Best natural baby lotion for soft, safe baby skin care!
There is nothing quite like soft, smooth, supple baby skin. It’s no wonder that parents want to keep it moisturized and in its perfect condition for as long as possible.
All parents wish to keep our babies safe and healthy. But with the sheer amount of products available on the market today touting “baby-safe,” “pure” and “natural” how do we navigate which ones really ARE the best?
Before you slather lotion on your little one, check out our guide on the top six natural baby lotions. We have gathered helpful information and curated the best natural baby lotions for your baby.
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TL:DR (too long, didn’t read)
Short on time? Ultimately, we decided that the Babo Botanicals Moisturising Baby Lotion was the best buy because of its creaminess, use of colloidal oatmeal and suitability for even the most sensitive of skin (it’s good for eczema). You can check it out here on Amazon.
How does lotion work?
Dry skin occurs when the outer layer of skin loses water. Moisturizers or lotions can work in one or more ways. One, by creating a barrier in the form of an oil that traps the water in your outer skin layer. Two, by pulling moisture to the outer layer from either the air or skin layers beneath.
In order to accomplish this, lotion typically contain three types of ingredients :
- An Emollient: This is the oil that traps water in your outer skin layer. On an ingredient list, some of the most common emollients you’ll see are listed as petrolatum, lanolin, mineral oil and dimethicone. Natural emollients include shea butter, aloe, jojoba, argan oil, cocoa butter and lanolin. These are also sometimes called “Occlusive Agents.”
- Humectants: These ingredients draw water from the air and/or deeper layers of skin to the outer layer. They include ingredients like glycerin, lecithin, and propylene glycol. Humectants found in nature include glycerin, honey, aloe vera, seaweed and hyaluronic acid.
- Softening Ingredients: There are a number of ingredients that are added to lotion to help soften the layer of keratin on the outside of your skin. Some softening agents used in lotions include: oatmeal, colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal, urea, and alpha hydroxy acids such as lactic/citric/glycolic acid.
Did you know that your baby’s skin is 20% thinner than adult skin, and has smaller individual cells? This means that the lotion that you put on your baby’s skin is absorbed into their bloodstream more quickly. That is one reason why choosing a lotion with the highest quality of natural ingredients is so important.
The Top 6 Best Natural Baby Lotions
The Honest Company Purely Sensitive Face + Body Lotion
The Honest Company Purely Sensitive Face + Body Lotion is gentle enough for babies but can be used by everyone in the family. It comes in an 8.5 ounce bottle. Natural ingredients in this lotion that will help moisturize include organic shea butter and olive, jojoba and safflower oils. Other ingredients from nature intended to soothe sensitive skin are Chamomile, calendula and aloe.
This Face + Body Lotion is made without phthalates, dyes, silicones, parabens, mineral oil or synthetic fragrances. The Honest Company doesn’t test on animals, however their products go through rigorous testing to ensure safety.
The first product in the ingredient list for this lotion is water, so it may not be as moisturizing as other lotions that have a higher concentration of oils/butters. Reviewers mention that it has the same consistency of aloe lotion and isn’t the best choice to moisturize severely dry skin.
Earth Mama Calming Lavender Baby Lotion
This moisturizing components of this baby lotion include a blend of shea butter, aloe leaf oil, rooibus and olive fruit oil. It is scented by organic lavender oil, which is shown in studies to increase relaxation in mothers and infants and increase infant sleep.
Earth Mama Calming Lavender Baby Lotion contains no Petroleum, Mineral Oil, Parabens, or Artificial Fragrance.
Some users say the lavender smell is too strong. It also may cause a rash if your child has a soy allergy.
ATTITUDE Natural Baby Body Lotion
Attitude Natural Baby Body Lotion is 1 of 46 baby lotions to have EWG verified certification. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that tests, reviews and rates consumer products. This verification means that the product avoids the use of concerning ingredients on the EWG list, that the company uses full transparency in disclosing ingredient and that the company uses good manufacturing processes that ensure product safety. Other certifications for Attitude Natural Baby Body Lotion include ECOLOGO certified (environmentally friendly), PETA “Beauty without Bunnies” (cruelty free) and certified Vegan.
This baby lotion moisturizes with Avocado oil, Glycerin and Shea butter. It also contains blueberry and moringa extract. It’s has a “Pear Nectar” scent in the form of ethyl acetate. Attitude Natural Baby Body Lotion is paraben, phthalate and steroid free.
With a 16 fluid ounce bottle, Attitude baby lotion is twice the size of other natural baby lotions. Some reviewers mention that they wish the lotion consistency was thicker. And while some love the pear nectar scent, others think it is too strong of a scent for babies.
Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby Lotion
A combination of safflower oil, sunflower oil, glycerin, shea butter, and organic chamomille, along with 2% colloidal oatmeal create a moisturizing baby lotion that helps soothe eczema or dry skin. Babo Botanicals also adds a proprietary blend of vitamins, anti-oxidents and anti-inflammatories called their “Nutri-Soothe Complex” to their lotions.
Babo Botanicals is certified Cruelty-Free by PETA, and B Corp Certified by the non-profit B Lab. This certification is awarded to “companies meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.” This baby lotion is free from Phthalates, Synthetic Fragrances, Dyes, Formaldehyde, MEA, DEA, TEA, and most common allergens.
