There is nothing quite like the smell of a freshly-bathed wriggly baby.
Of course, when it comes to washing a newborn, in those early days a top-and-tail wash with warm water and a flannel is all they need. In fact, you don’t really need to properly wash a baby’s hair until it’s a little longer and even then, most experts agree it’s best to do so no more than once a week to prevent drying out their delicate scalps.
As adults, more of us are becoming aware of the products we are using on hair and body, especially those that are being used on a daily basis. Long lists of synthetic-sounding ingredients are a no-no, even more so when we’re thinking about what products to buy for our little ones. After all, their skin is far more fragile than our own and more susceptible to harm from chemicals.
When choosing the best shampoo for your baby, it’s wise to think about what you’re using it for - whether it’s for general use or to tackle a specific problem like cradle cap or one that won’t upset eczema-prone skin.
So, what should you look out for in a baby shampoo?
There are a few things to consider when choosing the best shampoo for your baby.
Some babies have particularly sensitive skin that may be prone to eczema and rashes. You’ll want to choose a product that won’t irritate or dry their skin.
Check for parabens, phthalates and sulphates
Most baby shampoos these days are formulated specifically to avoid parabens - harsh chemicals often found in products to help preserve them - and phthalates - which work as softeners in personal care products, as well as flexible plastics like children’s toys (yes, no one wants to be washing their baby’s hair in the same chemical found in their plastic luminous walker).
These are irritants and can cause precious baby skin to flare up. It’s also worth looking at whether a baby shampoo contains a fragrance, which can aggravate all skin conditions, and sulphates which can sting the skin and eyes. Another ingredient to look out for on a baby shampoo label is whether it contains any elements of alcohol - these are often labelled as ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, and can dry out skin.
Tear free
Some babies are water babies - they won’t bat an eyelid when you pour away that shampoo and get their faces all wet. For others, well, all hell breaks loose so you may want to look out for ‘tear-free’ on the packaging, meaning if the product runs into their eyes, it won’t sting. It’s also a good sign - there’s less likely to be nasties lurking in the formula.
Natural ingredients
It’s also worth knowing that baby skin can change throughout the first year and beyond - children can suddenly develop skin conditions like eczema from around three months old so be cautious, what may work one month may not another. While many baby shampoos on the market are derived from natural ingredients, these might still cause skin upset for some children. Natural doesn’t always mean irritant-free.
Here we’ve rounded up the best baby shampoos to buy now.
Best bath products for baby and mother that care for your skin
Best baby humidifiers to help your little one breathe easy
Best organic baby gifts to keep mum and baby feeling pampered and happy
Best beach tents and shelters 2023: Shade from the sun with these easy to assemble tents
Best kids beds: Single, cabin and bunk beds for children
Best baby bouncers and rockers 2023 to soothe and entertain babies
Best baby backpack carriers to bring your little one along for the hike
Best bath products for baby and mother that care for your skin
Best toddler duvets and pillow sets for a peaceful night’s sleep
Bamford Baby Chamomile Hair And Body Wash
As someone with an eczema-prone baby, I am always cautious about finding a shampoo that won’t cause any upset to his skin, but I’m also not a fan of the medicated ones that smell overly clinical. The new Bamford Baby collection is the perfect two-in-one body wash and shampoo formulated with a skin-soothing blend of chamomile, geranium, lavender, and tea tree.
It smells like an English garden, made with 75 per cent organic ingredients and 97 per cent from natural origin, while being free from skin-drying alcohol, and parabens, mineral oils, phenoxyethanol (that’s a thickener), phthalates, and silicones.
As it has got essential oils in it, it’s best for babies for six months and over. This shampoo and body wash is so good in fact, everyone in our household now uses it with zero signs of irritation.
Buy now £25.00, Bamford
Dr Barbara Sturm Baby & Kids Hair & Body Shampoo
After giving birth to her daughter, Pepper, in 2014, Dr. Barbara Sturm, widely renowned for her anti-inflammatory and anti-aging skin treatments, set out to create baby care products whipped up with the expertise of a doctor and the love of a mother.
The baby shampoo is a soft foaming cleanser designed as a complete wash for your baby’s skin, hair and scalp. It’s incredibly gentle and skin-calming thanks to the fact it’s packed with almond blossom extract that soothes rashes, alongside calendula, derived from the bud of a marigold, that calms redness, and hydrating jojoba oil. It’s fragrance-free and doesn’t contain any chemical irritants.
Buy now £30.00, Cult Beauty
Weleda 2-in-1 Gentle Shampoo + Body Wash
It’s hard to fault this gentle baby shampoo that’s a best-seller for a reason. It’s got a lovely creamy texture and features calming calendula as its main ingredient, and manages to leave baby skin soft and hair clean without stripping it of its own natural oils.
There are few ingredients here (always a good sign) and every one that it does contain is aimed at moisturising. It’s also free from synthetic preservatives, fragrances and colourants. While this shampoo isn’t specifically aimed at babies suffering from cradle cap, it has been dermatologically proven to be kind to sensitive skin and soothing on cradle-cap. We love that all Weleda products are NATRUE certified too, which ensures ingredients are 100 per cent natural, naturally derived, and nature identical.
