Best baby shampoo and wash

Honest Company’s baby wash and shampoo is a favorite among BabyCenter parents due to its mild cleansing, light and lovely scent, and reasonable price. Parents say they love that the tear-free formula leaves kids' hair clean and shiny without irritating sensitive skin. 

"We love all things Honest!" says BabyCenter Senior Health Editor Olivia DeLong, who adds that they use this body and hair wash as well as Honest Company's bubble bath. "My daughter has mild keratosis pilaris on her back and on the back of her arms and the Honest products are very mild with clean ingredients so they have been great for her."

Although Honest Company does offer a fragrance-free version of this wash, Olivia says the lavender scent is very light. “It doesn't linger, which to me indicates it's super gentle and mild."

Parents, including Olivia, also love the packaging of the wash. The pump is big and round, as opposed to the more common long and narrow design, which Olivia says makes it easy to use one-handed while hanging on to a slippery toddler. 

Honest Company's products come in packaging that's easy to recycle and includes recycling instructions on the side of every bottle. If, however, this becomes your go-to-wash, you can order a pouch to refill your pump bottle, which saves 75 percent of the plastic you'd otherwise use. 

Heads up
Some parents don't like that the lavender-scented wash also smells a bit like the chamomile that's in it. 

Parents say
"My son … got a rash with Johnson and Johnson stuff.  He does well with Honest Company bath and body wash and healing balm so I'm going to use them on the new baby too."

"I like Honest company orange blossom, it’s lightly scented but not too much."

"The best I’ve found for my sensitive baby is Honest Company, and it was recommended by a friend that is super obsessive about chemicals and stuff so I know that aspect is good too."

"Smells great and hasn't caused any issues with my sensitive babe."

Specs

• Size: 10 ounces
• Scent: 4 options including fragrance-free

The National Eczema Association seal on the front of this bottle lets you know this is a gentle baby wash you can trust for your baby's eczema-prone skin. This is due largely to the ingredients. CeraVe contains ceramides to help restore and maintain the skin, vitamin E and niacinamide to soothe, and hyaluronic acid, which helps skin retain moisture.

BabyCenter Senior SEO Content Strategist Sarah Darby says her pediatrician recommended this brand for her son's eczema, and it’s been highly effective. 

"It is fragrance free and tear free. It also lathers really nicely for shampooing and washing, which I love!" says Sarah. "But hands down the best part is that it doesn't dry out my son's skin at all. I rarely even have to use lotion, even in the winter and with an eczema-prone baby."

Heads up
This formulation does contain coco betaine, which is similar to the cocamidopropyl betaine that Dr. Maguiness does not recommend for babies. 

Parents say
"My LO had eczema too, the dermatologist had me get Cerave baby body wash and the Cerave lotion. It helped tremendously!"

"We love BabyDove sensitive and CeraVe baby wash - no fragrance or dyes!"

"We use the Cerave baby wash. It is fragrance free and really gentle."

"My toddler had eczema as a baby so for this one his allergist recommended Cerave for body wash and lotion."

Specs

• Size: 8 ounces
• Scent: Fragrance-free

Certified by the National Eczema Association, Cetaphil's baby wash is enriched with shea butter and colloidal oatmeal, both of which ease red, blotchy, irritated, dry, or itchy skin. Fans of this wash say that it's creamy and rinses clean without leaving a greasy residue on skin. 

Karen Sly, Senior Finance Manager of Everyday Health Group Pregnancy and Parenting, says her 2-year-old daughter has had “pretty sensitive skin” since she was a baby. Karen tried several baby washes, and found Cetaphil was the only one to get her daughter bath time with no issue: no rashes, just soft, smooth, clear baby skin. 

Despite being fragrance-free, Karen says that the wash has, “got a very pleasant but not overpowering smell as well, which we like."

Heads up
Cetaphil also makes a regular baby wash and a "gentle" wash in almost identical packaging, so make sure you're buying the one you want. 

Parents say
"I love and trust Cetaphil products for myself and reviews for the baby wash are great."

"I use Cetaphil baby soothing wash and lotion. My son didn't have eczema that bad but he did have spots of it. Once I switched to the soothing wash and lotion for eczema it started to get better."

"Baby dove soap made both my kids flare up too. I switched to Cetaphil baby wash (soothing wash one with the eczema association logo on it) this one helped my older daughters eczema tremendously."

