10 Best Natural and Organic Baby Shampoos and Body Washes

best baby shampoo

We include products we think will help our readers. We may earn a commission on some of these product links.

By Lauren Forrest, RD
Bestselling nutritional author and speaker.

Fact checked by Dianna Thompson.


When it comes to washing (and general treatment of) babies’ skin, many parents tend to shy more away from soaps, shampoos and body washes that contain potentially harmful ingredients. Even those of us who are “natural and organic” conscious in general, tend to see it as much more important to treat our babies with the utmost of care and choose products that have only simple and gentle components.

This is where the best natural and organic baby shampoos and body washes come in.

What’s here: On this page, you will find a list of the top 10 natural and organic baby shampoo and body wash products, as well as 3 great recipes (to make your own baby shampoos and body washes at home), and other “best of’s” including natural shampoo and conditioner combination sets, products for sensitive skin, eczema, a great baby shower gift idea and a highly recommended “all organic” product.

Start with the table of contents below, or scroll on down to view the top 10 list…

Top 10 Natural and Organic Baby Shampoos and Body Wash Products

Here are what I have discovered as the “ultimate top ten” among natural and organic baby shampoos and body washes…

Puracy Natural Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

Product Attributes

• No ingredients that will irritate skin or cause allergic reactions
• 2018 Award winner as one of the best baby skin care products (from the BUMP website)
• Appropriate to use for babies with eczema
• pH balanced
• 100% satisfaction guaranteed

Product Overview

Whether you are searching for a great baby shampoo and body wash, or if you are searching out a cleanser for babies with sensitive skin, Puracy has the solution.

Not only is this a good choice as a “no chemicals added” product, it contains ingredients (such as sea salt) that give little ones the perfect balance for skin.

100% satisfaction guaranteed, great for vegan-conscious parents too (completely vegetable-based).

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Shampoo & Body Wash

Product Attributes

• Contains 98.9% natural ingredients
• Minus parabens, petroleum products and other “ates” and “ites” that are hard to pronounce
• Tear-free formula
• Nourishes and moisturizes baby’s skin with special proteins

Product Overview

I have always loved Burt’s Bees products, and apparently they truly know what they are doing when it comes to cleansing babies’ skin.

A 2-in-1 formula that works great as both a shampoo and body wash, it also works beautifully to moisturize skin with coconut and sunflower oils as well as a special soy protein.

And, it’s pH balanced.

Shea Moisture Baby Wash & Shampoo

Product Attributes

• Organic ingredients
• Contains raw shea, chamomile and argan oil
• Perfect for delicate baby skin
• Calming formula, great for dry skin
• Contains frankincense and myrrh

Product Overview

When doing my research on natural and organic baby washes and shampoos, I noticed that Shea Moisture came up repeatedly on the very best vitamin and natural nutrition websites.

Formulated to be calming and great for sensitive skin, this product also contains frankincense and myrrh which not only make this wash smell fabulous, they also have special health benefits.

As a note, one thing that I notice when reading the reviews for this product – adults love to use it as well, so moms and dads, you might also want to give it a try!

Nature’s Gate Nature Baby Shampoo & Wash

Product Attributes

• Contains herbal extracts
• pH balanced
• Smooths and softens fine baby hair
• Natural with certified organic ingredients

Product Overview

This dual-use baby wash and shampoo from Nature’s Gate contains some interesting ingredients that surprised me a bit when I saw them, but then realized that sage, nettle, yarrow and rosemary actually contribute naturally to gently cleaning baby’s skin and hair.

Not only is this a natural product, but it contains organic ingredients as well. Also, if looking for something that will add smoothing and softening to baby’s skin and hair, this is a good choice.

California Baby Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash

Product Attributes

• Extremely gentle – great for babies with sensitive skin
• Contains certified organic calendula
• Also contains aloe vera for moisturizing
• Lovely gentle natural scent with lavender, sage and calendula

Product Overview

California Baby Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash stands out as something that I would not hesitate to use for my own baby. I love that the product has ingredients that are plant-based.

While some baby washes have a watery consistency, this one is concentrated, so not only are you using an excellent product for your little one, you will get more “bang for the buck,” since it will likely last quite a bit longer than some other choices.

