Last Updated on September 10, 2021
What’s the best shampoo to use while pregnant?
Does shampoo affect pregnancy?
These are essential questions to consider while you’re expecting.
After all, you want to do everything right for the baby.
Also, due to hormonal changes, you might need different products for your hair and skin.
Browse the reviews below of the best pregnancy-safe shampoos and conditioners to find something new to try.
Contents
If you don’t have time to read the complete article, here are our top picks.
As you shop for hair care products, it’s always a good idea to avoid an excess of chemicals.
This is especially true during the first trimester.
You don’t need perfumes, dyes, preservatives, or sulfates to clean your hair.
Plus, doctors aren’t sure how much of this junk absorbs your skin because they don’t test them on pregnant women.
Most likely, you’re going to enjoy the best hair of your life during these months. Studies show that pregnant women usually see increases in volume and thickness.
It may also become curlier or straighter. There’s no way to know until it starts to happen.
One other point to consider is how sensitive you are to smells. I’ve included a few fragrance-free options in the middle of the page.
Now, let’s look at mild and effective shampoos and conditioners.
Everyone is a pregnancy-safe brand in general.
They don’t include parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances, sulfates, or artificial colors in their products.
Yes, these are harmless for pretty much the whole family to use.
Moreover, their shampoo and conditioner are certified vegan and cruelty-free. A third-party lab even verifies them as gluten-free.
The shampoo starts with coconut-based cleansers that remove oil and dirt without drying out the hair. The mild scent comes from Clary Sage and grapefruit essential oil that purify the scalp.
Then, quinoa protein, vitamins, and aloe vera nourish each strand to keep it strong and shiny. For even softer and glossier hair, use the accompanying conditioner.
Finally, the company is trying to make sure that it is making an effort to be eco-friendly. Their bottles are partly made from post-consumer recycled plastic.
The conditioner is also free of parabens, phthalates, perfumes, dyes, and sulfates. It has a Clary Sage and grapefruit scent from essential oils.
It contains quinoa protein, olive oil, avocado oil, organic chamomile, and calendula, plus Abyssinian oil. These hydrate the hair and leave it lustrous.
Puracy is an American brand that sticks to organic and natural ingredients.
And now they’ve upgraded their shampoo and conditioner with a new component that replaces silicon.
It’s called LexFeel N5. This pregnancy-safe shampoo comes from plants, not harsh chemicals. It smooths each strand to prevent frizz and protect against moisture loss.
The shampoo’s improved formula now allows you to go up to three days between washes.
Obviously, both the shampoo and conditioner are free of artificial fragrances, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate. The mild fragrance comes from plants, not synthetic fragrances.
If you don’t love these products, they will provide a full refund.
Here’s a premium natural shampoo based on organic and natural ingredients from Christina Moss. It comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Women with sensitive skin will appreciate the lack of harmful chemicals like sulfates, parabens, dyes, artificial fragrances, and petrochemicals, and also synthetic fragrances.
In fact, this shampoo is baby-safe!
This pregnancy-safe shampoo creates a rich lather that soothes the dry scalp and won’t harm color-treated hair.
Furthermore, it’s cruelty-free, vegan, and encourages healthy hair growth.
Aveeno has an Active Naturals series that avoids sulfates. It uses coconut oil-based surfactants to lather away impurities without stripping moisture and it also includes olive oil.
The shampoo is enhanced by balancing seaweed extract and NatrasurfTM technology. The goal is to make your hair more manageable with natural ingredients and natural oils, no harsh chemicals and does not lead to any birth defects.
Aveeno’s Rose Water and Chamomile products are free of dyes, parabens, and sulfates.
These shampoos and conditioners are designed for sensitive skin and are kind to color-treated hair.
But this isn’t the only set of shampoo and conditioner that you might enjoy. They also offer a clarifying Apple Cider Vinegar Blend.
Check out the full lineup of Aveeno’s other nature-based hair care products and is perfect for pregnant women and does not lead to any birth defects.
Have you seen this drugstore shampoo that’s safe for pregnancy?
