Last updated on August 20th, 2022 at 12:07 am
One of the things that we’ve been frustrated with here at SafeMama, was what seemed like a lack of safe baby skin care products. Hence the Safe Baby Skin Care Cheat Sheet! So we compiled as many non-toxic baby skin care products as we could find and put them all in one central location for our readers to peruse.
Why Do I Need Safer Skin Care For My Baby?
When my son was first born, I was gifted what seemed like sixty bottles of different types of Johnson’s Baby Wash. They had one for every day, one for calming, one for colds. It seemed like they had just about everything I needed. It was my staple. Words like paraben or phthalates were foriegn to me.
You would think that I would have done my research on safer baby skin care products before having my baby. But then again, you would think companies would make a baby shampoo not laden with chemicals. Fool me once..
I was horrified to learn that I was using something harmful on my son’s delicate skin. I stopped using it immediately and sought other alternatives.
Since then, I’ve done A LOT of research on baby skin care products, and have tried many brands. When my daughter was born, I even brought my own body wash to the hospital and refused to let them use what they had on hand.
Between Kathy and I, I’m pretty confident that we’ve tried just about every brand that’s out there. We’ve pored over ingredients and even compared things like lathering capabilities.
Safe Baby Skin Care Tips:
- Read labels carefully. A label may be plastered with words like safe, natural, and for sensitive skin, yet contain a plethora of nasty chemicals. Use our Cheat Sheets as a guide.
- Shopping at a “natural” store doesn’t mean everything is safe. Know how to decipher the ingredients by reading our glossary, and don’t be fooled by the word “natural” or “organic” on the label. These words are not regulated the way food is… just because it says natural/organic doesn’t always mean it is.
- Be wary of the term “fragrance”. Synthetic fragrances are a phthalate culprit. Try to use products with organic or natural essential oils only. Unscented products can also contain phthalates by using a fragrance masking agent.
- Use fewer products. This seems like a no-brainer but many people use way more than they need. Babies are born with the most perfect skin (usually) and it will never again be as perfect as it is when they’re babies. Their skin is also sensitive and susceptible. They don’t need to be slathered in lotions and powders. A little warm water and a washcloth is all they really need. When kids get older and grimier (like mine) a little soap and warm water do the trick and you can spot and treat any dry skin problems or rashes.
- Make Your Own: Some Castille Soap and water goes a long way!
How We Curated The Non-Toxic Baby Skincare List Of Products.
1. Our Top Picks for Safer Baby Skin Care are mostly chemical-free and free of everything listed below.
- parabens
- sodium laureth sulfates (SLS)
- phthalates
- 1,4 dioxanes
- propylene glycol,
- PEGs (Polyethylene glycol)
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Sodium Benzoate
- Dimethicone
- Synthetic fragrances and perfumes
We’ve outlined briefly what these are and why you might not want them in your child’s skin care in the glossary.
2. Safety Rating: In addition to that, we crossed referenced these products with EWG’s Skin Deep Database and added the score to each product on the sheet. Not every product is in the Skin Deep database, however, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product. For instance, Bubble & Bee Organics and LusaOrganics are both smaller women-run businesses that contain only the best ingredients but are not listed on SkinDeep. Overall, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not you feel comfortable using it. The more labels you read the easier this task will become. Also, you will find some trusted brands that will quickly become staples in your baby’s daily skincare routine.
3. This Cheat Sheet is inclusive of baby skincare and products that a person might use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. We noted each product as such.
4. Not every single product that’s out there, is going to be on this list. We’ve found tons of stuff, and have turned over many stones, but I’m sure there are some out there that we’ve missed. That said if you’re using a product that’s safe, and it isn’t on here, please email us and we’ll research the product and add it to the list.
SafeMama’s Top Picks for Safer Baby Skin Care
The following brands are, according to the latest ingredient information, mostly chemical-free (or as close to chemical-free as possible). They also rate well in the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database or only contain natural ingredients (not all good brands are listed on SkinDeep). And all are responsible companies.
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Buy from Amazon Buy from Babo BotanicalsBabo Botanicals has become a staple in natural skin care. We have written several reviews over the years.
SafeMama Reviews:
Read our review of the Miracle Moisturizing Cream HERE
Skin Deep Rating: 0-1, plus EWG Verified
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Buy from Amazon Buy from BadgerBadger Balm has become a trusted natural brand. Known for its mineral sunscreen and safer bug repellants.
SafeMama Reviews:
Read our review of Badger Sunscreens.
Read our review of Badger Bug Balms.
Skin Deep Rating: Most of their baby line ranks 1 on Skin Deep. Kids line ranks 1-2
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Buy from Bubble and BeeSafeMama Reviews:
Read our review of Bubble and Bee Pit Putty
Read our review of Bubble and Bee Soap Nuts
Skin Deep Rating: n/a. Bubble and Bee is a small independent shop that focuses on chemical-free skin care. The owner Stephanie is a safer skin care ingredient wiz. SafeMama loves Bubble and Bee and their commitment to making only the safest products.
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Buy from Amazon Buy from Dr. BonnersSkin Deep Rating: 1
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Earth Mama
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Lusa Organics
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Adorable Baby
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Mambino
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from MotherLove
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Zoe Organics
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Rocky Mountain
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Good In A Pinch; Baby Skin Care Brands
Brands are Paraben, Phthalate, Propylene Glycol, PEG Free though had one or more products containing Cocamidopropyl betaine, dimethicone, sodium benzoate, and/or phenoxyethanol. Some of these brands had traces of just one questionable ingredient and others had several or contained more chemically processed ingredients than I was comfortable with. These are still far better choices than most mainstream baby products and would recommend them. You will need to investigate the products yourself and make a judgment call.
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Buy from California Baby
Buy from Amazon
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Buy from Llittle Twig
Buy from Amazon
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Buy from Clean Kids Naturally
Buy from Amazon
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Buy from Honest
Our Review
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Gluten-Free Baby Skin Care Brands
These brands are gluten-free according to their informational materials, for those needing to avoid gluten in their skin care. Brands change, so be sure to read the labels but as of now these brands are gluten-free. I contacted Earth Mama Organics, and this was their response when asking about gluten in products.
Per Earth Mama Organics: Earth Mama products do not contain gluten-containing ingredients, they are not certified gluten-free. One thing to note is the organic colloidal oatmeal used in Uber Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen is naturally free of gluten, it is not certified gluten-free.
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from Earth Mama
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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Buy from Amazon
Buy from MotherLove
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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Buy from Amazon Buy from Babo Botanicals
Babo Botanicals has become a staple in natural skin care. We have written several reviews over the years.
SafeMama Reviews:
Read our review of the Miracle Moisturizing Cream HERE
Skin Deep Rating: 0-1, plus EWG Verified
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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Buy from California Baby
Buy from Amazon
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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Buy from Clean Kids Naturally
Buy from Amazon
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Once you’ve chosen safe bath products, make sure your bath toys are safe too.
We support all the brands listed above regardless of what SkinDeep rating they have received. We also realize everyone has their own standard of “greenness” and feel that there is a product to suit the needs of every child. Experiment and mix and match until you find which brands work best for you, your family and your budget. If there is a brand you think is missing from this list, please contact me and let me know and I would be happy to review it for inclusion.
Notice: Please do not redistribute this list anywhere without our prior written consent. I spent time away from my kids, pouring over ingredients lists, digging in the Skin Deep Database and learning about chemicals and processes. Please help me make that worth my time and energy by not copy/pasting my work on other websites, communities, forums or blogs without permission. Thank you!
