Last Updated on December 16, 2020
Are you wondering what is the best soap to use while pregnant?
After all, it’s normal for your skin to change during pregnancy.
You might find that you have more acne or that your skin is drier or more sensitive.
In any case, you’re likely to find that a mild soap that moisturizes helps soothe irritation.
But if you’re not feeling your best and in a hurry to find a solution, shopping is a hassle.
That’s why we researched the best body washes for pregnancy and reviewed them here for you.
Contents
If you don’t have time to read the complete article, here are our top picks.
Save time with Paula’s Choice shampoo and body wash. It’s enriched with panthenol and aloe to hydrate both your hair and body.
Like all products from this company, it has no artificial fragrance. It’s also soap-free, which means that it cleanses without stripping away moisture or messing with your pH balance.
The formula is mild enough to use on color-treated hair. It won’t leave a residue, either. We feel this is the best body wash for pregnancy and is perfect for dry, itchy skin.
If you’re tired of feeling itchy, try Bioderma’s gel wash. It fortifies the natural balance of your skin against moisture loss and infection. Some users say that it helps clear up acne, too.
A quick glance at the ingredients reveals that it doesn’t have either parabens or an artificial fragrance.
CeraVe hydrating body wash is approved by the National Eczema Association. It’s ideal for sensitive skin, especially if you’re dealing with eczema or atopic dermatitis.
There are few ingredients besides hyaluronic acid and ceramides to moisturize and protect extra-dry skin.
Of course, there are no parabens, is sulfate-free, or perfumes. We feel this is the best body wash for pregnancy.
Doctors often recommend Eucerin to patients with sensitive skin. The formula is free of synthetic fragrances and dyes, and it doesn’t have parabens either.
What it does have in spades are omega oils and lipids to soothe itchy skin. After all, the first two ingredients are soybean and castor seed oils. It’s also soap-free, which means that it cleanses without stripping away moisture or messing with your pH balance.
Happily, it lathers up nicely and doesn’t leave a residue behind.
Sebamed’s cleanser is safe for both your face and body. It doesn’t have dyes, fragrances, parabens, or gluten.
It was created for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, allergies, diabetic skin, and other issues.
With a pH of 5.5, it protects the skin from irritation. Then, Vitamin E and phytosterol lock in moisture. We feel this is the best body wash for pregnancy.
Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser is another dermatologist-recommended product. This company’s been around since 1947. Their award-winning formulas have earned praise from U.S. News & World Report and Allure, among others.
Highlights of this body wash include aloe and Vitamin B5 to replenish moisture and leave the skin soft and calm and this is clinically tested.
For ultrasensitive skin, try Vanicream’s body wash. It avoids pretty much any ingredient that could irritate the skin.
For example, it doesn’t have artificial dyes or fragrances, masking fragrances, parabens, formaldehyde releasers, lanolin, oils, sulfates, gluten, bar soap, or even botanical extracts.
But it does have glycerin and panthenol to moisturize your body as it lathers away oil and dirt.
Aveeno bases their body wash on oats, a traditional remedy for soothing the skin.
Their fragrance-free version has been tested by dermatologists against common allergens. It doesn’t have perfumes, soap, or dyes in it. We feel this is the best body wash for pregnancy and is perfectly safe for pregnant women.
After you wash with it, it seals in moisture for up to 24 hours.
Kiss My Face anti-stress bath is an eco-friendly brand. They leave out sulfates, parabens, and phthalates in favor of plant-based cleansers. Moreover, their products are cruelty-free and vegan.
The fragrance-free and chemical-free formula shower gel features Vitamin E, aloe vera, and olive oil to condition your skin.
If you’d like to experience one of their scented body washes, they have three. One is face Anti-Stress bath, another is Early to rising, and a third is Peaceful Patchouli and this is perfect for skin during pregnancy.
The Seaweed Bath Co. says you can use this product as a body wash and a shaving gel. It’s based on organic bladderwrack seaweed that is harvested sustainably.
Bladderwrack is excellent for the skin as it’s packed with vitamins and minerals. It detoxifies and moisturizes, too.
Next, the formula has other natural ingredients like spirulina, neem oil, aloe, and Kukui oil. Together they cleanse and nourish your body.
Meanwhile, you don’t need to worry about artificial dyes, sulfates, parabens, or gluten. The body wash is vegan and cruelty-free. Plus, the bottle is made of 100% recycled plastic, and it’s also recyclable.
Here’s another timesaver that the whole family can enjoy. The Everyone Bath Soap is a body wash, bubble bath, and shampoo all-in-one. You can also use it as a shave gel.
It’s based on natural ingredients from non-GMO sources. It doesn’t have parabens, polysorbate, disodium EDTA, or gluten.
But it does have aloe, chamomile, and calendula to soothe your tired body.
The right fragrance might help you feel less nauseated. For example, calming lavender, lemon, or peppermint could help with morning sickness.
Also, scented body washes may keep you feeling fresh and clean for longer.
Belli’s body wash is designed specifically for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It’s safe to use every day as it won’t strip away natural oils.
It’s also free of ingredients that could cause problems for sensitive skin. It has no SLS, parabens, perfumes, or artificial dyes.
Instead, it’s packed with antioxidants from cucumber and green tea extracts. It also has a mild fragrance from lavender essential oil to help you relax.
Puracy’s plant-based natural body wash comes in three different scents: bergamot and sandalwood, citrus and sea salt, and coconut and vanilla. None of the scents are synthetic. They come from plant-based ingredients.
