Laura Mahecha
Director Professional Cleaning Products
Strong growth of hand care products in the U.S. away-from-home market is being driven by hygiene awareness in commercial and public settings. There is strong demand for hand care products across healthcare, building service contractors, industrial facilities, foodservice, retailers, education, hospitality, and office buildings. 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 lower water demand during rinsing. Some key trends and how they are evolving are summarized below
Antibacterial hand soap trends
There is continued emphasis on antibacterial hand soap with proven efficacy and compliance with health regulations, especially in healthcare and foodservice. Often in healthcare environments, pharmaceutical-grade antibacterial soaps are used, and in general, there is a stronger corporate focus on high efficacy hand soaps as part of broader infection control protocols. From recent surveys of industrial and institutional end users that Kline has conducted we see that 70% of respondents indicate they are using more antibacterial hand soap now than they did before the pandemic. This was particularly strong among respondents in healthcare, education, foodservice, and lodging. Key reasons for antibacterial hand soap usage include the desire to kill germs, to stay clean, and for the safety and health of building occupants. Others indicate being more cautious about hand care since the pandemic.
Usage and inflation
While the market grows in terms of value it is important to understand the source of the growth and how much comes from price increases versus volume increases, or in some cases both. In a recent Kline survey 45% of respondents indicated they are using the same amount of hand care products at their facility but, they are spending more due to higher prices. Another 49% indicate they are doing both; using more volume and paying higher prices. Only 6% say they are using less volume of hand care products but spending more due to price increases.
Hand care dispenser trends
End users’ preferences for dispensers vary by hand care category. Overall, refillable bulk dispensers are the most common form of liquid hand soaps used. Pump bottles are a common dispensing form for hand sanitizers, foam hand soaps, and industrial heavy-duty hand soaps while cartridge systems are frequently used for foam hand soaps and foam hand sanitizers. The installation of touch-free hand care dispensers continues to grow as manual dispensers wear out and need replacement. There is an increase in touch-free wall mount and free-standing dispensers in industrial and institutional buildings for both hand soap and hand sanitizer and these formats continue to grow since the pandemic. Our survey reveals that the majority of professional end users expect to increase the number of touch-free dispensers at their facilities in the future.
Important dispenser features
Durability, ease of maintenance, and being easy to install are the most important features professional end users look for in their hand care dispensers. Other features that are important include content being easily viewed, ease of changing batteries, dispenser having the ability to be locked/tamper proof, and helping to meet sustainability goals with cartridges that can be disposed of responsibly. Dispensing of hand care products is a crucial consideration for marketers of hand care products and smart, touchless, and connected dispenser systems are increasingly in demand. When it comes to smart or IoT-enabled dispensers that ping janitorial managers’ devices when they need servicing 74% of respondents either currently have these or are planning to add them in the future. Innovations include touchless dispensers, controlled dosing, refill monitoring, and IoT-enabled smart 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
Sustainability
Professional end users are aligning hand hygiene with ESG commitments and wellness certifications and therefore, we are seeing increased integration of natural and organic ingredients becoming a defining trend, supported by both consumer and institutional sustainability goals. The broader hand soap market is seeing increasing use of essential oils, plant-based surfactants, and ecofriendly ingredients, replacing harsher chemicals, which is now influencing professional procurement as well. In some 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.
In summary, commercial buyers 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 4th 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.