Users comment that Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby Lotion is the right amount of creaminess without being too greasy. They also love the light, natural scent.
Baja Baby Organic Lavender Lotion
Another EWG Verified baby lotion, Baja Baby Organic Lavender Lotion helps hydrate your baby’s skin with Organic Avocado, Grapeseed & Sweet Almond Oils as well as glycerin and shea butter. The lotion itself is light and absorbs quickly with a lavender scent that should help baby relax and sleep longer. It comes in a 12 ounce bottle and is available scent free as well.
Another EWG Verified baby lotion, Baja Baby Organic Lavender Lotion helps hydrate your baby’s skin with Organic Avocado, Grapeseed & Sweet Almond Oils as well as glycerin and shea butter. The lotion itself is light and absorbs quickly with a lavender scent that should help baby relax and sleep longer. It comes in a 12 ounce bottle and is available scent free as well.
This baby lotion contains both lavender and lemon oil. Lemon oil receives a high (negative) rating from EWG because it can cause both allergic reactions and skin irritation. You may want to test this on a small part of your baby’s skin before applying it all over.
Baja Baby offers a 100 percent money back guarantee. Reviewers noted the high level of customer service the company provides. This baby lotion is gluten-free, vegan and never tested on animals. It is Sulfate, Paraben & Phthalate Free.
California Baby Everyday Lotion
We love that California Baby was started by a mom looking for safe shampoo for her baby. This “Made in the USA” baby lotion is 100% USDA Biobased. This certification is given to products that are derived from plants and other renewable resources. It comes in a 8.5 ounce bottle and has several scent options.
California Baby Every Day baby lotion moisturizes and cools with a combination of plant-based emollients including calendula, aloe, and glycerin. It is free of synthetic fragrance, but gets its scent from a proprietary blend of essential oils including french lavender and clary sage.
A baby lotion that is safe for children with allergies, it does not contain: gluten, soy, oats, dairy, or nuts (except coconut). It’s also free of synthetic fragrance, harsh chemicals, petroleum-derived ingredients and parabens. A few reviewers say their baby’s skin was irritated by the lavender oil, so you might want to do a skin patch test with this lotion.
Why Do You Need a Natural Baby Lotion?
Although the USA doesn’t have certification or oversight that determines when a lotion can be labeled as “natural,” products that are touted as natural are typically made with fewer ingredients and less chemicals.
Being a conscientious consumer, especially when it comes to a lotion that will be used on your baby, is important. Choosing baby lotions that are chemical free and made of natural ingredients can give you peace of mind.
The most important thing you can do when choosing a natural baby lotion is to learn about ingredients and read lotion labels very carefully. We’ve done that important work for you with this list of the the top six natural baby lotions.
5 Benefits Of Using Natural Baby Lotion
Choosing a natural baby lotion will benefit both you and your baby because they are:
- Gentle on baby’s skin: Lotions made of naturally derived ingredients including plant-based oils will be more gentle on a baby’s naturally sensitive skin.
- Un-scented or lightly scented: It is a well-known fact that babies smell naturally delightful and don’t need extra scent.
- Less likely to cause allergic reactions: The use of hypo-allergenic ingredients mean natural baby lotions are less likely to cause a skin reaction.
- Chemical Free: No harsh chemicals that could cause cancer or irritate your baby’s skin.
- Peace of mind: Knowing that you made an educated decision will help you feel confident when using lotion on your precious baby’s skin.
4 Things To Look For In A Good Baby Lotion
- Certifications: Look for certifications that are important to you. EWG verified, PETA Cruelty-Free, Vegan and USDA Biobased certification can help you feel confident that the product you are choosing is verified
- Plant-based Emollients: Choose lotions that have natural moisturizers including (but not limited to) shea butter, safflower oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, aloe, glycerin, oatmeal and calendula. A good rule of thumb for choosing natural products is your ability to pronounce the ingredients: if you can’t read it, it might be more chemical than natural.
- Unscented or naturally scented: If your baby has problems with allergies or eczema, choose an unscented natural baby lotion. Use essential oils scented baby lotions with caution and make sure they have a good return policy before purchase.
- Allergen Testing: Some natural baby lotion manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure that their lotion is free from allergens like nuts and gluten. If there is a family history of allergies look for lotions that note allergen free ingredients.
- Avoid baby lotions with additional perfumes and dyes, parabens, phthalates and sulfates that can cause harm to your baby’s health in both the short and long-term.
The Final Word on the Best Natural Baby Lotion
When you are considering a product like baby lotion that will be applied on a daily basis, it makes sense to be picky. Natural baby lotions are derived from ingredients in nature, are free from harsh chemicals, are less likely to irritate your baby’s skin and can help you feel peace of mind.
The natural baby lotions on this list are the best of the best. Our top choice, however, goes to Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby Lotion. This lotion is creamy, but not oily, has a pleasant scent, and is made with high-quality, natural ingredients. Their unique use of colloidal oatmeal and their “Nutri-Soothe” vitamin blend makes this lotion a fan favorite for children with eczema.
The runner-up is California Baby Everyday Lotion. This baby lotion is sourced by ingredients grown on company-owned farms and reviewers rave about both the moisturizing ingredients and the pleasant scent.