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Diapering & Baby Care

Organic Baby Wash & Shampoo

The FDA does not regulate the word "organic" on baby wash, and few washes carry the USDA Organic seal as a finished product. What you will mostly find is organic oils inside a soap, or a non-organic gentle cleanser with a mark such as EWG Verified. Read which one you are buying, and check for fragrance.

Baby doll covered with white towel
Photo: Unsplash

What organic means here

This page accepts washes with a third-party mark that the brand states for the product: USDA Organic or NSF/ANSI 305 where one exists, a named organic certification on the main ingredients, or EWG Verified. We did not confirm a baby wash carrying the USDA seal as a whole, so each pick says exactly which part is certified.

Look for

  • The name of the certifier next to any organic claim
  • Which ingredients are marked organic in the list, and how far down they sit
  • "Fragrance free" in those words if you want no scent
  • Whether the label says tear-free: castile soaps are not

Be wary of

  • "Organic" in the brand or product name with no certifier on the label
  • "Unscented", which the FDA says can still include masking fragrance
  • "Hypoallergenic": the FDA says there is no federal standard for the term
  • Antibacterial washes, which the AAP advises families to avoid

Products that carry the certification

We have not tested these products. Each one was checked against the brand’s own page and the certifier’s records. Product links may be affiliate links: if you buy through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we choose.

  1. 32 fl oz bottle of Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Magic Soap, Baby Unscented
    Photo: Dr. Bronner's press kit
    1Dr. Bronner'sNo added fragrance, organic oils

    Unscented Pure-Castile Magic Soap (Baby Unscented)

    A true soap made from organic coconut, palm, olive and hemp oils, each marked Regenerative Organic Certified on the ingredient list, plus organic jojoba. The brand says it has no added fragrance, synthetic detergents or dyes and is suitable for babies when diluted.

    Good to know: The Regenerative Organic Certified mark on the page is tied to the oils, not stated for the whole soap. It must be diluted for babies and kept out of eyes: the page carries an eye warning.

    Checked against: drbronner.com

    View at brand site

    drbronner.com

  2. Earth Mama Simply Non-Scents Castile Baby Wash
    Photo: Earth Mama
    2Earth MamaFragrance-free castile wash

    Simply Non-Scents Castile Baby Wash

    • Leaping Bunny

    Earth Mama describes this castile wash as fragrance-free and truly unscented, made with organic herbs and oils certified by Oregon Tilth. The product page lists Leaping Bunny certification and the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.

    Good to know: The page does not say which organic standard the wash is certified to, and it shows no USDA or NSF seal, so check the bottle. The brand states it is not a no-tear formula.

    Checked against: earthmamaorganics.com · earthmamaorganics.com

    View at Earth Mama

    earthmamaorganics.com

  3. Pipette Baby Shampoo + Wash
    Photo: Pipette
    3PipetteTear-free, fragrance-free option

    Baby Shampoo + Wash

    Pipette describes this gel wash as EWG verified, tear-free, hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and made with squalane, and says it can be used from birth. It comes in a fragrance free version, which is the one this page refers to.

    Good to know: No organic content is claimed. Scented versions are sold under the same name, so check which one is in your cart.

    Checked against: pipettebaby.com

    View at Pipette

    pipettebaby.com

  4. 4Babo BotanicalsFragrance-free 2-in-1

    Sensitive Baby Shampoo & Wash

    A fragrance-free shampoo and wash that the brand states is EWG Verified and pediatrician tested, with cocoa butter and aloe vera. Babo Botanicals says it is suitable from birth and comes in a post-consumer recycled plastic bottle.

    Good to know: Not certified organic. The brand describes one herbal blend in the formula as certified organic and names no certifier for it.

    Checked against: babobotanicals.com

    View at brand site

    babobotanicals.com

  5. 5ATTITUDEUnscented, refill size offered

    2-in-1 Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

    ATTITUDE marks this unscented 2-in-1 EWG VERIFIED, vegan and dermatologically tested, and publishes the full ingredient list on the product page. It is sold in a regular bottle and a larger refill.

