Is there any grooming product used more often—or by more people—than body wash? It’s essential in everyone’s bathroom, so it’s important to get body wash right.
We believe that a natural body wash that’s full of nutritious ingredients from Mother Nature is superior to any chemical-based product. Common ingredients that you should look to avoid include SLS, SLES, and parabens—we’ll talk more about them later on. These are common in body washes due to the high water content, which can cause products to go bad. But, there are natural alternatives available.
For those of you looking to avoid chemical nasties, we present to you a list of the 25 best natural body washes in 2022. No matter your skin type, what scent you like, or what packaging you prefer, read on to discover the perfect natural wash for you.
Blu Atlas’ body wash—like all of the Blu Atlas line—is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and artificial fragrances. We love Blu Atlas because they consistently deliver high-quality products that use natural ingredients that are friendly to our skin and the planet. They’re even vegan!
This body wash uses aloe vera, which thoroughly hydrates and soothes your skin upon contact, leaving it ultra-soft. The award-winning Blu Atlas formula also includes green tea extract, known for its anti-inflammatory action and healthy bioactive compounds called polyphenols. The all-natural, eco-friendly brand offers all of its products with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose by trying this top-of-the-line cleanser.
2. Boscia | Papaya and Pomegranate Enzyme Exfoliating Body Cleanser
This exfoliating body cleanser from Boscia utilizes the natural enzymes found in papayas and pomegranates to give you smooth and glowing skin. Pomegranate brings skin-brightening properties, while papaya delivers vitamins and helps accelerate the skin’s natural renewal process.
The formula also makes use of gentle AHAs, including mandelic and lactic acids. These support the correct pH of your skin and help dissolve signs of aging. Boscia body wash is 100% vegan and free of chemical preservatives, parabens, sulfates, and artificial fragrances and colors.
3. Burt’s Bees | Lavender and Honey Body Wash
This delicious lavender and honey body wash from Burt’s Bees smells so good you won’t want to get out of the shower. Made from an impressive 98.75% natural ingredients, this body wash is free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, and irritant SLS.
The body wash is ultra-soothing to both the skin and mind, and it’s suitable for use as a shaving foam for even your most sensitive areas. Lavender balances the skin and encourages healing from breakouts and bumps. Honey is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and it promotes healing after shaving or irritation to your skin.
4. Kopari Beauty | Hydrating Vitamin C Shower Oil
This ultra-hydrating shower oil from Kopari Beauty is ideal for anyone with dry or dull skin. Kopari Beauty packed this product with moisturizing botanicals.
Plant-based glycerin is an intense humectant that helps your skin retain moisture. Organic coconut oil is full of vitamins and healthy fatty acids and proteins that fortify and deeply moisturize your skin. Passionfruit seed oil delivers a powerful punch of vitamin C, which brightens your skin and works to fade discoloration. All this goodness is free of phthalates, silicones, parabens, sulfates, GMO ingredients, and gluten.
5. Dr. Bronner’s | Organic Sugar Soap
The name Dr. Bronner is known worldwide among lovers of natural and hyper-functional grooming products. Dr. Bronner’s Organic Sugar Soap delivers exactly what we want, as it is suitable for the hands, face, body, and hair.
There is a range of scents available, but we loved the zingy lemongrass and lime. Dr. Bronner packed this formula with amazing botanicals. Jojoba oil penetrates deep into the skin, carrying nutrients with it. Organic coconut oil fortifies the skin with proteins and healthy moisturizing fats. The product is certified USDA Organic, biodegradable, and paraben-, gluten-, nut-, soy-, sulfate-, and triclosan-! So it’s ideal for everyone.
6. Avalon Organics | Revitalizing Peppermint Bath & Shower Gel
This super-fresh peppermint body wash is sure to wake you up in the morning. We love the tingling clean feeling the peppermint oil gives. This zingy formula is also soothing, as it contains aloe vera, chamomile, and calendula. These relaxing botanicals calm skin.
You can also rest assured that Avalon Organic body washes contain no GMO ingredients, parabens, harsh preservatives, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic colors, or fragrances. The formulas are vegan and have never been tested on animals.
7. Alba Botanica | Hawaiian Detox Body Wash
The bright and beautiful bottles of Alba Botanica are affordable and available in drugstores and online. But did you know that their products are 100% vegetarian? They skip the harsh sulfates, artificial colors, parabens, and phthalates and don’t even use synthetic fragrances.