Pantene’s Rose Water set is clear of sulfates, dyes, parabens, silicone, and mineral oil. It’s safe for chemically-treated and colored hair.
On the downside, it contains salicylic acid, an artificial fragrance, and a preservative called methylisothiazolinone.
Usually, since you’ll be rinsing off the lather, the short-term contacts shouldn’t be a problem. On the other hand, consult with your OB/GYN if you’re concerned.
On the bright side, the shampoo and conditioner are good at restoring bounce and shine. They are also moisturizing enough to use daily and are perfect for pregnant women.
But the mild shampoo might not be cleansing enough if you have a lot of build-ups. If you need a clarifying shampoo, look further down the page.
You gotta love the labeling. When I see the name “Pure Clean” I assume that the formula must be more natural than chemical.
Garnier indeed avoids parabens and silicone in their vegan shampoo and conditioner and is perfect for pregnant women.
Unfortunately, the shampoo still has sulfate and a fragrance. Those are mixed in with natural or botanical extracts that nourish the scalp and hair.
Still, there’s a lot to love about the Fructis products. Not only do they smell good, but they make the hair extra glossy and soft. They cut down on frizz as well.
Do you have curly hair? Renpure has shampoo to nourish your curls.
Anyone with fragile or dry hair will also benefit and is perfect for pregnant women.
The formula is sulfate-free, plus it avoids other unnecessary harmful chemicals like parabens, artificial colors, phthalates, and propylene glycol.
It’s enriched with biotin, the B vitamin that promotes healthy hair and nails.
What’s more, the collagen and amino acids fortify your tresses and add volume to your hair.
The cleansing ingredients are all plant-based, mainly from coconut. Then, there are other moisturizing botanical extracts like argan oil and horse chestnut.
If you have greasy hair, try Klorane’s shampoo with nettle. It naturally balances oil production.
Next, it has scopoletin, which also controls oil so that you can skip a day between washes.
It’s not sulfate-free, but the sulfates it contains are the more gentle type. They remove excess sebum and impurities and is perfect for pregnant women.
This is not a shampoo that makes a lot of suds. It won’t weigh your hair down as it doesn’t have silicone in it, either.
Kiss My Face manufactures a variety of non-toxic and eco-friendly products. Each one is cruelty-free and vegan.
This shampoo will help you wake up in the morning with green tea and lime. But the fragrance is all-natural.
If you go down the list on the label, you’ll see no harsh sulfates but rather plant-based cleansers.
It also has sage, lavender, and chamomile to purify and soothe the scalp.
Lastly, argan oil leaves the hair silky soft without causing any hair loss.
If you have color-treated hair, try this shampoo from Juice Organics. It’s certified cruelty-free and doesn’t contain sulfates or petroleum derivatives.
The antioxidant-rich lather contains juice from figs and blueberries. Alongside rice bran oil, they prevent the dye in your hair from fading in the sunshine.
Meanwhile, borage, linseed, and rosehip oil restore shine to dull tresses.
There are several pregnancy-safe curly hair products on the market. One of my favorites is made by Shea Moisture.
The company was unofficially founded over 100 years ago in Sierra Leone, Africa. A widowed mother began selling homemade hair products to take care of her children. She tested those products on her own family for four generations.
Over time, her business grew to where it is today. It promotes community fair trade and sustainably produced products.
They never add sulfates, silicone, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, propylene glycol, or petrolatum to their shampoo and conditioner.
That’s one of the reasons why curly girls love this brand so much and they do not use any harmful chemicals or toxic chemicals.
The Coconut Hibiscus shampoo tames wavy and curly hair alike. While neem oil repairs curls, silk protein calms frizz.
Be sure to follow up with the accompanying conditioner for maximum hydration and elasticity and it also includes shea butter.
Here’s another sulfate-free shampoo that’s rich in protein to repair hair. It smooths the cuticle and minimizes split ends.
What’s more, it contains tropical oils and calendula to prevent dehydration from heat-styling.
The pH-balanced formula doesn’t have parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde, either.
HASK is a brand that’s showing up more often in Hollywood. The stars are catching on to their benefits.
For example, this shampoo is free of drying alcohols, gluten, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates.
