Clean Beauty Products The Best Organic Body Washes of 2023 Our top choice is Wildland Organics’ Zero Waste bar. By Lorraine Wilde Lorraine Wilde Twitter Lorraine Wilde is a freelance writer for Treehugger. She is the Owner and Strategist of the public relations and content company Wilde World Communications. Learn about our editorial process Updated April 27, 2022 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Clean Beauty Products Tips & Techniques We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. As clean beauty becomes more popular, people are starting to pay more and more attention to the ingredients in their personal care products. Not only do we want the safest formulas to cleanse and nourish our skin, but we also want ingredients that have a lower impact on the environment. Seeking out products with organic ingredients is one way to do to do both. We should also consider the environmental cost of spent soapy water. We can help protect our local water by carefully selecting the soaps we use most often. That includes scrutinizing the body wash, shampoo, and dish and laundry soaps we use every day to ensure they are free from ingredients like phthalates and synthetic fragrances. We've researched ingredients lists to find the best organic body washes, all with trustworthy certifications. The Rundown Best Overall: Wildland Organics The Zero Waste Bar at Wildlandorganics.com Jump to Review Best Budget: Avalon Organics Revitalizing Peppermint Bath & Shower Gel at Walmart Jump to Review Best for Babies: Primally Pure Baby Bar at Primallypure.com Jump to Review Best for Acne: Tree to Tub Ultra Gentle Body Wash at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Face and Body: Dr. Bronner's Organic Sugar Soap at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Dry Skin: Be-One Organics Tea Tree Oil & Peppermint Body Wash at Amazon Jump to Review Best Coconut: PiperWai Chamomile and Ginger Body Wash at Piperwai.com Jump to Review Best Shea Butter: Bathing Culture Mind & Body Wash at Bathingculture.com Jump to Review Best Overall Wildland Organics The Zero Waste Bar 5 Courtesy of Wildland Organics View On Wildlandorganics.com To earn the top spot on our list, a body wash not only needs to have great performance and healthy ingredients, it also must be made by a company that cares. Wildland Organics Zero Waste Bar, also known as the Super Bar, is an “All-In-One” bar suitable as a body wash, shampoo, and shave soap. Its organic ingredients are National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF)/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) NSF-ANSI-Certified, the American national standard for personal care products containing organic ingredients. The company's locally-sourced, Fair Trade ingredients are Leaping Bunny Certified cruelty-free and vegan. You’ll love the moisturizing feeling of the organic saponified organic sunflower, coconut, safflower, and castor oils and organic jojoba oil. Although it also contains organic palm oil, the oil is fair trade and wildcrafted, as is the gotu kola, known as “the longevity herb” in traditional Chinese, Indonesian, and Ayurvedic medicine. You’ll also enjoy the scent and benefits of clary sage, bergamot, lavender, and Palo Santo essential oils mixed with organic kelp powder, red clay, Dead Sea clay, kokum butter, and rosemary extract. It's sold in either in a reusable metal tin as the hand-milled Zero Waste bar, or as the Super Bar in post-consumer recycled paper packaging that is 100% recyclable. Each bar is meant to last up to 40 washes. To make the bar last, Wildland Organics recommends using a soap dish to lift the bar and allow it to dry out completely between uses. Wildland Organics are also members of 1% For the Planet, which means 1% of sales are donated to the preservation of American wilderness. They also use a variety of sustainable shipping practices. Price at time of publish: $16 Best Budget Avalon Organics Revitalizing Peppermint Bath & Shower Gel Amazon View On Walmart View On Amazon View On Biggreensmile.com Organic products often come with premium prices, but Avalon Organics Revitalizing Peppermint Bath & Shower Gel is an affordable way to go organic. Its ingredients are Leaping Bunny Certified vegan and certified cruelty-free. It's also free of GMOs, harsh preservatives, synthetic colors, phthalates, and sulfates, while also being NSF/ANSI 305 certified organic. Many people love the invigorating peppermint scent and feel. Your skin will love that aloe is the first ingredient on the label. The bottle is made of 100% recycled plastic and is itself recyclable. This body wash earns a rating of “3” from EWG, which rates ingredients like orange peel, lemon, and peppermint leaf extract essential oils more harshly because of their potential to cause allergies and irritation for those who are sensitive. So if you are prone to sensitivities, you may want to try an unscented option or those with fewer ingredients first. Price at time of publish: $13 Best for Babies Primally Pure Baby Bar Courtesy of Primally Pure View On Primallypure.com For baby’s sensitive skin, it’s often wise to go with a product with just a few simple ingredients. Primally Pure Baby Bar is made of just nine recognizable ingredients —glycerin, coconut oil, goat milk, shea butter, olive