer and institutional sustainability goals. The broader hand soap market is experiencing increasing use of essential oils, plant based surfactants, and ecofriendly ingredients, replacing harsher chemicals. This trend is also increasingly influencing professional procurement as well. In certain settings, hand care is also being used as a sensory upgrade for patrons or employees. For example, some facilities show growing interest in luxury, aromatic, and design forward formulations and packaging, driven by user experience expectations—particularly in hospitality, modern workplace environments, and/or upscale restaurant restrooms.
Dispensing hand care products is a crucial consideration for marketers of hand care products, and smart, touchless, and connected dispenser systems are increasingly in demand. Innovations include touchless dispensers, controlled dosing, refill monitoring, and IoT-enabled hygiene systems for facility managers. These dispensers are often preferred due to advanced features including:
- Reduced cross-contamination risk
- Lower product waste
- Labor savings through automated refill alerts
- Corporate desire for “visible hygiene protocols”
Professional cleaning buyers, especially those at airports, hospitals, and large college/employer campuses, now evaluate soap + dispenser hygiene ecosystems, not just soap SKU performance.
Commercial buyers now prioritize hand care:
- Efficacy and compliance
- Sustainability and ingredient transparency
- Cost-in-use efficiency (foam, controlled dispensing)
- User experience (fragrance, aesthetics in premium spaces)
- Operational efficiency (IoT dispensers, reduced labor)
Kline + Company will be publishing the fourth edition of I&I Hand Care U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities later this year. This comprehensive analysis of the professional hand care market will be based on over 500 detailed end-user surveys to understand customer preferences, usage, buying patterns, and dispenser needs. For more information, please contact us.