And of course it is free from artificial fragrance, parabens, sulfates or other yucky stuff.

Original Sprout Hair and Body Baby Wash

Product Attributes

• Ideal for babies with cradle cap, dry itchy or flaky skin conditions
• Extra moisturizing for skin
• Organic ingredients, vegan friendly
• Globally trusted family brand (made by a mother for her own children)

Product Overview

If you’re looking for a cleansing body wash and shampoo that is not only gentle, but will help to resolve nasty skin problems, Original Sprout has a great choice here.

Uses completely clean and organic ingredients, and leaves baby’s skin soft, clean, smooth and healthy.
It is also recommended for older kids, teens – even adults!

Weleda Baby Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash

Product Attributes

• Helps keep baby’s skin pH balanced
• Contains soothing calendula
• Tear-free
• Smooths hair – easy to comb after bath

Product Overview

I have always loved the Weleda brand for babies – in fact I used their calendula lotion when my son was an infant.

Not only is this a trusted brand used by natural and organic-conscious moms and dads, it is also a wonderful solution for anyone looking for something safe, gentle, moisturizing and leaving baby smelling great with its natural ingredients. Very moisturizing too!

Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo

Product Attributes

• Gently cleanses without drying baby’s skin
• Tear-free formula
• Free of soaps and parabens
• Oat extract is nourishing and soothing to skin
• Recommended by pediatricians

Product Overview

One of the most popular brands not only for babies, but for adults too. Aveeno Baby Wash and Shampoo contains soothing oat extract, lathers beautifully and rinses clean and won’t dry skin.
It also leaves little ones’ skin smelling great with its light fragrance.

Note – for those extra-conscious of added fragrances, this might not be a good choice. While this product is known for its great results and natural ingredients, it is not actually totally free of artificial ingredients.

Earth’s Best Organic Baby Shampoo and Body Wash (Lavender)

Product Attributes

• Soothes skin gently with chamomile
• Tear-free
• Naturally scented with lavender
• Contains organic ingredients, free of parabens, artificial colors or fragrances.

Product Overview

You might best recognize the “Earth’s Best” brand for their top-quality natural baby foods, now they are also popular for their other products for babies. This shampoo and body wash for one – they also make formulas, diaper ointment and sunscreen. Yay!

One of my personal favorite things about this shampoo and body wash is the fact that it is naturally scented with calming lavender, and it contains chamomile to sooth skin.

Great choice for those looking for an all-natural product.

Cetaphil Baby Wash and Shampoo (With Organic Calendula)

Product Attributes

• Contains soothing organic calendula
• Dermatologist formulated
• Cleanses baby’s skin without drying or leaving residues
• Free of parabens and mineral oils, hypoallergenic

Product Overview

While Cetaphil Baby Wash and Shampoo would rank higher on the list in terms of popularity by sales, when studying up on the reviews I found some that have some conflicting information on this product’s results. The product is formulated to be tear free, and is also touted to help skin conditions such as eczema (calendula helps with this). Some reviews agree with these claims – but some report burning eyes as well as irritation to the skin.

But – make up your own mind, or give it a try for yourself (might want to test it by using it yourself before using with baby). If it does give you the results you are looking for, that’s great!

How to Make Natural Baby Shampoo at Home

Top 3 Natural Baby Shampoo Recipes

After I started researching how to “DIY” natural baby shampoos at home, I found out that it is actually quite a popular subject! And no wonder – for those of us who are ambitious enough to look into this and create their natural baby shampoo the “DIY way,” it is not only a less expensive way to go, but once all the ingredients are purchased, you can continue to make shampoos over and over – thus lasting a long, long time.

I found several really good recipes – with natural ingredients – for baby shampoos.

Below are the top 3 (the ones that I consider to be the most practical, with the best ingredients)…

Basic Homemade Natural Baby Shampoo (and Body Wash) Recipe

What You Need

• Pure liquid castile soap (coconut based)
• Natural vegetable glycerin
• Natural almond oil (or alternatively, coconut oil or jojoba oil)
• Natural, preservative-free aloe vera juice
• Lavender essential oil (or other favorite essential oil – for fragrance)
• Distilled water

The Recipe

From the “Don’t Mess with Mama” website, here is my top pick among all natural baby shampoo recipes. It is similar to others in terms of ingredients, but is very straightforward with simple and clear instructions.