We love this incredible-smelling formula, made with volcanic clay to cleanse and detoxify. Yerba mate and orange peel oil invigorate and brighten your complexion. Aloe vera hydrates and soothes. Coconut extracts feed and moisturize your skin, helping you feel like you’ve taken a vacation.
8. Ursa Major | Morning Mojo Bar Soap
Free yourself from the plastic bottle by trying Ursa Major’s Morning Mojo Bar Soap. Having a solid formula means less water wastage, less packaging, and less of a carbon footprint required to transport the product.
Morning Mojo Bar Soap is also free of parabens and sulfates, so it is kinder to your skin. It smells super fresh, incorporating eucalyptus, grapefruit, and mint in an invigorating blend. Aloe vera and rosemary are also included to soothe and improve the skin’s condition.
9. Bathing Culture | Mind and Body Wash Refillable Glass
Liquid body washes don’t get much better for the environment than Bathing Culture’s Refillable Glass Body Wash. The formula is based on organic aloe vera, so it’s hydrating and soothing for your skin. Organic coconut, oils, and shea butter are there, too, so you will feel soft and moisturized after your shower. The Cathedral Grove scent is woody and fresh and will transport your mind to the forest.
Once you’ve bought the beautiful bottle once, simply order refills of your favorite scents for an eco-friendly cleanse.
10. Be One Organics | Organic Unscented Body Wash
This fantastic organic body wash is ideal for all skin types. It comes in a range of fragrances, but we love the option of having an unscented body wash. This is perfect for sensitive skin or if you don’t want the scent of your body wash to clash with your lotion or perfume.
The base is coconut oil and aloe vera to soothe and deeply hydrate. Organic shea butter feeds the skin with nutrients and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. As you might expect, the formula is free of parabens, SLS, and synthetic colors and fragrances.
11. Native | Lilac & White Tea Body Wash
Native is one of our go-to brands, thanks to their quality formulas that smell oh-so-great. There are myriad delicious scents—both staples and limited edition—in the body wash lineup. We fell in love with the unusually light and exotic lilac and white tea variation.
All Native body washes use citric acid to support your skin’s pH and natural biome, as well as coconut oil to moisturize. As always, this body wash is phthalate-, sulfate-, and dye-free.
12. Drunk Elephant | Kamili Cream Body Cleanser
We love the premium natural brand Drunk Elephant, as their products are high quality, fun, and attractive. This cleanser is ideal for dry skin and uses hydrating ingredients. Marula oil, which is rich in fatty acids, will deeply moisturize. Passionfruit oil soothes and smells incredible. Kamili is not a botanical but instead is what Drunk Elephant has dubbed its multi-amino-acid blend, which soothes and supports the skin.
This Kamili Cream Body Cleanser is naturally free of what Drunk Elephant calls “the suspicious 6″—sulfates, silicones, essential oils, fragrance, dyes, and drying alcohols.
13. Alaffia | Everyday Coconut Body Wash
We love Alaffia’s exciting product range, which is always jam-packed with useful botanicals and free of chemical nasties. This body wash is free of SLS, parabens, synthetic colors and fragrances, mineral oil, and phthalates.
Instead, coconut oil and shea butter make up the base of this moisturizing body wash. The antioxidant-rich coffeeberry extract helps our skin fight free radicals. All ingredients are ethically-traded and certified as eco-friendly. Alaffia also supports minority-owned businesses and is committed to recycling its packaging.
14. Milk + Honey | Body Wash No 16
Milk + Honey’s gorgeous body wash is based on traditional, organic castile soap and is free of parabens and propylene glycol. If you’re all about the environment, you’ll be happy to know that you can order refills in recyclable pouches.
We love the muted scent because it isn’t overpowering. Pink grapefruit, bergamot, and cardamom blend to create an uplifting but subtle fragrance. If you love high-quality products that don’t harm the environment, this is one of the best natural body washes around.
15. Oars + Alps | Luxury Body Wash
Oars + Alps is an effortlessly trendy brand that makes quality natural grooming products. We love this body wash in the California Coast Scent, which smells like sea air and citrus with deep notes of patchouli and amber.
Oars + Alps has engineered tiny little eco-friendly beads that contain jojoba oil, which burst while washing to hydrate your skin. Thankfully, this body wash is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and talc, so it won’t irritate or dry your skin.
16. Basd | Invigorating Mint Body Wash
This tingly, plant-based body wash from Basd is free of pretty much every harmful chemical you can think of, including SLS, SLES, mineral oil, silicones, parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances.
