Find The Best Baby Soap For Your Kid

Babies don’t arrive with instruction manuals much to parents’ dismay. Being ready before your little one arrives helps, but a perusal of the baby care aisle can leave you baffled. What is the best baby soap?  Why can’t your new baby just use your soap? What’s the difference between organic, hypoallergenic, and natural? If you’re seeking answers, you’ve come to the right site.

Baby Soaps Reviewed In This Article

Baby Dove Wash (Check The Latest Price On Amazon) Is The Best Baby Wash For DadProgress

Dr Bronner's Pure Castile Bar Soap For A Baby (Check The Latest Price On Amazon) Is Probably The Best Baby Soap For Vegans

Aspen Kay Naturals Lavender & Goats Milk Soap (Check The Latest Price On Amazon) Is The Best Organic Baby Soap For DadProgress

Aquaphor Baby Wash & Shampoo (Check The Latest Price On Amazon) Is Probably The Best Two In One

Shea Moisture Baby Eczema Bar Soap (Check The Latest Price On Amazon)

What’s A Soap?

Soap is a salt of fatty acid... Chemistry can be quite boring though. Here’s an excellent Youtube video by Lehman’s that in 3 minutes shows what it takes to make soap.

When Should I Use Baby Soap?

A sponge bath using only warm water is enough for the first couple weeks until the umbilical cord falls off. 

Any time after this you can introduce baby soap, but use soap only on overly dirty or oily areas.  Soaps can dry skin and are mild irritants so the skin time of soap should be minimal.

Keep in mind that most babies don’t need daily baths. The Mayo Clinic mentions three times a week until your baby begins to crawl​. 

Personal experience:

We bathe our baby every day and usually use organic baby shampoos, but we rarely use soap. It's often needed to wash his hands and face when we have played outside though.

Baby Soap: Organic, Hypoallergenic, Or Natural?

Marketing terms exist in the baby care world as much as any other industry. You’re going to come across all of them at some point, along with advice that might not be scientifically sound.

Your baby’s skin is sensitive, but a marketed hypoallergenic, natural, or organic soap doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be the best. Nor does it guarantee that any governmental agency has tested and approved it.

Organic Baby Soap

Organic means the soap’s formula is free of artificial dyes, fragrance. However, only certified organic actually means organic.

Natural Baby Soap

Natural can mean different things. It can mean they use only some natural ingredients. Some companies will list the percentage of natural or plant-based ingredients.

Hypoallergenic Baby Soap

Hypoallergenic isn’t an official term. It was first used in 1953 in a cosmetic campaign​. Consumers take it to mean it’s safe, but the word isn’t regulated by anyone. These products claim to cause less allergic reactions.

Ingredients of the best baby soap

If you happened to watch the Youtube video in the beginning, then you know that oils and fats are needed to make soap.

For example, soaps made of pure olive are sometimes called Castile. Castile baby soap has reputed to be exceptionally mild and work well for all skin types.

Liquid Soap or Bar Soap?

This article speaks mostly of bar soap, but many of our recommended brands in the last section come in a liquid variety too.

1) As a father, I like easy to use products, and so I usually buy liquid soap. Aquaphor Baby Wash & Shampoo (Sold On Amazon) is an easy to use two in one.

2) If you're searching for organic soaps, then go for a bar soap.

What to Consider in a Baby Soap

The best baby soap will have features you might not find in every brand marketed for infants and toddlers. Some are personal preference. Others are necessary for the safety of your baby’s skin and eyes. 

Fragrance-Free Soap

The best baby soap is naturally scented through baby-safe essential oils or has no scent. If you wish to know more, keep reading.

 Organic Soap

It's a personal choice. As it's so easy to find organic soaps with certification, there are only a few reasons not to go with it though. They can be more expensive, but soaps last a long time. 

Cruelty-Free Soap

These soaps are not tested on animals. As people can effectively make soaps at home, I can't think of a reason why animal testing would be necessary. To be honest, I'd be suspicious of soaps that have been tested on animals (what chemicals have they used that need to be tested?).

Dye-free

It's better to have as few chemicals as possible in baby soap.

Not antimicrobial or antibacterial

If you wish to know more, read the text chapter.

Is Baby Soap Safe?

As I've already pointed out (sorry for repeating myself), soaps can dry skin and are mild irritants. So the skin time of soap should be only a couple of minutes.

Every baby’s skin has an individual tolerance to different soaps though.

You should only use mild soaps, and it's a good idea first to try them on a small area of the skin.

Baby Soap For Eczema

If your child has eczema, then soaps can irritate her or his skin. All the baby soaps that I’ve reviewed in this article are mild and suitable for sensitive skin. That said, if they irritate the skin, you may want to consider cleansers without soap. It's also necessary to apply topical emollients 1-4 times a day.

You must understand that just because soap is for sale, it doesn’t mean it’s safe or been tested by the FDA. Consumerism offers a false sense of security when it comes to beauty and personal care items.

What Should I Do If My Baby Has A Reaction?

A  skin reaction (contact dermatitis or a genuine allergic reaction) to all soap is rare. That said, the signs can arise up to 72 hours after contact. If this happens,  you should stop using the soap (didn't see this one coming, right?) and any new detergents. If it's a severe reaction, you should also contact your pediatrician.

Are there harmful chemicals you should avoid in baby soap?

Yes, the Environmental Working Group has extensive information and ratings on common ingredients. Here are a few you should avoid unless it’s received extensive review:

Triclosan/triclocarban:

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent that you can find in some soaps. It may cause many health problems from antimicrobial resistance to endocrine disruption.  

Triclocarban is a similar chemical, and it has been speculated that it also has adverse effects. It's better to avoid them both when choosing the best baby soap.

Propylene Glycol

It's a known irritant and best avoided in baby products.

Alcohol

Alcohol in soap can irritate and dry out your baby’s skin.

Fragrance

As I've explained in my article about organic baby shampoos, many ingredients that make up the scent are not listed on the label. They may include hormone disruptors for example.  

Is Baby Soap Antibacterial?

I've already explained, why it's a good idea to avoid them. It's suspected that they may cause many health problems. Additionally, in 2007 a study found that antibacterial soaps aren't better at killing disease-causing germs than regular soaps .

Does Baby Soap Expire?

Soap is usually good for three years from the manufacturing date.

The FDA doesn’t recognize dates, require them, or enforce them on the packaging. Soap makers claim it’s to ensure consumers use a fresh, effective product.

Signs you should replace your baby soap:

​

To prolong the life of your bar soap, you should be sure to dry it between uses. Store the soap in a dry, cool place.

Can I Use My Baby’s Soap Too?

Baby soaps are gentle cleansers, and yes, you may use them too. They won’t cut through heavy grime or and some deodorants though.

5 Best Baby Soaps For DadProgress

To Sum Up