Best Baby Wash and Shampoo of 2024
Baby bath time can be hectic, especially when you have two or more little ones in the tub at once! When my kids were small, I struggled to scrub my kids as they tossed sudsy water and bubbles between them. I would often exit the bathroom soaked and frustrated.
Apart from the hurdles associated with washing down your kids, finding the best baby wash for sensitive skin requires experimenting with a few brands to see which ones appeal to your baby’s skin. The market is flooded with choices, yet finding a non-irritating soap with simple ingredients is no easy feat. Tons of body washes claim to be natural and organic, but still contain irritating ingredients and chemicals. Although babies don’t need to be bathed everyday, you want to avoid irritating their sensitive skin, opting for gentle ingredients and soothing botanicals.
So with all that said, as someone who has tried a bunch of baby body washes and baby shampoo, I’m here to share my top picks. Here’s the best baby wash.
Top Regular Baby Wash
1. CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo
$12.99 for 16 oz
- Best overall baby wash
- Highly recommended by dermatologists
- Includes hyaluronic acid
It will come as no surprise to you skincare nerds which baby wash is featuring first in this post! The CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo was formulated in consultation with dermatologists, and it shows, because derms love it. This wash is hypoallergenic and free of fragrance, parabens, dyes, phthalates, and sulfates.
CeraVe Baby Wash forms mild foam as you lather into skin and rinses clean with no residue, but it nevertheless leaves the skin feeling hydrated, thanks to the hyaluronic acid that it incorporates. It enjoys the recommendation of the National Eczema Association, for those of you with eczema-prone babies.
2. Cetaphil Baby Wash and Shampoo With Organic Calendula
$4.97 for 8 oz
- Great for sensitive skin
- Highly recommended by dermatologists
The Cetaphil Baby Wash and Shampoo is ideal for babies with sensitive skin. It is hypoallergenic and free from parabens, colorants, and mineral oil. It combines a gentle cleansing action with calendula extract from the marigold flower, which soothes the skin. Cetaphil Baby Wash comes highly recommended from dermatologists and is often compared to CeraVe, although it is easier on your purse!
3. Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
$7 for 7 oz
- Classic, inexpensive shampoo
- Good for most skin types
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo might well be what your grandparents used on your parents! The 125-year-old company’s baby wash is hypoallergenic, pediatrician-tested, and free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and dyes. It boasts of the signature No More Tears formula, which is as gentle on the eyes as water.
Now, this is a classic and affordable option that’s hard to go wrong with, and most parents attest to being happy with it. That being said, some have found the formula to be a little drying on their kids. If your baby’s skin is on the drier side, consider a more hydrating product.
4. Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Wash & Shampoo
$9 for 18 oz
- Makes a rich lather
- Inexpensive, and made with natural oat extract
I love the Aveeno Baby Wash and Shampoo for one reason in particular: the rich lather that it forms. I have personally always found it satisfying to rub a lather between my hands, and even if a non-foaming product is as effective as one that foams, I can’t shake the psychological association between foam and cleanliness!
The formula of this wash is pH-balanced, hypoallergenic, and free from soap, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and phenoxyethanol. Want to hear a bonus? It’s formulated with natural oat extract, which leaves a pleasant, gentle scent on your baby’s skin. The only significant complaint from parents is the lack of a pump.
Top Organic Baby Wash
5. Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby Shampoo and Wash
$14 for 16 oz
- Vegan body wash
- Manufactured on a New York farm
- Includes calendula
An ecologically sourced baby body wash, Babo Botanicals is entirely vegan, contains natural ingredients to soothe baby’s sensitive and dry skin, and is free of chemicals and parabens. Manufacturing their products on a farm located several hours from New York City, Babo Botanicals has a clear mission statement. They vow to manufacture organic and simple products with fair-trade materials. The infusion of natural calendula and oatmeal in this formula creates a wonderful but subtle smell, and moisturizes baby’s skin perfectly.
6. Farmaesthetics Fine Herbal Cleanser
$42 for 8 oz
- Simple, five-ingredient formula
- Great for sensitive skin
Based in Newport, Rhode Island, Farmaesthetics originally formulated this cleanser as a facial wash. After seeing how gentle and soothing it was on the face, parents began using it on their babies with great results! Farmaesthetics makes this wash with only five ingredients (including witch hazel and lavender essential oil), which combine to create a soothing natural scent. The lightness of this cleanser is perfect for babies’ sensitive skin, soothing and moisturizing without disturbing their natural pH balance and oils.
7. Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap
$16 for 32 oz
- Classic organic soap
- Free of fragrance
- Soothes with olive oil
Understanding how sensitive baby’s skin can be, Dr. Bronner’s created this soap with no fragrance, adding double the amount of olive oil to soothe and moisturize the skin. The top-selling organic liquid and bar soap brand in North America, Dr. Bronner’s offers organic, vegan ingredients with a base of pure castile soap, derived from vegetable oils rather than animal fat. I take these soaps for travel and in addition to cleaning the skin, you can use them as laundry detergent in a crunch or even as a household cleaner!
8. Baby Poof Organic Body Wash and Shampoo
$25 for 16 oz
- Organic body wash made of kitchen ingredients
- Includes coconut
- Good for sensitive skin
Consisting of water, corn, organic vegetable glycerin from coconut, and apple cider vinegar, Baby Proof Organic Body Wash boasts a fresh, clean scent. Composed of ingredients you would find in your kitchen, this simple body wash is a great bet for baby. One downside, though, is that the lack of toxic preservatives gives the product a shorter shelf life than artificially preserved body washes. OK by me since my family of eight can easily go through three bottles of body wash in a month, but make sure this works for your family. Made for sensitive skin and without mouth or eye irritation, this body wash is perfect for a young baby.
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