If you want to firm your skin tone while you wash, the added caffeine helps stimulate blood flow. The formula also features organic coconut to provide a skin-friendly barrier and deep moisturization. Organic aloe vera soothes and hydrates. This is one of the cleanest formulas on the market.
17. Aveeno | Daily Moisturizing Body Wash
A cult favorite for people with sensitive skin, Aveeno body wash utilizes the power of three different forms of oats to calm and soothe irritation. The glycerin base is moisturizing and helps to create a protective barrier for the skin.
We think you’ll love this well-respected brand, as so many dermatologists and sensitive-skinned people do. But, some reviewers question why a natural brand aimed at people who suffer from sore skin still incorporates SLS in their formulas. If you’re looking to avoid SLS, give this one a pass.
18. Hempz | Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon Herbal Body Wash
This creamy body wash from Hempz uses 100% pure natural hemp seed oil. This anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial ingredient is sure to support your skin’s health naturally.
Pineapple extract soothes and softens the skin while honey melon extract delivers a host of vitamins and nutrients, and shea butter comes in as a rich emollient. The formula is free of parabens, gluten, and of course, THC.
19. Jason | Purifying Tea Tree Body Wash
Jason is a fantastic natural brand that has made its way into pretty much every major chain and remains accessible and affordable to everyone. This fresh and clean scented body wash is ideal for troubled skin.
Aloe vera hydrates the skin and helps soothe and reduce redness. Tea tree oil—a warrior against infection—fights imperfections and reduces inflammation. Vitamin E and pro-vitamin B5 nourish the skin. It’s free of parabens and harsh sulfates, so it’s safe for sensitive skin.
20. Kiehl’s | Made for All Gentle Body Wash
The Kiehl’s brand has been the standard for quality products packed with natural ingredients for over a century. Formulated with 95% naturally-derived ingredients, this body wash uses sustainably-sourced aloe vera and is packaged in a 100% recycled plastic bottle.
Kiehl’s avoids chemical foaming agents such as SLS and instead uses extracts from the soap trees of Chile to create a mild, frothy lather in this body wash.
21. The Body Shop | Almond Milk & Honey Shower Cream
This gentle, soap-free shower gel from The Body Shop is non-irritating to the skin. It respects your skin’s natural pH level and avoids destroying its natural protective barrier.
We love that The Body Shop uses ethically-sourced, fair trade almonds to create this sweet-scented formula. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Honey is a powerful healing agent that kills bacteria and moisturizes deeply. This formula is ideal for dry and sensitive skin.
22. Clinique | Deep Comfort Body Wash
Clinique is not a name that is usually synonymous with natural grooming products, but this quality body wash is free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, denatured alcohol, SLS, SLES, sulfates, gluten, and synthetic fragrance. Clinique is a reputable brand that makes dermatologically-proven beauty products for men and women.
We like the creamy formula and the inclusion of chamomile to soothe and reduce redness. This product is popular with reviewers who suffer from dry and itchy skin.
23. Jack Black | Charcoal Body Buff Exfoliating Cleanser
You can always rely on Jack Black’s slickly-packaged products to look great and be as natural as possible. This body cleanser is vegan and made without sulfates, parabens, colorants, and alcohol.
The key ingredients are natural volcanic stone and charcoal, which gently exfoliate while absorbing dirt, odor, and grime. Algae, aloe vera, and baobab oil provide nutrients to nourish the skin.
Reviewers love the fresh, cucumber-like smell. If you do, too, you’ll be happy to know that Jack Black has created a three-step line to accompany this body wash, which is complemented by a body lotion and deodorant.
24. Every Man Jack | Nourishing Natural Hemp Body Wash
This natural hemp body wash from Every Man Jack is rich in vitamins and minerals. Saponified coconut oil gently cleanses, while cocoa butter moisturizes deeply. Essential oils such as clary sage, and bergamot and a range of herbs give a fresh and earthy fragrance. Hemp seed oil has many benefits, including being anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing.
It contains no parabens, phthalates, dyes, or gluten. Reviewers love how this body wash left their skin feeling ultra-moisturized.
25. Lush | Rose Jam Shower Gel
Lush is a favorite among people who love natural products. The brand is strongly against animal testing and always uses the highest quality essential oils and botanicals. Your bottles and pots are also welcome back at the Lush store after you have finished with them. Lush recycles the packaging and rewards you with loyalty points and gifts.