Buy now £7.25, Amazon
Neal’s Yard Remedies Baby Bath & Shampoo
If you’re a fan of Neal’s Yard Remedies yourself, you’ll probably love the bath and shampoo for your little one too. This certified organic, cruelty-free baby shampoo has a gorgeous lavender scent (thanks to being infused with dreamy lavender oil) that perfectly sets the tone for a relaxing hair wash before they hit the land of nod.
There’s also soothing chamomile in this plant-based formula that will ward off any rashes and redness and it’s so gentle, you can even use it for newborns over 3kg. Although, the advice is generally that you wait until they lose their umbilical cords to bath them.
Buy now £9.00, Neal’s Yard Remedies
Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns
Oh, cradle cap. Those dreaded crusty yellow scales on your beautiful baby’s head are not fun to deal with. While it’s common and won’t hurt your baby, it can be an unpleasant sight as well as oily and itchy. It’s easily treated using a specific cradle cap brush and medicated shampoo that help break down those pesky scales.
The best baby shampoo for cradle cap that we have come across is Mustela’s Foam Shampoo, a newborn-friendly, soap-free formula. While it largely contains plant-based ingredients, there is a small amount of salicylic acid which is effective at lifting the scaling but can be an irritant for small babies so use just a small amount of this shampoo and avoid getting it in their little eyes.
Buy now £7.95, Sephora
Child’s Farm Fragrance-Free Baby Shampoo
Parents all over the UK (and beyond) turn to Child’s Farm products to keep bath time happy. The brand’s fragrance-free baby shampoo is a good everyday option for keeping your baby’s hair soft, clean and gently nourished and we love the fact this bottle can be easily picked up from most supermarkets while you’re nipping in for nappies.
It’s been dermatologically tested and paediatrician-approved for newborns and upwards, and even on skin that may be prone to eczema - in a trial of 100 newborns aged 0-3 months and children aged 0-18 months with medically diagnosed eczema, 100 per cent of their parents said this shampoo did not irritate their children’s skin. We like those odds.
Buy now £4.50, Boots
Kokoso Baby Gentle Hair & Body Wash
Organic coconut oil is recommended as one of the best natural moisturisers for babies and this soothing shampoo and body wash from Kokoso is packed with the stuff. Containing a mighty 10 per cent of coconut oil, blended with organic aloe vera and coconut-based bubbles, this baby shampoo is a mild and moisturising option for your mini.
It’s made up of 98 per cent naturally-derived ingredients so you know their sensitive skin is in good hands and has been proved suitable to use from birth upwards. We also love the fact that bottles are made from 100 per cent recycled materials and are fully recyclable. Oh, and it scooped Silver in the ‘Free From’ Skincare Awards, so you can rest assured it’s free of nasties.
Buy now £9.95, Amazon
MooGoo Baby Gentle Shampoo
For eczema-sufferers, MooGoo is one of those parent-saviour brands (its soothing MSM moisturiser is, quite literally, a miracle product for calming breakouts), so we are definitely fans of this gentle baby shampoo.
It’s made with a combination of four natural cleansers, free from harsh detergents that work together to cleanse and hydrate scalps, leaving hair naturally shiny and soft. It even works on little heads that might be a tad scaly, dry and itchy. It won’t sting too if you wash it into their eyes by mistake (likely, washing a child is quite a job) and is kind on even on newborn hair.
Buy now £11.50, Revital
AVEENO Baby Daily Care 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner
Aveeno is a real favourite of parents of young children because it’s affordable, does what it says on the label and even recommended by doctors for those who suffer from eczema and easily-aggravated skin conditions.
This baby 2-in-1 shampoo gently cleanses and nourishes tiny heads of hair without ever drying it out. It’s packed to the nines with oat extracts to moisturise and soothe and is so mild - with no sulphates, soap or dyes - that it can be used daily if necessary without the worry of a reaction. The bottle is also made with 50 per cent recycled plastic and is 100 per cent recyclable earning it extra brownie points from us.
Buy now £6.50, Ocado
Cowshed Baby Frothy Hair & Body Wash
We absolutely love the scent of this natural baby shampoo and body wash. Made with a blend of lavender and sweet orange essential oils and paired with meadowfoam oil, which is known to be one of the most stable vegetable oils (meaning it’s safe and naturally nourishing), you’ll be sniffing your squeaky clean bundle non-stop.
Designed to care for and protect your baby’s delicate skin, this is free from parabens, mineral oils, silicones and sulphates. It’s also made in the UK too.
Buy now £9.00, Cowshed
Verdict
Our top pick does depend on whether you want to go for the splurge option or the more affordable. If you’re willing to splash out on your little prince or princess, we’d recommend the organic Bamford Baby Chamomile Hair And Body Wash, which comes in a large 500ml bottle (so it will last a while) smells beautiful and most importantly, is 97 per cent natural and cleanses little heads with zero nasties.
For a more affordable option, it’s hard to beat Kokoso Baby Gentle Hair & Body Wash, made from 10 per cent coconut oil and 98 per cent natural ingredients. It’s deeply nourishing for baby hair, right from newborn, and will help heal any dry scalp conditions.
