Battle of the Baby Washes

While at Target this afternoon, Tim and I started reading labels on baby washes. Which one, we wondered, was the best, the healthiest, the safest, and the sweet-smellingest? We tried to decipher the long words and lingo, weighing the costs with the bottle’s promises.

After the blur of options, we reached for the nearest bottle and came home to research the most common brands, their core ingredients, and their safety ratings.

The products are listed from least expensive to most expensive for easy browsing.

Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash

• Approximate Cost: $0.18 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: #1 choice of hospitals, soap-free, dye-free, hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested
• Main Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
• Controversial Ingredients: quaternium-15 (releases formaldehyde – a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant; causes cancer)
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: 4 – moderate hazard
• Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Johnson & Johnson is headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ. The company has pledged to remove quaternium-15 from all baby products by 2015.

Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo

• Approximate Cost: $0.33 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: Soap-free, hypoallergenic, tear-free, pediatrician-recommended
• Main Ingredients: Not available on the website
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: 4 – moderate hazard
• Amazon Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Aveeno is owned by Johnson & Johnson. It seems suspicious and not forthright that the company neglects to include a full ingredient list on their website. One of Aveeno’s moisturizers (not in the baby line) was listed as one of the “10 most toxic cosmetics” in 2011.

Johnson’s Natural Head-to-Toe Foaming Baby Wash

• Approximate Cost: $0.39 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: paraben-free, dye-free, no irritating essential oils, allergy tested, dermatologist tested, hypoallergenic
• Main Ingredients: Water, Decyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: Unavailable
• Amazon Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
• NOTES: We’ve tried this product and were not impressed by the fragrance. It’s a little rubber-y?

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash

• Approximate Cost: $0.62 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: tear-free, plant-based, hypoallergenic, pediatrician-tested, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, petrochemical-free, paraben-free
• Main Ingredients: water, decyl glucoside, coco-betaine
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: 1 – low hazard
• Amazon Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Burt’s Bees is a subsidiary of the Clorox Company. Headquarters is in Durham, North Carolina.

Yes To Baby Carrots Shampoo & Body Wash

• Approximate Cost: $0.80 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: 100% natural, tear-free, hypoallergenic, Petroleum, SLS, & Paraben Free
• Main Ingredients: Water (aqua), decyl glucoside, glycerin
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: 3 – moderate hazard
• Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Products are made with organic fruits and vegetables. Headquarters is in San Francisco, CA. Comprehensive FAQ page.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

• Approximate Cost: $0.98 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: safe, toxin-free, detergent-free, all-natural, gluten-free -  No petrochemicals, petroleum or petroleum byproducts, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial preservatives, parabens, phenoxyethanol, Quaternium-15
• Main Ingredients: organic potassium cocoate, organic potassium olivate, aloe barbadensis (organic aloe) leaf juice
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: 0 – no/low hazard
• Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Company has a commitment to supporting mamas in natural birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum comfort. This is the only brand that ranks a zero (the best score possible) in the Skin Deep Database. Made in the USA.

Episencial Playful Wash

• Approximate Cost: $1.15 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: #1 organic wash chosen by hospitals - No Additives, Parabens, Phenoxyethanol, Harsh Preservatives, EDTA, SLS, Synthetic Fragrances, Phthalates or Gluten
• Main Ingredients: Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: none available
• Amazon Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
• Notes: 70%+ organic ingredients. The company has an impressive FAQ page that addresses potential concerns about active ingredients. Products are manufactured in a solar-powered production plant. All plastic containers are recycled, food-grade, non-leaching, with no residues of dioxins, BpA, phthalates, or other xenoestrogens.

California Baby Calming Shampoo & Bodywash

• Approximate Cost: $1.18 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: non-stripping, sulfate-free, biodegradable, allergy-tested, tear-free – also free of sodium sulfate, DEA, and numbing agents
• Main Ingredients: water, decyl glucoside, laurel glucoside
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: 1 – low hazard
• Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Company was founded by mother of two. Proudly made in the USA in a certified organic solar powered facility.

ABC Arbonne Baby Hair and Body Wash

• Approximate Cost: $1.88 per ounce
• Promises on the Bottle: ultra-mild, tear-free, botanically based, pH correct, pediatrician and dermatologist tested
• Main Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Lauryl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine
• EWG’s Cosmetic Database Score: none available
• Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Notes: Arbonne International was founded in Switzerland in 1975. The products are sold by Independent Consultants. It seems suspicious and not forthright that the company neglects to include a full ingredient list on their website. *UPDATE* An Arbonne consultant has shared this product PDF with a full ingredient list.

Based on this preliminary research, I plan to avoid the Aveeno and Arbonne brands because they fail to make readily available the most basic information – the ingredient list. We will also do our best to steer clear of Johnson’s original formula at least until quaternium-15 is removed.

Earth Mama Angel Baby’s wash is, perhaps, the most appealing since it has a zero rating for safety, the best possible rating and the only wash that received those marks. That said, it’s important to note that it is not a tear-free formula and many mothers report it stinging their baby’s eyes. While it may be true that tear-free formulas have more controversial ingredients, it remains a fact that it is nearly impossible to tell a baby to close their eyes as you shampoo their downy hair. ;)

We’ve tried some products by Episencial with positive results, but I have to admit that it’s hard to spend over a dollar per ounce on a baby soap.

What baby wash product do you use on your little ones (and why)?

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the safety, efficacy, and/or scent of these and other baby washes.