Here is the recipe.

Non Toxic Baby Bubble Bath and Shampoo Recipe

What You Need

• Distilled water
• Pure liquid castile soap
• Natural vegetable glycerin
• Roman chamomile essential oil

The Recipe

From the author of “Do It Gorgeously Green,” here is a recipe that also makes it easy to prepare a wonderful, “green,” and of course natural-ingredient baby shampoo and body wash.

This particular recipe is described in the video here.

Homemade Moisturizing Baby Shampoo and/or Body Wash Recipe

What You Need

• Pure liquid castile soap
• Pure organic aloe vera gel or Vitamin E oil
• Lavender (or other) essential oil (for fragrance)
• Optional – sweet almond oil or organic olive oil (If using for a body wash only)

The Recipe

From the “My Merry Messy Life” website (great name!), here is yet another really good recipe for natural baby shampoo and body wash – it has a couple of twists on the basic recipe – I really love the fact that it is so moisturizing, so is a great recipe for babies with dry skin.

Here is the recipe.

Best Natural Baby Shampoo and Conditioner (Set)

Here is what I found to be the top brand of natural baby shampoo and conditioner sets.

Little Twig Calming Lavender Shampoo and Conditioning Detangler

Product Attributes

• All natural, organic
• 2 products – comes in a set
• Key ingredients include tea tree, calming lavender and essential oils for further aromatherapy and calming benefits
• Includes calendula for additional soothing of skin

Product Overview

For those moms and dads who are specifically looking for an all natural and organic shampoo and conditioner set, Little Twig Calming Lavender Shampoo and Conditioning Detangler will likely do quite nicely.

There are so many things to love about both products, but the thing that stands out the most is the “calming lavender” aspect, making it a rather enticing idea to use before bedtime, to help baby relax and fall asleep more easily.

Other things to love? You bet – not only are these two products natural and organic, but they are “minus” some “yuckies” that us careful parents despise, such as parabens, sulfates, etc.

If you’re looking for a specific solution for shampooing and conditioning that will leave baby’s hair soft, smooth and more manageable, I would definitely recommend going this route.

PS: Little Twig also makes a lovely bubble bath that works with the above two products quite well.

Best Baby Shampoo and Body Wash for Sensitive Skin

Some little ones have skin that moms and dads need to be a bit more careful with when using skin-related products such as shampoo and body wash. One policy that could be considered a rule of thumb: “The simper, the better.” This – in my experience – holds true when it comes to needing to find products mild enough to soothe and not irritate sensitive baby skin.

Here is the best of what I have found as being the best shampoo and body wash for babies with sensitive skin:

The Honest Co. Honest Shampoo & Body Wash (Purely Simple)

Product Attributes

• Plant-based product, natural ingredients
• Designed specifically for sensitive skin
• NO: fragrances, SLS, sulfates, parabens, etc.
• Contains ingredients that are mild and moisturizing for baby’s skin

Product Overview

I love it when a product has the word “simple” in its name – and it means it. This is one of those products.
Not only is this a shampoo and body wash for baby that is known for its gentle cleansing effects on sensitive skin, the ingredients are just that – simple. And they include some of my own personal favorites including coconut oil, quinoa extract, aloe – and best of all (for babies) – calendula.

If your little one is sensitive to other products – even “natural” ones – and you haven’t given this one a try, I recommend giving it a whirl!

PS: It’s a good product for adults too!

Best All-Organic Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

Searching for a baby shampoo and body wash with organic ingredients? After some pretty intensive searching, I located what I believe is the best of the bunch – and lots of positive reviews seem to verify it.

Here it is:

BareBaby Organics Premium Shampoo & Body Wash

Product Attributes

• Contains 100% organic ingredients
• Very gentle – a good choice for babies with sensitive skin
• Ingredients include nourishing cucumber, aloe and ginger
• Naturally scented with “citrusey” essential oils – lovely fragrance!

Product Overview

While all of the baby shampoos and body washes on this page have at least natural ingredients, some of them are not completely organic. This one goes one step up from that for all of us “all organic” lovers.