This decadent shower gel smells incredible. Infused with valuable Turkish rose oil to reduce redness and soothe, the formula also includes vanilla pod infusion and Sicilian lemon oil to create a juicy, sweet jam fragrance. Argan oil and glycerin make this body wash ultra-moisturizing, so your skin will feel soft and smell sweet.
Natural Body Wash or Soap: Which Is Better?
Traditionally, bar soaps were fairly harsh cleansers that left that tell-tale “wheek wheek” sound and a filmy feeling on your skin. Soap literally made you squeaky clean. As a result, body washes were often thought of as being gentler and more moisturizing.
Nowadays, the market is quite different. Many soaps are available that are moisturizing or suitable for sensitive skin. Usually, these contain ingredients such as goat’s milk, almond milk, olive oil, shea butter, or glycerin.
Body washes are available that aim to fill a variety of niches. Some are gentle and emollient, while others can be harsh and astringent. Both products come in a range of prices to suit all.
The best product is about your personal preference. If you have particularly dry or sensitive skin, this body wash can likely be more soothing than most soaps.
However, as soaps don’t use water, they tend to be more ecologically friendly. They don’t use plastic in their packaging, and they take up less space and weight, which means less fuel is used to transport them. Plus, they need fewer preservatives.
What Ingredients Should You Avoid in Body Wash?
Body washes need to contain ingredients that fulfill certain functions. They need something that causes the liquid to foam, an ingredient that preserves the liquid, and something that cleans your skin. Most body washes also include moisturizers and fragrances.
The products that we shared in our list of the best natural body washes are all as natural as possible and use natural ingredients to achieve these functions. However, other brands commonly use synthetic ingredients, and sometimes they can be difficult to avoid. Let’s learn about a few red-flag ingredients that you should avoid.
Sulfates
SLS, SLES, and SDS are all chemicals collectively known as sulfates—a type of surfactant. The function of sulfates is twofold: they cause foaming, and they cleanse. But, they cleanse by trapping dirt in oils and then stripping away the oils.
As a result, sulfates are drying. Many people suffer from contact dermatitis, or skin irritation and rashes, as a result of contact with sulfates. Some evidence links sulfates to cancer. However, those claims have not yet been proven.
What we do know is that sulfates are harsh on both the skin and the environment. Sulfates come from palm oil, which is unsustainably cultivated at the expense of rainforest habitats around the world.
You can look out for these ingredients on your grooming products, toothpaste, and even household cleaning products. You might see them listed as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium dodecyl sulfate.
Parabens
Parabens are preservatives that many grooming products and pharmaceuticals use to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. They first became popular in the 1950s.
Consumers are concerned about parabens since researchers discovered that the parabens do not remain on the surface of our skin to be washed off. Instead, they can penetrate deep into our tissues. Parabens have been identified in human bodily tissue samples. There is speculative concern that their presence in our bodies could affect our hormone production, endanger our fertility, or cause cancer.
Certainly, parabens can cause allergic reactions in some people’s skin. The intensity of the reactions builds over time to become more serious with repeated exposure.
Parabens are also damaging to the environment. Researchers have found them in the tissue of sea creatures and believe they are contributing to the death of coral reefs.
It can be difficult to avoid parabens. Despite the risks discussed above, they are generally safe and some of the most used preservatives available. Sometimes, “paraben-free” products may contain synthetic paraben alternatives that are worse than parabens themselves.
Blends of natural antimicrobial agents such as grapefruit seed extract, tea tree, thyme, and neem can act as natural preservatives.
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil sounds so natural but is actually a derivative of petroleum—made from the crude oil you put in your car. A more accurate name is liquid paraffin. Mineral oil can have positive uses, especially in medicine and pharmaceuticals. Mineral oil is occlusive, meaning it acts as a barrier to water.
The function of mineral oil is to lock in water—and anything else that is underneath it on your skin. As a result, it is often used as a moisturizer. Unfortunately, this can lead to irritated skin, blocked pores, and swollen hair follicles.
There are plenty of natural moisturizing alternatives to mineral oil that are more breathable and have the added benefits of delivering vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and proteins. Some great examples are shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.
Phthalates
Phthalates are commonly called “plasticizers.” They dissolve other ingredients and harness and maintain the stability of scents and perfumes.
Phthalates have been scientifically demonstrated to cause endocrine disruption. This means they affect sexual development, pregnancy, and fertility. Further research has shown that it is highly likely that phthalates contribute to cancer.
Phthalates can be difficult to find on the ingredient label because they can be omitted or hidden behind the word “fragrance” or “perfume.” Look for products that specifically state that they are free of phthalates.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/hN74sc2
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