    Good to know: No organic content is claimed. The cleansing agents include sodium coco-sulfate. EWG Verified is not an organic certification.

    Checked against: attitudeliving.com

    View at ATTITUDE

    attitudeliving.com

Products with a photo are shown first; otherwise the order says nothing about quality. Certifications can lapse: check the certifier’s database before you buy.

What organic means on a baby wash

The FDA says the word "organic" is not defined in the laws it enforces for cosmetics. The USDA regulates the word for agricultural products, and a wash made of agricultural ingredients can be certified under those rules. If it is, it falls into one of the same four tiers as food, and the label names the certifying agent.

In practice, the USDA Organic seal is uncommon on washes. We did not confirm one for this page. What we found instead is certification attached to ingredients: organic oils in a castile soap, or one organic herbal blend in a longer formula. Those are real, and they are narrower than the product name suggests.

USDA tierOrganic contentMay show the USDA seal
100 percent organicOnly organic ingredientsYes
OrganicAt least 95 percentYes
Made with organic ingredientsAt least 70 percentNo
Below 70 percentOrganic items named in the ingredient list onlyNo

Castile soap or gentle cleanser

Two kinds of product share this shelf. Castile washes are true soaps made from plant oils, and those oils can be organic. Gentle cleansers use manufactured cleansing agents, so they claim little or no organic content and lean on marks such as EWG Verified.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says to use soap sparingly on babies because soaps can dry the skin, to choose mild, neutral-pH products without additives, and to rinse right away. Both castile picks here warn about eyes, and one says outright that it is not a no-tear formula. For the adult version of this page, see soap and body wash.

Fragrance free, unscented and hypoallergenic

The AAP advises fragrance-free body washes with a few simple ingredients. The FDA explains that fragrance may appear on a label as the single word "fragrance", and that even some products labeled unscented contain fragrance ingredients added to mask other smells.

"Hypoallergenic" has no federal standard. The FDA says the term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean. The AAP also notes that some washes contain nut-based oils, which matters for a child with a nut or seed allergy. Our guide to organic vs natural vs non-GMO covers more label words.

How often a baby needs a bath

Less often than you might think. The AAP says newborns do not need a bath every day, that three baths a week during the first year may be enough, and that bathing more often can dry out the skin. Until the umbilical cord stump falls off, it advises sponge baths only.

It suggests washing hair two or three times a week with a mild shampoo or body wash, then patting dry and applying a small amount of fragrance-free moisturizer. Our page on baby lotion and oil covers that step.

Questions people ask

Is there a USDA Organic baby wash?

A wash can qualify if at least 95 percent of its ingredients, not counting water and salt, are organic and it is certified by a USDA-accredited certifier. We did not confirm one while preparing this page. The organic claims we could verify were for the oils or herbs inside the wash, not for the finished product. Look for the seal and the certifier's name on the bottle.

Is castile soap safe for babies?

Brands sell castile washes for babies, with conditions. One pick here says its soap should be diluted for babies and kept out of the eyes, and the other says it is not a no-tear formula. The AAP's general advice is to use soap sparingly, choose mild neutral-pH products and rinse right away. Ask your pediatrician if your baby has dry skin or eczema.

Does organic mean a baby wash is gentler?

Not by itself. The FDA says an ingredient's source does not determine its safety, and that plants can contain substances that are allergenic whether or not they were grown organically. Organic tells you how ingredients were farmed. It does not tell you how drying a soap is or whether a formula is free of fragrance.

What does tear-free mean?

It is the maker's own claim about how the product behaves around eyes. We found no certification behind it on the pages we read. One pick on this page is described by its brand as tear-free, and the two castile soaps are not. Whatever the label says, the AAP suggests cupping a hand across the forehead so suds run to the sides.

Do I need a separate baby shampoo and body wash?

The AAP does not call for two products. It says to wash a baby's hair two or three times a week using a mild shampoo or body wash, and to use soap sparingly on the body. Three of the picks on this page are sold as combined shampoo and wash, and the castile soaps are described by their makers as all-over washes.

Sources

Each page was opened and read on October 11, 2026.

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