The 6 Best Natural Body Washes- With Ingredient Breakdown
Hey friends,
Today I want to give you the top 6 all natural/organic body washes for your cleansing pleasure! These 6 body washes crop up in list after list from beauty experts and are rated high from happy customers. So bring on the natural washes!
Is it Really Natural/Organic/Safe?
First let me remind you that for something to be certified organic or certified natural they need to pass certain criteria. Sadly, some criteria are not as strict as others meaning you might see a product labeled organic but it might only pass some certif-iers tests. You see, some product- makers are sneaky and purposely go to authenticators who have lower standards in what they accept as organic so that they can pass off their products as wholesome to unsuspecting consumers. Little did they know, though, we handbookers are smart shoppers!
Remember that in the US if something is certified organic it is made with 95% organic compounds. Anything that is missing this label is not as reputable. Also remember that when it comes to cosmetics, the FDA does not regulate or require stringent testing before a product goes on the market, meaning that just because something says “natural” or “organic” does not necessarily make it so.
This is why we need to have a full understanding of the ingredient list of any beauty product or cosmetic item that we purchase (pay attention to ambiguous wording as well!). As a rule of thumb, I like products that have the bare minimum and consist of plant- derived ingredients, and various oils (including essential oils). I also like to do my background research on the company to make sure that I feel good about using their items on my most precious organ.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: everything that goes on your body eventually ends up inside as well. We do not know the long term effects of all these toxins and chemicals (though we are living through an age where people including children get crazily ill for like no reason at all…) so to be on the safe side just be a conscious consumer… always! Choose your products wisely. Luckily for you lovelies, I have scoured list after list of the best natural body washes that beauty experts and consumers are raving about, and have personally looked up every ingredient so that you, my friends, are super aware.
They are all said to be lovely for the skin, cleansing, and from reputable companies. Before we get into the list, remember there are certain ingredients that you should endeavor to avoid no matter what.
Ingredients to Stay Away From
- Parabens.
- Synthetic colors.
- Propylene Glycol.
- Fragrance.
- Sunscreen Chemicals.
- Phthalates.
- Triclosan.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
- Formaldehyde.
- Toluene.
- DEA.
- Phenoxethanol.
6 Best Natural Body Washes
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shikakai Lavender Body Soap
Certainly one of the best on the list, Dr. Bronner’s is known for quality and whether you want to make your own body wash or buy a ready- made version, Bronner’s will answer the call. The ingredients are actually certified organic and the list is just beautiful, with a bare minimum that is made to cleanse! The plant extracts are combined with the original liquid castille soap and together they make this product of Mother Nature.
Puracy Natural Body Wash Citrus and Sea Salt
This one is heralded for working well for those with sensitive skin. It is cruelty free, pet- safe and baby safe! I specifically like that the artwork on the bottle was done by a local artist and in purchasing bottles of this product we support artists (at least in the town that the product is made!). The ingredient list is longer than Dr. Bronner’s, and I was skeptical when seeing some of the ingredients on the list, however a quick search of each ingredient helped me to understand what exactly it was and what it does for the skin. I have placed the ingredients that I am not so happy about (for every item on this list) in red. Although every ingredient within this product is of low health concerns on EWG Skin Deep’s site (*always check this site to see if your products are safe or harmful and if something is EWG certified then you are good to go*), in comparison with Dr. Bronner’s you think is there really any need for any ingredients to be flagged in red?! Nevertheless, people are really happy with this product and that is why it is on this list.
Ingredients:
Purified Water, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate (Coconut-Based Cleanser), Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate (Coconut-Based Cleanser), Lauryl Glucoside (Vegetable-Based Cleanser), Vegetable Glycerin (Plant-Based Skin Softener), Coco Glycinate (Coconut-Based Cleanser), Coco-Glucoside (Coconut-Based Cleanser), Glyceryl Oleate (Plant-Based Skin Softener), Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate (Plant-Based Cleanser), Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil, Natural Fragrance, Citric Acid (Plant-Based Preservative), Caprylhydroxamic Acid (Coconut-Based Preservative), Caprylyl Glycol (Coconut-Based Preservative), Ethylhexylglycerin (Biodegradable Preservative), Propanediol (Plant-Based Preservative)
Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Body Wash Lavender Mint
Mmmmm. Whenever lavender is in the mix you know it’s going to be a good time! The ingredient list of this product speaks for itself and though it is quite lengthy like Puracy’s above, just look at what this one is filled with! The organic compounds in this product are USDA Organic Certified and it is just filled with such wonderful stuff for our skin. Customer’s love how this cleanses whilst still leaving the natural (necessary) oils on the body and this is another one that works well for sensitive skin. The smell is also really amazing and if you like lavender then I guarantee that this will be an aromatic treat for you and your skin.
Ingredients:
Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Purified Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Organic Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Organic Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Organic Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Organic Fragrance*, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Milk, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Organic Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract, Organic Althea Offinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract
Method Moisturizing Body Wash Surfside
There are two ingredients within this wash that were either of low or moderate concern on the EWG site. However customers like the scent and the fact that this wash is quite thick, meaning a little goes a long way. Though I personally am not fully happy with the ingredient list, the company is very explicit about what goes into their products and they even add side notes for why they use what they use which I think is just awesome, and something all companies should strive to do. *I placed the ingredients that are of low and moderate concern in red and also highlighted fragrance because it is an ambiguous term that does not really explicitly tell us what it is.