It makes the hair silky soft, and manageable with Monoi oil. This is an aromatic blend of coconut oil and Tahitian gardenias.
It’s a traditional hair treatment used by islanders. This shampoo conditioner works perfectly well for all hair types.
At the beginning of the article, I said I would review unscented shampoos. But beyond the smell making you nauseous, why is “fragrance-free” a good thing?
It’s because many artificial fragrances contain phthalates, which are plasticizers. Phthalates are problematic because they can harm organs and the reproductive system.
Therefore, this shampoo won’t alter the way you smell, and it won’t mess with your body. It doesn’t have sulfates or parabens, either.
As it cleans, it helps restore moisture to your scalp and hair with aloe vera, chamomile, and sage.
I think you’ll enjoy it if you have a sensitive scalp.
Lastly, argan oil leaves the hair silky soft without causing any hair fall or hair loss. This shampoo conditioner works perfectly well for all hair types.
Here’s another unscented shampoo. It’s made with sustainably harvested bladderwrack seaweed from the coast of Maine.
The natural formula does not contain gluten, perfumes, sulfates, parabens, or dyes. It’s certified cruelty-free and vegan. Even the bottle is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic.
All that’s well and good, but does the shampoo do its job well?
According to many happy repeat customers, it certainly does and they do not use any harsh or toxic chemicals and is the best shampoo
It’s vitamin-rich and full of nutrients to encourage healthy hair growth. It pampers your scalp with aloe and argan oil and protects your tresses with amino acids.
If you have severe allergies, you might already be familiar with Vanicream, also known as Free & Clear.
They make some of the very best products for sensitive skin.
This daily shampoo is exceptionally gentle to avoid triggering acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
It’s free of the usual irritants like parabens, perfumes, sulfates, masking fragrances, artificial colors, preservatives, and formaldehyde releasers. It doesn’t even have Cocamidopropyl betaine in it.
Besides, it’s pH-balanced to avoid dehydrating the scalp.
Even with the extra-mild formula, it’s not tear-free. Keep that in mind if you’re tempted to wash your child’s hair with it and this is safe to use during pregnancy.
Some users have commented that their hair feels noticeably softer if they use the Free & Clear conditioner afterward.
Cleure says that their shampoo is “hypoallergenic.” Remember that the FDA doesn’t regulate what “hypoallergenic” actually means. You’ll still need to read the label.
On the plus side, the EWG rates the shampoo as safe on their Skin Deep database. Also, it’s on the safe list maintained by the American Contact Dermatitis Society and this is safe to use during pregnancy.
Basically, it’s free of potential irritants like parabens, salicylates, perfumes, formaldehyde, sulfates, and gluten. It uses mild cleansers and moisturizers to protect delicate skin and color-treated hair.
Let’s move on to a clarifying shampoo. This is what you’ll need if you’ve got a buildup of styling product in your hair.
Acure’s formula isn’t the typical clarifying shampoo in that it’s mild enough to use daily. It’s also sulfate-free, vegan, and doesn’t have parabens as preservatives.
It’s infused with lemongrass, which gives it a pleasing natural fragrance. The lemongrass and organic oils and other essential oils make your hair soft and shiny.
If you’d like to cut back on how often you wash your hair, try dry shampoo.
This one is free of both talc and aluminum. It’s often recommended for curly hair.
Spray it on your roots, then brush it through your hair. It uses rice starch to soak up excess oil, but it won’t leave a white residue and this is safe to use during pregnancy.
As you shop for a new shampoo and conditioner, be prepared to make some changes while you’re pregnant.
It’s better to avoid harsh chemicals right now.
There are many pregnancy-safe hair care products available. It’s not hard to find a mild shampoo and conditioner that will keep your hair healthy and protect your baby from harm.
If you discovered something new today that you enjoy using, please come back and tell us about it in the comments below.
Source:
1. www.webmd.com/baby/features/pregnancy-hair-care by Lisa Fields, accessed April 22, 2020
2. https://noharm-uscanada.org/issues/us-canada/phthalates-and-dehp accessed April 22, 2020
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