oil, calendula, chamomile, lavender and sodium lactate—all of which are organic except for sodium lactate. This simple ingredient is derived from corn or beets and is a common moisturizer in shampoos. Although it's not vegan, goat milk is rich in vitamins A, C, E, several B vitamins, amino acids, and natural enzymes to nourish your skin. Primally Pure's website notes that the ingredients are certified organic, but does not note the certifying agency. Many parents find that they enjoy the clean, yet non-drying feel of this soap so much that they end up using it for themselves too. Primally Pure was founded by farmer's wife and self-proclaimed mama bear, Bethany McDaniel. Raised on her family’s Southern California livestock farm, Bethany wanted to create products with recognizable certified organic ingredients sourced from family-owned farms whenever possible. Price at time of publish: $12 The 8 Best Natural Moisturizers of 2023 Best for Acne Tree to Tub Ultra Gentle Body Wash for Very Sensitive Skin Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon View On Grove.co When you’re struggling with acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, or other skin sensitivities, you want a gentle body wash without unnecessary ingredients. Tree to Tub Ultra Gentle Unscented Body Wash for Very Sensitive Skin cleans pores deeply without irritation or inflammation, and also lathers well. It's made from pH-balanced soapberry, which is sustainably-harvested from fair trade eco-reserves in Taiwan that protect local habitat. The shell of the ancient soapberry fruit of sub-tropical Asia has been used for centuries as a soap that's naturally anti-bacterial to cleanse and nourish skin and hair. The formula also includes organic healing aloe vera, calming cucumber and chamomile, and moisturizing shea butter that nourishes and calms your skin without residual oiliness. It’s Non-GMO Project Verified, vegan, and cruelty-free. The ingredients are sulfate-, gluten- and BPA-free. Because it is unscented, some have noted that they don’t enjoy its natural smell. But you’ll be thankful there are no artificial scents, colors, or other ingredients to irritate your skin. Your purchase will likely include a wild soapberry that can be turned into a lathering hand soap, face soap or shampoo. If you live in a tropical region or a warm, temperate climate, you can also sprout the seed indoors and transplant outside to grow your own soapberry tree. Price at time of publish: $25 Best for Face and Body Dr. Bronner's Organic Sugar Soap 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon View On Grove.co Dr. Bronner’s is an eco-friendly soap that's popular with Treehugger staff for a wide range of uses. The company's Organic Sugar Soap is USDA-Certified Organic, biodegradable, paraben-free, nut-, soy-, sulfate, andtriclosan-free. Vegan, 100-percent cruelty-free, and Leaping Bunny–Certified, it contains only the mildest of ingredients. If you’re new to sugar soap, you’ll discover that sugar scrubs are a common gentle, homemade exfoliant that’s also affordable. Its skin-softening plant-based ingredients haven’t changed much over the years and include ingredients you’ll recognize: Organic sugar, white grape juice, vitamin E, palm kernel, olive, coconut, hemp seed, and jojoba seed oils. It also includes organic shikakai powder, a traditional Indian hair care product made from the Acacia concinna plant, popular as a natural alternative to other detergents and shampoos. Available in unscented “baby” and four essential-oil-based scents—lavender, tea tree, peppermint and lemongrass—each scores a “2” or “3” from EWG. At least 70% of the ingredients have been certified Fair for Life by IMO. They also use the Palm Done Right model where the cultivation of palm oil is 100% organic, deforestation-free, wildlife friendly, and socially responsible. Price at time of publish: $12 Best for Dry Skin Be-One Organics Tea Tree Oil & Peppermint Body Wash Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon When you’re battling dry, flaky skin, you need a body wash that is free of harsh cleansers but includes natural emollients. Be-One Organic Tea Tree Oil & Peppermint Body Wash has a great blend of USDA certified organic ingredients that thoroughly clean and moisturize without causing further dryness. Tea tree oil is naturally antifungal and antiseptic so it fights acne or other causes of dry skin. It helps reduce inflammation and triggers the activity of white blood cells that are instrumental in the healing process. It may also help with flair ups of eczema and psoriasis, an incurable autoimmune condition that causes dry, itchy, flaky skin. Made in Akron, OH, your skin will appreciate the moisturizing, healing effects of the Leaping Bunny-Certified cruelty-free organic aloe juice and organic coconut, shea butter, olive, sunflower, and jojoba oils in this body wash. Because this body wash doesn’t contain a lot of extra ingredients, the manufacturers recommend that you shake well before use as ingredients may separate a bit if the bottle sits for a period of time. While mild enough to use every day, it is not recommended for children under three due to the potential for eye irritation from tea tree and peppermint oil. A small portion of the population is sensitive to tea tree and/or peppermint