Trader Joe’s Just Brought Back Its Famous $4 Fall Kitchen Gem, and I’m Already Using It 3 Times a Day

As the leaves on the trees turn brown and the weather starts to cool, the first signs of fall have finally arrived. But the real way to know autumn is here is when the deluge of pumpkin-scented and flavored seasonal products hit Trader Joe’s shelves. I’m a sucker for anything pumpkin vanilla scented, so when the grocer announced it’d be bringing back the Vanilla Pumpkin Scented Hand Soap this fall, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it — or in it, if we’re talking literally!

Made with mild cleansers, aloe, and vitamin E, Trader Joe’s $3.99 Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Soap keeps your hands soft and moisturized even after frequent washing, which is especially great if your skin tends to get drier in the colder months, like mine. Packaged in an ember bottle with a subtle yet festive orange label featuring mini pumpkins and fall leaves, this soap — along with the cult-favorite waffle kitchen towels — would make great host gifts for the holiday parties you’ll be attending over the next few “ber” months. I can’t wait to use mine all season long.

Originally launched in stores in 2022, the Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Soap was sold as part of a two-part set along with a hand lotion in a caddy; however, after listening to shopper feedback, the store decided to sell the hand soap separately without the caddy for the first time this year, according to the Trader Joe’s podcast.

The festive hand soap is one of 73 pumpkin products launching in all Trader Joe’s this fall, so even if you can’t get your hands on it before it sells out, you should be able to get your pumpkin fix with one of the many other options, like the Pumpkin Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream and Pumpkin Body Scrub. Clearly, Trader Joe’s likes to gourd big or gourd home when it comes to seasonal scents! (Sorry, had to.)

What I like the most about this hand soap is that it has an unexpected sweet and buttery smell that you don’t always get with autumnal scented products. It also has a nice lingering cinnamon-clove after scent that’s subtle and not overpowering, like with a lot of other pumpkin-scented items. “It’s really warm and comforting and sort of soothing,” said Trader Joe’s Vice President of Marketing, Matt Sloan, on the podcast.  

If you find you aren’t able to carve out some time to run by your local Trader Joe’s for the hand soap, or you don’t live near one, don’t worry: Bath & Body Works has a stunning pumpkin pecan waffle hand soap for a few dollars more that has a very similar scent and is also infused with ingredients like aloe and vitamin E. Plus, you can order it online!

Trader Joe’s seasonal items are notorious for selling out just as quickly as they hit shelves, so run, don’t walk, down to your local store as soon as you can to stock up on the latest fall-centric kitchen gem.

Buy: Pumpkin Pecan Waffles Hand Soap, $7.95