"Cetaphil Baby is great for sensitive skin."

Specs

• Size: 5 or 10 ounces
• Scent: Fragrance-free

More often than not, cradle cap will go away on its own and cause minimal (if any) irritation for your baby. But if the yellow, flaky patches bother you, parents say Mustela’s foam shampoo gets impressive results quickly and easily. All you need to do is apply, wait one to two minutes, then rinse away; no need for massaging, brushing, or otherwise manually attempting to remove the flakes. (Although if parents want to do some brushing, many recommend the DermaFrida brush).

The majority of the formula is made up of plant-based ingredients and some salicylic acid, an ingredient in many dandruff shampoos. And though some parents say the shampoo isn't as tear-free as others, they note that the foam makes it easy to  keep on babies' heads and away from their eyes. 

Heads Up
Some parents don’t like that the wash contains salicylic acid, as it can have adverse effects on sensitive baby skin. 

Parents say
"I love Mustela’s foaming shampoo for cradle cap, used it from the get go for my second & he never got it like my first." 

"Highly recommend Mustela shampoo for cradle cap. It has been highly effective for my kids."

"The Mustela shampoo for cradle cap worked like a charm with my last kiddo. I was actually shocked how effective it was after just one time. Within a handful of washes it was all cleared up."

Specs

• Size: 5.07 ounces
• Scent: Fragrance-free
   

Gentle, non-irritating, and inexpensive, Aveeno Baby wash has legions of fans who appreciate that it’s widely available in stores and online. Not to mention it’s free of parabens, sulfates, dyes, and phthalates. It's also hypoallergenic and tear-free, with parents saying that it has dripped into their babies' eyes and didn’t irritate them or cause pain. 

Moms whose babies have dry skin or eczema are particular fans of this wash, which contains natural oat extract: "Oat is great for eczema," says one BabyCenter mom. Shelley Gingrich, BabyCenter's Executive Director, Brand Solutions, says "I've used everything under the sun, including Pipette and Babyganics!" Some brands dried out her daughter's scalp, but she says Aveeno Baby is "gentle, moisturizing, and has a nice mild scent."

Heads up
This wash contains coco betaine, which is similar to the cocamidopropyl betaine Dr. Maguiness recommends against. 

Parents say
"I’ve cycled through a couple different brands. Some soaps dried him out and others irritated his skin. My son doesn’t have delicate skin but it’s been trial and error to find the best combo for him. We’ve settled on Aveeno soap and wash for baths."

"My cousin used Aveeno and at the beach we tried it on our son and he did great with it. It also made him smell amazing! I normally use Honest lavender wash but I just bought Aveeno for our new baby."

"I use the aveeno oat baby wash in my son's hair and it's not greasy. He has long hair too."

Specs

• Size: 18 ounces
• Scent: Fragrance-free

Curly hair is more porous than straight hair, impacting its ability to absorb and retain moisture. To better nourish your child’s curly hair, and prevent dryness and frizz, you may want to consider a shampoo for your curly-haired baby that will cleanse without stripping out the moisture. 

The first ingredient in SheaMoisture after "water" is decyl glucoside, the gentle cleanser Dr. Maguiness recommends, while shea butter imparts moisture. 

Moms of kids with curly hair rave about the way SheaMoisture’s extra nourish shampoo defines their kids' curls. This is due to the dynamic ingredient duo of decyl glucoside, a gentle cleanser, and shea butter, a powerful moisturizer. 

"I use the SheaMoisture brand on my son. He has wavy/curly hair and it gets out of control sometimes but those products help," says one BabyCenter mom. The scent is great, too, a fruity mango that both parents and kids like. 

Heads up
The scent lingers for a few days, which can be off-putting to those sensitive to fragrances.

Parents say
“I use SheaMoisture in both of my sons’ hair. They both have curly hair and I love the curl products on their hair. And no harsh chemicals of course.”

"My niece has extremely curly hair (think like a white person afro curly). My sister has tried a lot of different products but likes the Sheamoisture ones the best."

“I use SheaMoisture shampoo. The lack of chemicals is awesome and I really like how delicate the smell is (not overpowering).” 

"I feel good about using Shea Moisture because of it's natural ingredients.  Plus, it smells great and has been extremely gentle in my experience."

Specs

• Size: 8 ounces
• Scent: Mango-carrot