oil so be sure to take note if your skin doesn’t respond well upon first use. Be-One has also committed to recyclable, sustainable and renewal packaging by partnering with EcoEnclose. Price at time of publish: $15 The 9 Best Organic Essential Oils of 2023 Best Coconut PiperWai Chamomile and Ginger Body Wash Courtesy of PiperWai View On Piperwai.com PiperWai Chamomile and Ginger Body Wash contains organic coconut oil as its first ingredient. The rest of its simple ingredients are also vegan, cruelty-free and free of sulfates. This rich, fresh smelling body wash also contains organic aloe vera juice, organic olive, sunflower, ginger and chamomile oil, organic shea butter, and organic moringa oil is rich in omega fatty acids, nutrients, and antioxidants. These mild ingredients earn this body wash a top score of “1” from EWG. Also thoughtful about packaging, this body wash comes in a recyclable aluminum bottle made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminum. Using aluminum bottles results in 45% fewer emissions and 35% less shipping emissions compared to a glass bottle of the same volume. Although this particular product's plastic pump is not, many of the company's plastic pumps are made from Ocean Waste Plastic—PCR plastic that has been recovered from the ocean or the recycle bin. PCR plastic requires 60% less energy to produce than virgin plastic so you can feel good about supporting a green packaging revolution in your everyday life. Price at time of publish: $16 Best Shea Butter Bathing Culture Mind & Body Wash Courtesy of Bathing Culture View On Bathingculture.com Handmade in the United States, Bathing Culture Rainbow Mind & Body Wash is made with vegan, cruelty-free, and organic ingredients certified by Oregon Tilth, the USDA and the Rainforest Alliance. Shea butter naturally moisturizes dry skin while also reducing inflammation. In addition to shea butter, this body wash includes organic coconut, olive, and sunflower seed oils, as well as soy-based glycerin and organic aloe leaf juice. This blend of plant-based moisturizing and healing oils and juices works well to soothe sensitive skin. The packaging is 100% post-consumer recycled glass and plastic. Bathing Culture's formula is concentrated, so a single 8 ounce refillable glass or plastic bottle should last for about 80 showers. The first purchase is a little more expensive to cover the cost of the refillable bottle, but Bathing Culture sells a gallon-sized jug as well so you can refill and save both packaging and money. You can also order it plastic-free, with an aluminum cap. The website also includes a map of locations where you can bring in your refillable bottle or jug for a packaging-free refill. The Cathedral Grove scent is formulated to remind you of the redwood canopies of Northern California, home to Bathing Culture’s founders. You can also diluted it and use it as hand soap, as a dog wash, a fruit and vegetable wash, laundry soap, or as a camp and travel soap. Price at time of publish: $35 Final Verdict When you’re ready to step away from the concerning chemicals of the typical grocery store body wash, give Wildland Organics Zero Waste Bar a try. Your skin will appreciate the plant-based herbs and oils and you’ll feel good knowing they use zero waste packaging and give back 1% of your purchase to American wildlands. However, if you prefer a liquid body wash, you'll want to consider Dr. Bonner's Organic Sugar Soap. Why Trust Treehugger? We’ve put together this list of some top-rated, widely available environmentally-responsible organic body washes to help you protect your health and our waterways. We’ve included both bar and liquid body washes, but in general bar soaps are more eco-friendly than liquid soaps. In general, we’ve chosen soaps that areparaben- and phosphate-free. We’ve also chosen body washes that are either unscented or naturally scented with essential oils. Often, some of the least environmentally-friendly chemicals in body wash are the artificial fragrances. Our list includes body washes that hold a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or third-party organic certification, or those that contain a majority of certified organic ingredients. Some small and new brands may not yet have achieved USDA certification because it is expensive and takes time to obtain. We’ve also considered the rating (when available) by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) who ranks products based on the toxicity of their chemical ingredients. As you’ll discover if you spend time on the research, many products have not been evaluated by EWG and among those that have, it is difficult to find a quality organic body wash whose ingredients are all “1’s” so keep that in mind as you choose your favorites. Lorraine Wilde has only the highest standards for what goes on her family’s skin and into our delicate water bodies. Lorraine also holds a Master’s degree in environmental science with an emphasis on toxicology. She’s a firm believer that consumers can make healthy, informed and environmentally-conscious choices to protect their families and our planet. The 9 Best Eco-Friendly Soaps of 2023 View Article Sources Feldscher, Karen. “Why phthalates should be restricted or banned from consumer products.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.