Best Baby Shampoo And Body Wash For Cruelty-Free Bath Time

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We feel you’ll agree that two of the more time-consuming infant-rearing pastimes are none other than feeding and bathing. We’ve already created a comprehensive guide for the best vegan baby food and brands currently out there, now we’re here to determine the best baby shampoo and the best baby body wash… which also happen to be vegan-friendly!

Before we get to our seven reviews of the best baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants, let’s establish our criteria for judgement. We encourage you to determine your own priorities as you begin browsing as well.

For example, some consumers might value organic baby shampoo over a brand that sells in bulk for a better value. This quick assessment can save you a lot of time, money and headache in the long-run… so let’s get started!

What to consider when buying baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants

Below are some of the main points to remember when shopping for a hair and body baby combo:

Ingredients and safety

Since our skin absorbs everything it touches–just as we digest everything that enters our mouth–we’re sure that ingredients and safety is high priority for you as you’re selecting shampoo and body wash for your vegan infant. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t swallow it, it’s not much better to put on your skin….

Here’s a great video that gives a general overview about the health risks posed by many of today’s toxin-laden cosmetic products:

If you weren’t already aware, some of today’s leading cosmetic companies have been found using harmful chemicals in their products (such as those proven to release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen…). This is certainly no shampoo for newborns (or for anyone) to be using. ⁽¹⁾

To avoid giving your little one a dangerous product, let’s discuss the difference between synthetic, natural and organic ingredients.

Synthetic vs. natural

Just like food products, when searching for an healthy baby shampoo and body wash, if you see a word that sounds like a chemical, it probably is, and it should be avoided.

Here’s just a few of the more common harmful chemicals in cosmetic products (this is by no means a comprehensive list):

However, it’s important to realize that some natural ingredients may sound like they’re synthetic, which can be highly misleading.

For example, “sodium chloride” is just a fancy term for table salt, and citric acid is a compound found in lemons and other citrus fruits (more on 100% safe cosmetic ingredients coming up soon).

What about “organic?”

How does a product labeled “organic” differ from a product with natural ingredients?

First, it’s helpful to know that even if a product is labeled “organic” that doesn’t mean that it’s 100% organic. When choosing a baby shampoo and body wash, you’ll want to try to find a product that has as many natural and organic ingredients as possible.

Here’s what the USDA has to say about the organic products and what each classification means: ⁽²⁾

The Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” score

Now that we’ve provided some context for ingredients, let’s talk about an essential tool for determining the best baby shampoo and body wash: Did you know that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a cosmetics database of almost 71,000 products and 2200 brands? ⁽³⁾

Under their “Babies and Mom” section, the EWG ranks shampoo, soap and plenty of other baby products. For all of the fine details (and there are many!) about how the EWG assesses cosmetic products, check out their “about” page (for example, when it comes to hazard potential, they have 17 different criteria)! ⁽⁴⁾

So, what does a product’s skin deep score mean?

In short, the EWG’s hazard ratings are shown as numerical rankings ranging from 1 (low concern) to 10 (high concern). In our reviews of the best baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants, we’ll list each product’s Deep Skin Score as another means for your ruling in or out.

By the way, would you like to know which ingredients the EWG gives a score of 0 (i.e. they are deemed 100% safe for your baby? Here’s their current list of completely innocuous ingredients (Notice how all of these “cosmetic ingredients” also sound a lot like food? This is certainly no accident!):

• Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal
• Blue Green Algae
• Cellulose (the cell wall of a plant)
• Colloidal Oatmeal
• Honey
• Sea Salt
• Sodium Chloride (table salt)
• Sucrose (table sugar)
• Water

Quick tips for babies and other cosmetics

In addition to knowing what to include, it’s helpful to know exactly what to avoid. Has all this talk about synthetics, organics and hazards peaked your interest about other cosmetic products?

Here are the EWG’s top tips for how to use other cosmetic products on infants safely–mainly, which chemicals and practices should be most avoided: ⁽⁵⁾

• Baby Wipes: Avoid Bronopol, DMDM hydantoin, fragrance.
• Diaper Cream: Avoid BHA, Boric acid, fragrance.
• Toothpaste: Under 6 months, avoid fluoride.
• Sunscreen: Under 6 months, avoid direct sunlight.
• Baby powder: Not recommended; airborne particles may damage a baby’s lungs.

The price

Lastly, we realize the healthiest baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants is also probably going to be more expensive than your average vegan baby shampoo or body wash that’s potentially more chemical-laden… and that goes for all vegan cosmetic products for infants.