BareBaby Organics Premium Shampoo & Body Wash has the “gen” on creating a beautiful product that will gently cleanse skin, with only organic ingredients.

Plus – it has a lovely natural scent to it, that is not overpowering and is derived from two citrus fruits – grapefruit and orange.

If you have any doubts about this product, check out the reviews – they speak for themselves! 🙂

Best Natural and Organic Baby Bath Products (Great Baby Shower Gift Idea!)

During my first baby shower, I received many, many wonderful gifts! But the ones that stand out to me the most were the organic baby care products.

For us “I love organic” moms and dads out there, here is what I believe would be the most loved out of all the baby bath gift sets:

Puracy Organic Baby Care Gift Set

Product Attributes

• 4 pack Puracy organic baby products – baby lotion and shampoo/body wash (2 of each)
• 2018 Award winning baby products (from the BUMP)
• Completely free from sulfates, parabens, patroleum, harsh chemicals, etc.
• Gift box included
• 100% satisfaction guaranteed

Product Overview

A great gift for those new mommies and daddies that pay close attention to using natural and organic products for their babies – especially important products that can affect the skin.

This wonderful baby bath set is made by Puracy (I love this brand!), created by doctors. It contains wonderful ingredients that you and your baby will love, while all the while being “minus” scary ingredients like parabens, sulfates, etc.

Overall, this is getting great reviews from moms and dads, and lots of them!

Best Organic Baby Soap Bar

Some moms and dads prefer bars over liquids – and it just so happens that there is a wonderful product that works for adults, kids – and yes, for babies.

Here is what I believe is the best of the best organic soap bar for babies:

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap Bar (Unscented)

Product Attributes

• Created for the entire family, safe for babies
• Organic and vegan-friendly ingredients
• Gentle but powerful cleansing
• Rich lather

Product Overview

I love this wonderful organic all-in-one product for babies and entire families! It contains some of my “fave all time” ingredients including coconut oil, olive oil and hemp oil.

Wonderful lather, gentle on baby’s skin and without any harsh chemicals.

Note: I did slightly hesitate to list this product as being the “best” among organic baby soap bars given the fact that it is not tear-free – but the fact remains that it does stand out as the best. A good solution would be to simply keep it away from baby’s eyes. (Note: Since it is not tear-free, this bar soap likely would not work well at all as a shampoo.)

Best Organic Baby Soap for Eczema

When your little one has eczema, it is uber important to use any kind of skin products that are gentle, and non-irritating.

Here is what I have found would be the best of all the organic baby soaps – super gentle and will likely help with keeping the eczema under better control:

BareBaby Organic Premium Baby Shampoo and Body Wash

Product Attributes

• Gentle enough to use for babies with eczema
• Works well as not only a baby soap, but also is great for a shampoo
• 100% organic ingredients
• Lovely natural citrus fragrance from essential oils
• Contains ingredients to nourish baby’s skin

Product Overview

This is the second mention of this specific product on this page – and with good reason: it’s wonderful! When it comes to babies with eczema, moms and dads are familiar with exactly how gentle a baby soap needs to be, and this product seems to fit the bill.

Gentle to baby’s skin (as well as being tear-free), BareBaby has the “in” on how to bathe little ones with skin issues, including eczema. This product contains ingredients that nourish skin gently, reportedly with no irritation to sensitive and/or painful skin conditions.

Definitely recommended!

Final Note from the Author on Natural and Organic Baby Washes and Shampoos

For those parents who will go out of their way to search for natural and organic products for their little ones – hats off to you!

Personally, I am quite familiar with that “picky” viewpoint, and consider it a necessity to treat a baby’s skin with the greatest respect – it is much more fragile and sensitive than older children’s (and adults’) skin, which makes it even more important to choose just the right products.

The natural and organic baby washes and shampoos on this page are the ones that lots and lots of moms and dads love the most, and are the ones that I would choose myself.

Your Thoughts on Natural and Organic Baby Shampoos and Body Washes?

I love it when people visit my site pages, and when I have done something to assist them in some way. Let me know if this page has helped you find a product, or if you have any feedback on the subject.
I would love to hear from you!