Ingredients:
water (aqua), glycerin, sodium chloride, sodium coco sulfate, citric acid, aloe barbadensis extract, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, fragrance (parfum), cocamide MIPA, glycol disteareate, cocamidopropyl betaine (can cause skin irritation), glyceryl caprylate/caprate, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid
Hugo Naturals Shower Gel French Lavender
The lovely thing about this body wash is that even though some of the ingredients look like they were lab- made, they actually pass all the tests on EWG and are not only NOT harmful to us, they are beneficial for cleansing purposes. Customers love the smell of this product but many complain that it does not last long after exiting the shower/bath. Still, if you prefer a lighter scent then this French lavender gel does the trick. I like that it does not have that chemically perfumey smell.. my nose tells me when something is right or wrong! It has a good lather and a little goes a long way, meaning it lasts long, meaning so does our money!
Ingredients:
Aqua/water, lauryl glucoside, decyl glucoside, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium cocoabutteramphoacetate, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, tocopherol, allantoin, panax ginseng root extract, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) bark/leaf/twig extract, lippia citriodora flower/leaf/stem extract, equisetum arvense leaf
100% Pure Shower Gel
I am finishing off with this line because oh my do we love this gel. I won’t give a specific scent because I think all of them are equal in what they do for the body, and all you have to do is choose the one that tickles your fancy. There are over 10 different gels to choose from, though a cult classic is the Honey Almond Shower gel. This product, like Dr. Bronner’s has no red- marked ingredients because it simply leaves the crap out. This is another product that is USDA certified organic with the organic compounds that it uses and is a reputable company in caring about the environment and the consumer. It has my favorite kind of container for a shower gel because it is super easy to use and this one is well worth the money!
Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Rose Hydrosol), Sodium Cocoate (Saponified Coconut Oil), Vegetable Glycerin, Extracts of Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf, Asparagopsis Armata (Red Algae), Mel (Lavender Honey), Thymus (Thyme) Vulgaris Flower/Leaf, Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf, and Rosmarinus (Rosemary) Officinalis Leaf, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Flavor, Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle) Extract, Hyaluronic Acid *Certified Organic
Final Thoughts
These 6 are on this list because people love ’em! So many people are enjoying what they are and what they do for the body. My top picks out of all the 6, however, is anything from the 100% Pure line and Dr. Bronner’s Body soap. They both are in first place with Nourish Organic coming in second. I prefer to make my own body wash as then I can be certain of everything that goes in it, but when I do make a body wash purchase, Dr. Bronner’s and 100% Pure are top of the list. There you have it, handbookers, these are the top rated natural body washes available. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed creating it! Stay conscious, lovelies! Hey, are there any natural washes that should have been included?
- Let me know all your thoughts by commenting below
- Let me know your take on one of these washes
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Thanks for the detailed post of all the wonderful natural body wash! I love body wash but recently came to the realization that we need to be careful of what we put on our bodies as well as what we put in it. I want to teach my daughter healthy habits and these our products I can be happy as a mother to use and share with my daughter. Lavender is my favorite scent and you give me so many different ones to choose from.
Hi Melissa, your comment made me very happy! I love parents who consider their children when it comes to what they use on their skin especially when bad ingredients are even in children’s products! These products are certainly great for leaving out those bad ingredients but I will be writing a specific post about products that are bay and kid- safe. Come back for it! 🙂
Lovely site, great to have all the ingredients spelled out for each, that is very helpful, so detailed. I especially like the fact that you went to the trouble to write out all the ingredients, that is so important to know – in my opinion!
Thanks for that!
I like the natural approach for myself, and I know many of my friends like it too. Looking forward for some more insights from your site.
Cheers,
Orion
Thank you Orion, it is my pleasure! 🙂 I know that there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing when it comes natural products and I love my readers to be as informed as possible! Thanks so much for reading and be sure to subscribe for more insights 😉
Hi there
I couldn’t agree with you more that we should take more care of what we put on our skin. I have 2 children and I will now pay a lot more attention to what is included in the ingredients list that of what we buy for them to put on their skin i.e soaps and washes.
Thanks for the heads up.
James
You are welcome James and that is a very beautiful thing to do for your children! There are so many unnecessary ingredients that children are exposed to and it takes aware parents like you to change things up for their health!
I really like your approach, “everything that goes on your body eventually ends up inside”. Great point. These natural alternatives look like they’re so much better for you. Couldn’t agree more.
Hi Eric, thanks so much for reading and for your appreciation of that approach 🙂
I am so with you on this! I feel what you put on your skin is almost more important than what you eat. At least with food we have a buffer of our digestion system before anything goes into our blood stream. With cream, lotions and makeup, everything is absorbed and goes straight into our blood stream. Great options and I love Dr. Bronners. Looking forward to more of your articles.
Hi Linda, and I am right with you there! You gave a really brilliant summation of why it is so important to consider all the external products that we use. Thanks so much for reading and for your very helpful comment! 🙂