One way to maximize the value of your purchase is to widen its purpose: many of the products we’ve reviewed are a 2-in-1 opportunity and can be used as both shampoo and body wash… which is why we’ve bundled these two uses into one article!

We also believe in progress not perfection! With everything else you’re going to need to purchase for your infant, should price become a limiting factor during your consumer conquests, we know you’ll always do the very best you can for you and your baby!

RELATED: PREGNANCY BOOKS FOR VEGAN MOMS | CRUELTY-FREE DIAPER BAGS | DAIRY-FREE BABY FORMULA REVIEWS | BEST BABY WIPE REVIEWS | BEST ORGANIC BABY LOTION

Baby shampoo and body wash reviews

Now that we know a little bit more about what to look out for when shopping for baby shampoo and body wash combos it’s time to look at some of the best options available on the market today.

Let start with Puracy’s offering…

Puracy Organic Baby Care Gift Set

First up is this 4-pack by Puracy Organic Baby Care which includes two 16 oz. bottles of natural baby shampoo and body wash, as well as two 12 oz. bottles of organic baby lotion.

Designed by doctors, these products are vegan and exclude many of the toxins we’ve listed above, such as triclosan, sulfates, formaldehyde, and parabens.

We like that this company not only tells you what they don’t use, they explicitly state what they do use. Remember how we said many all-natural ingredients that sound synthetic are actually safe? On Puracy’s website, they have a graphic which explains their wordy, plant-based ingredient arsenal.

While it’s not 100% natural, we feel that 99.95% is a still pretty good. Furthermore, though it’s labeled “organic,” puracy’s body lotion is only in part organic if you check out the ingredient list. And while the list says “natural fragrance,” and many infants and toddlers seem to enjoy the scents of these products, we must mention a few reports of the lotion’s odor proving bothersome to some.

Soft Citrus Organic Baby Shampoo and Body Wash

This 16 oz. bottle of baby shampoo and body wash from Baja Baby is made with organic and ethically-sourced ingredients that have been doctor endorsed.

Unlike any of the other products we’ve reviewed, they proudly mention their EWG Verification, and we can’t overstate how reassuring it is that this product includes absolutely no high or moderate hazard materials according to their database.

This product also totes Pro-Vitamin B5, which helps retain moisture in skin tissue, and hemp seed oil, rich in fatty acids, vitamins and protein, as key ingredients within their formula. And though it is “citrus scented,” this is due to organic grapefruit peel oil and organic tangerine oil, rather than some synthetic chemical blend.

That being said, while many enjoy the odor, we have had a few reports that the citrus scent isn’t as pleasant as it could be. Though we understand that smell, like taste, is a matter of personal preference!

Kids Shampoo and Body Wash by Little Roseberry

Next up is this 8 oz. bottle of baby shampoo and body wash from Little Roseberry and it’s one of a few our list that incorporates organic aloe vera juice (as opposed to a water-only base). Like many of the others we’re considering, this product is vegan, cruelty-free and toxin-free.

But what we really like about this bottle is how it’s unscented and contains a wide variety fruits, vegetable and superfood extracts, such as from broccoli to goji berry.

We also had very few reports about this natural odor being a bother. Mostly, we received feedback that the shampoo smelled great and left skin clean and feeling soft.

Some preferred that this substance lathered more, but this is the trade-off you’ll receive with an highly natural product. However natural, though, like some of the others we’ve reviewed, this baby shampoo and body wash is only partially organic, with these ingredients clearly labeled. For an 8 oz. size, the bottle is also fairly expensive.

Elysium Baby Organic Shampoo and Body Wash

This 13.5 oz. bottle of Baby Wash & Shampoo from Elysium is free of major chemical toxins and includes several beneficial extracts such as olive leaf, pomegranate, and aloe vera.

But, while most of this product’s ingredients register at just a 1 or 2 within EWG’s database (low hazard), we did notice that the third ingredient listed, cocamidopropyl betaine, shows up as a 4 (low to moderate hazard) as it relates to skin irritation.

Also, though this company claims that this bottle is free of synthetic fragrance, yet one of the ingredients listed is simply, “fragrance,” with no further explication.

While we’ve received no reports of skin irritation, based on the science and the facts, this product might be perfectly suitable for some babies, but should you find your little one has sensitive skin, this may be something to keep in mind.

Lastly, despite claiming to be “organic” in the title, we can’t help but notice that there’s no label on the bottle. Furthermore, there aren’t any “organic” labels included alongside any of the individual ingredients, which leads us to question the veracity of this product’s organic status.

Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby Shampoo & Wash

The 32 oz. bottle of baby shampoo & body wash by Babo Botanicals is 100% vegan and contains no nuts, gluten or soy. It’s also free of the big troop of cosmetic toxins, such as parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde and synthetic fragrances. It totes oatmilk and calendula, as ingredients that are moisturizing and helpful for dry skin.

We like that this product doesn’t claim to be organic, but rather, it places asterisks next to its organic ingredients, such as aloe leaf juice, and extracts of chamomile flower, kudzu root, and calendula. We also had just one report of a distaste for the smell, but mainly, people enjoyed how this product left their babies with soft, non-itchy skin.

Regarding this ingredient list, though there are far more listed in this baby shampoo and body wash than some of our other candidates, according to the EWG database, not one has been reported as a high hazard (with potassium sorbate as only a moderate hazard).

That being said, the ingredients returned in our search as a low hazard due to limited or no data.

Carina Organics Baby Shampoo and Body Wash

Our penultimate review is this 8.4 oz. bottle of baby shampoo and body wash from Carina Organics. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, synthetic-free, soy-free and paraben-free, and it also claims to be 100% biodegradable, if that’s important to you.

Also, this baby shampoo and body wash is on the more expensive side, but we must admit that its ingredients are impressive. Other than filtered water, this bottle contains extracts of pine, chamomile, nettle, dandelion, clover, and sweet pea, as well as apple cider vinegar, palm oil, coconut oil, pumpkin seed and olive oil… and that’s about it!

This is, by far, the highest quality baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants that we’ve come across thus far, and we’ve had positive reports regarding smell and overall function, too.

What’s more is every ingredient in this baby shampoo and body wash is organic, with the exception of three (pine extract, sweet pea flower extract, and vegetable glycerin).

I am happy baby shampoo body wash and bubble bath

Finally, this 16 oz. bottle of baby shampoo, body wash and bubble bath from I am Happy is a true 3-in-1 multi-purpose product for those who prioritize value. It’s also contains no parabens, phosphates, sulfates, gluten or fragrance.

We like that this product includes organic extracts of aloe vera, comfrey, chamomile and lemon balm, as well as several non-organic oils like orange, patchouli, cedar wood and galbanum. We also have had many positive reports regarding smell and lather ability.

After checking the rest of a fairly long ingredient list, the only one found to be of any concern is tocopheryl acetate. EWG offers a fair amount of data to suggest that tocopheryl acetate is of low to moderate hazard for allergies and immunotoxicity. ⁽⁶⁾

This could explain our instances of parents reporting itchy infants, and some complaints of it not being at all “tear-free”. Again, though the other ingredients in the EWG database are reported as harmless, some of these classifications are based on no to limited data.

We do like that this company offers a 100% money-back guarantee, so should you come across an “error” in your trials, I Am Happy will be understanding… not all brands may be as accommodating.

What’s the best baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants?

After weighing the pros and cons as it pertains to ingredients, EWG reports and Skin Deep Scores, price and ancillary factors, such as smell and lather ability, we’ve named our winner for best baby shampoo and body wash for vegan infants, and that’s the Soft Citrus Baby Shampoo and Body Wash by Baja Baby!

This was a tough call, as we feel that Carina Organics offers a fantastic product as well, but since they’ve both earned an EWG Deep Skin Score of 1 (next to NO hazard), we’ve got to give the edge to Baja Baby’s product based on price and value. Also, should you try Baja Baby’s shampoo and body wash and enjoy it, there are opportunities to purchase it in bulk, which make it more affordable.

We also feel that this product’s lather and cleaning ability considering the many natural ingredients sets it apart. Lastly, even though there was slight divisive response to the citrus smell, the scent is natural, and again, we realize this is a matter of personal taste.

We hope this has been an effective use of your time as you search for the best baby shampoo and body wash for your vegan infant! As always, if you leave us a note below, we are happy to reply to questions and comments!

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1. Jane Turner | Toxic chemicals in toiletries and beauty products | https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/health-beauty/toxic-beauty
2. USDA | About Organic Labeling | https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/labeling
3. EWG | EWG’s Skin Deep® | https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
4. EWG | About EWG’s Skin Deep® | https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/contents/about-page/
5. EWG | Top Tips For Safer Products | https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/contents/top-tips/
6. EWG’s Skin Deep® | tocopheryl acetate | https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706569-TOCOPHERYL_ACETATE/