When you’re pregnant, your skin is more sensitive. That’s why switching to one of the best body washes and soaps for pregnancy is smart. They protect against dryness and soothe itching. Of course, keeping your body hydrated helps avoid stretch marks, too.
Shopping for shower gel can be a lot of work if you’re reading the fine print to see if the formula is safe. But we made it easier for you with our reviews of the top soaps and body washes below. We even picked a few that can help you stay acne-free naturally.
Best Body Washes & Bath Soaps for Pregnancy in 2024
1. Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Body Wash, Fragrance-Free
Aveeno’s Active Naturals Skin Relief Body Wash doubles as a shave lotion. It’s gentle enough for children and adults. And it’s safer than the average soap for sensitive skin because it lacks harsh surfactants and artificial fragrances.
Like other products from Aveeno, the central ingredients are derived from oats. Oat flour and oat kernel oil relieve itching and calm irritation.
2. Aveeno Fragrance-Free Soothing Bath Treatment
Aveeno’s Soothing Bath Treatment could double as a shower gel as it lifts away grime. But you’re probably going to want it for soaking in the tub. It contains finely-milled oatmeal powder that turns bath water milky white. Then your bath will relieve itchy skin while you relax and de-stress.
3. NIVEA Creme Sensitive Moisturizing Body Wash
Nivea says their Crème Body Wash is extra-mild and moisturizing. It should leave your skin soft after your shower. Based on all the positive reviews, we don’t doubt that it works. But take note that it contains a fragrance, sodium laureth sulfate, and multiple PEGs, or emollients derived from petroleum.
4. Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil
The Atoderm Shower Oil from Bioderma is ultra-moisturizing when you need to care for dry, tight skin. It also prevents staph bacteria from sticking to your body. The main ingredients are the vegetal bio lipids, glycerin, and water that reinforce the protective barrier of the skin.
5. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Cetaphil’s Gentle Cleanser may be one of the most-recommended products that dermatologists discuss with their patients. It’s extremely mild to protect persons with eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. It’s free of artificial fragrances and tested against common allergens. Plus, this particular pack that we chose includes cleansing cloths that won’t strip natural oils or clog your pores.
6. CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash
Dermatologists also recommend parabens-free CeraVe to patients with sensitive skin. Why are we focusing on body washes for sensitive skin? It’s because, in general, they are safer for pregnant women. They contain fewer allergens and milder ingredients that shouldn’t harm you or your baby. They also are less likely to cause breakouts or eczema flares.
One of the highlights of CeraVe’s body wash is that it contains three essential ceramides. These fatty molecules are naturally part of your skin. They keep your body from losing moisture and protect it against pollution. When your body has enough ceramides on the surface, your skin won’t age as fast.
Also, this formula has hyaluronic acid. Again, this is part of your skin’s normal makeup. It holds up to 1000 times its own weight in water to keep your skin hydrated. Adding hyaluronic acid and ceramides to soap ensures that it helps your body stay moisturized.
Finally, even though the CeraVe body wash doesn’t have sulfates, it makes a lot of lather and rinses clean.
7. Puracy Natural Body Wash
Puracy states that their Natural Body Wash is safe for children, adults, and even pets. It’s free of parabens, petroleum derivatives, artificial dyes and fragrances, and drying alcohols. Instead of harsh chemicals, it relies on cocoa glycinate to create a satisfying lather and wash away impurities. It also has Himalayan Sea salt and pink grapefruit oil to clarify your skin.
8. Organic African Black Soap from Sky Organics
Fans of the liquid African Black Soap from Sky Organics say it makes their skin luxuriously soft. The all-natural formula has only ten ingredients and no chemicals. And it’s super-rich in emollients like organic palm oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and shea butter. The addition of plantain skin ash helps it exfoliate dead, dry skin.
9. Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash
If nothing seems to soothe your skin, try Eucerin’s Calming Body Wash. It’s packed with natural lipids from castor seed and soy oils to soften rough skin. (This is where we’ll remind you that soy may increase your risk of developing melasma, or discolored skin. Use sunscreen to prevent this problem.) The fragrance-free formula also features oatmeal and menthol to immediately relieve irritation.
10. Kiss My Face Anti-Stress Bath & Shower Gel
Kiss My Face has been making eco-friendly products for three decades. Vegans love this brand. Moreover, this shower gel is free of toxic no-nos like parabens, phthalates, sulfates, gluten, and artificial fragrances.