Furthermore, none of these body washes contain sulfates, salicylates, parabens, phosphates, petroleum-based ingredients, dyes, or caustic ingredients. They are mild, and they rinse clean with no residue.
Luckily, the company also offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. These are some of the best body washes out there.
The OGX moisturizing body wash is also available in multiple fragrances. The lavender and chamomile version here is made to calm down your skin and mind simultaneously and is suitable for dry skin.
It’s free of sulfates and rich in moisturizers. The creamy texture lathers away dirt and sweat with coconut-based cleansers and glycerin.
Beauty by Earth also makes a lavender-scented body wash. But theirs is fragranced with essential oil, not synthetic “parfum.”
These beauty products start with saponified organic oils like sunflower seed and coconut. Then they add vegetable glycerin and aloe along with several essential oils. The result is a fragrant shower gel that smells good enough to eat. It leaves the skin silky soft and squeaky clean.
In case you’re curious, those essential oils include lavender, sweet orange, Ylang Ylang, tangerine, and rosemary. All of these are fine to use on your skin while you’re pregnant as they are in low concentrations and will be rinsed off the body.
Additionally, the formula has no sulfates, parabens, phthalates, etc. And it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The Bliss body wash is PETA-certified to be cruelty-free. It’s also 100% vegan.
Fans of this product comment over and over about how pleasant it is to use. It creates a delicious lather that conditions the skin as it cleans.
While you bathe, the tasty lemon and sage fragrance will energize your mind and lift your spirit.
Finally, this soap is free of sulfates and parabens.
We mentioned Aveeno’s fragrance-free body wash earlier. Here is the Stress Relief version. It smells like lavender and contains both chamomile and Ylang Ylang essential oils.
The end result is a relaxing bath soap that will help you unwind. It’s also free of detergents and dyes to protect sensitive skin. The creamy texture lathers away dirt and sweat with coconut-based cleansers and glycerin.
Dove’s Go Fresh body wash with the cucumber and green tea scent is refreshing. It moisturizes dry skin while you shower.
The company says that your skin will be smoother and softer after only one shower. That’s because it has a blend of natural lipids called NutriumMoisture. They are natural moisturizers that leave the skin clean with no residue.
Dr. Woods makes various Pure Castile soaps for pregnancy with different fragrances. The peppermint one has multiple benefits.
First, it improves blood circulation and relaxes muscles. Second, the aroma calms nausea and awakens the mind. And third, it’s fortified with various organic oils like shea butter, olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, which is a natural moisture and an excellent lightweight moisturizer and will keep your skin moisturized.
These safe ingredients are all-natural, vegan, and biodegradable. There are no phthalates or parabens and is perfect for pregnant women.
Jason’s Rosewater Body Wash is free of sulfates, phthalates, petrolatum, dye-free, and parabens. It has a biodegradable formula with both certified organic ingredients and natural ingredients and does not contain any non-toxic ingredients.
Rosewater, along with calendula and pro-vitamin B5, smooth and refresh the skin. As you wash, this shower gel moisturizes and calms your body and is a safe body wash to use during pregnancy and is perfect for itchy and dry skin and suitable for all skin types.
During the first trimester, you’re likely to break out with acne. But washing with Neutrogena’s body wash can help clear up the pimples.
It contains salicylic acid to exfoliate dead skin and keep pores clear. Salicylic acid is safe as a topical treatment for acne when you’re pregnant . But it never hurts to consult with your doctor before using it.
This shower gel is also formulated to avoid drying out your skin. That’s good news as it gets harder to apply lotion to various parts of your body and is long-lasting.
Another option for acne-prone skin is pHisoDerm’s body wash. It’s medicated with 2% salicylic acid.
Plus, it has aloe, shea butter, coconut oil, chamomile, and vitamin E to help heal and calm inflammation. While there are no dyes or alcohol in the bottle, it has parabens and an artificial fragrance and is best for pregnant women.
You can preview a product for your baby if you shower with Mustela’s Cleansing Gel. It’s made for washing your baby’s hair and skin, but it’s enjoyable for mamas, and can be used as a baby wash as well.
The gel is free of soaps, parabens, but phthalates, and even phenoxyethanol. It contains Avocado Perseose that nourishes the skin and moisturizes. We feel this is one of the finest skin-care products out there.
There are lots of rumors about products you should avoid while pregnant.
We dispelled some of those in our article about face washes for pregnancy acne.
You can probably continue using the same bath soap you always have.
But if you’re dealing with pimples, itchy skin, rashes, and other problems, switching is smart.
Also, a fragrance-free body wash may make it easier to cope with morning sickness.
As you browse, look at body washes made for sensitive skin.
In general, they are free of artificial fragrances and have fewer ingredients than typical bath soaps.
Using a shower gel for sensitive skin is especially important during the third trimester when it’s common for women to develop rashes and feel extra itchy.
Please take a look at our top picks below to find a body wash that makes bathing more pleasant.
You don’t need perfume to clean your body.
We selected the top fragrance-free body washes for pregnancy. They will cleanse dirt and oil to leave your skin soft and fresh.
If you’re stepping out of the shower with itchy, tight skin, it’s time to switch soaps.
It’s better to use one of the top body washes for pregnancy so that your skin feels soft and comfortable.
Well-moisturized skin protects against stretch marks, too.
Let us know if you found a new favorite body wash today.
Resources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114665/ by Pina Bozzo, et al.,
2. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/12-crazy-myths-about-pregnancy/10
3. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/sensitive-skin-20-questions#1
4. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000611.htm
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114665/ by Pina Bozzo, et al.,
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