The anti-stress flavor smells woody and earthy from pine and ginseng. But it also has many other plant extracts like lavender, rosemary, and gotu kola. While you enjoy the relaxing aroma, plant-based cleansers foam away dirt. Meanwhile, aloe, olive oil, and Vitamin E keep your skin moisturized.
11. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap – Lavender
Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap is possibly the least artificial option on the market. It’s made from pure water, glycerin, and olive, coconut, and hemp oils. The relaxing lavender scent comes from the plant itself. There are no preservatives, sulfates, or other chemicals. Moreover, it’s certified organic and vegan and bottled in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic.
12. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap – Tea Tree
Dr. Bronner also makes a Tea Tree version of their Castile liquid soap. Try this one if you’re dealing with acne or a fungal infection.
13. Everyone 3-In-1 Soap, Coconut, and Lemon
The Everyone Soap is pretty much an Everything soap, too. It’s a body wash, shampoo, and shave cream all-in-one. It won’t dry out your skin or hair because it uses coco-sulfate instead of SLS or SLES. This surfactant still lathers up nicely and leaves you feeling clean. In addition, the body wash is free of parabens, artificial fragrances, and disodium EDTA.
14. Medline Remedy with Phytoplex Hydrating Cleansing Gel
But what if you need to wash up without water? You can use the Medline Remedy Cleansing Gel without rinsing if needed. It’s perfect for very fragile or irritated skin. Furthermore, it improves the skin’s moisture level. Some users with very sensitive faces find it ideal for a face wash.
15. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar Soap Variety
Not everyone loves bathing with shower gel. It takes longer to scrub with a poof or washcloth than it does to wash with a bar of soap. Unfortunately, some soaps are very alkaline and disrupt the acid balance of your skin, causing more dryness and irritation. But Dr. Bronner’s bar soap doesn’t have that problem.
Like the liquid versions of the pure Castile soaps, these bars are made from organic ingredients and sold in 100% post-consumer recycled packaging. There are no preservatives or detergents. And you’ll get to experience a variety of aromas like peppermint, rose, citrus, and almond.
16. Tom’s of Maine Natural Beauty Bar Soap
Tom’s of Maine makes their triple-milled bar soap from Fair Trade shea butter and Rainforest Alliance -certified palm oil. After you finish bathing, it leaves your skin soft and supple.
17. Dead Sea Mud Soap Bar with Activated Charcoal & Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils
The Dead Sea Mud Soap Bar also contains sustainable palm oil. Just a quick side note: if you can purchase products with RSPO palm oil, please do so. It helps protect rainforests and the habitat of endangered species from being destroyed to raise palm trees. It also ensures that those involved in the production of palm oil are paid fairly.
But the highlight of this bar is the pure Dead Sea mineral mud. It detoxifies the skin to clear up acne and infections. It also exfoliates to leave your skin fresh and smooth. To protect against dryness, it has emollients like organic shea butter, sunflower oil, and castor oil.
18. Mustela Cleansing Body Gel, Gentle Baby Wash
Why not get into the spirit of things and try out a baby wash on yourself? Mustela’s ultra-mild cleansing gel has cold cream and ceramides in it. It defends both the skin and hair from moisture loss. Additionally, it rinses clean without leaving any residue.
The other main active ingredient is Avocado Perseose, a patented plant extract that strengthens the skin. Then, there are no phthalates, parabens, or phenoxyethanol to worry about.
19. Simply Non-Scents Body Wash & Shampoo, Gentle Castile Soap for Sensitive Skin by Earth Mama
Earth Mama makes more than one kind of baby body wash. This one happens to be fragrance-free, but you can also find lavender or sweet orange. There are exactly 7 ingredients in this formula, and none of them are triclosan, parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. But those aren’t the only advantages.
The company clinically tests its products and has them reviewed by dermatologists. As a result, they say even hospital NICUs use them.
20. Aquaphor Baby Wash & Shampoo
Our final pick is Aquaphor’s Baby Wash. It garnered a 2 for low hazard rating on the EWG Skin Deep database. Plus, your pediatrician may very well recommend it to you for your child.
The highlights of this bath soap include a tear-free formula that shields skin and hair with pro-vitamin B5. There are no artificial fragrances or parabens. And parents who use it for children say that it leaves their own skin soft, too.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we hope our reviews helped you find what you need today. Pamper yourself with the best body washes and soaps for pregnancy. They’ll keep you comfortable by hydrating your skin. In addition, some will let you treat acne (read article) while you need to avoid harsher solutions.
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