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When you start learning more about what goes into a body wash, it’s normal to reconsider the one you’re currently using. It makes sense to second-guess or look at alternatives.
Ultimately, the best body wash of 2023 is the one that works for you. Yet working out which one that it may take some experimenting. In this article, we’re here to help you speed up that process.
When considering the best body washes on the market, we have to factor in:
- The quality of the ingredients
- Customer satisfaction
- The presence or absence of harmful elements
While one body wash may work for you, another may not. However, some objective standards can help us start eliminating most of the cheap, low-quality body washes.
Harsh surfactants and preservatives, for example, can easily irritate sensitive skin. Some of these ingredients may not be noticeable to everyone, but it’s important to note sensitivities when considering body washes.
In addition, there may be perfectly healthy, natural ingredients to which you have an allergy. When considering any of the body washes we present here, or any others, remember to test in small amounts at first.
What is a “good” body wash?
We’ve mentioned the subjective factors and the ones that simply vary from one person’s skin to another’s. But some brands maintain a higher quality than others in terms of effectiveness at cleaning your skin, scent, and other factors. The best brands use healthy, ethical practices that are good for your skin and good for the planet.
The absence of unhealthy ingredients in formulations that are ethical and healthy is the highest standard. But there are situations when mixtures with some harsher chemical surfactants are better for you. It’s all a part of a bigger picture.
We will go over several different types of body wash examples with these elements in mind. We’ll explain why each choice is one of the best, but also point out the points of distinction that might be relevant to your personal needs. Basically, skin is complicated, but high-quality standards are quite simple.
So, let’s jump in and find out the best body washes of 2023!
1. Blu Atlas Body Wash
When we were looking for a body wash that meets all of the standards discussed above, we had a hard time. It’s not that there aren’t many excellent body washes out there. There are, but there aren’t many that check most, let alone all, of the boxes. But Blu Atlas Body Wash comes the closest!
Blu Atlas Body Wash doesn’t come with a very fancy presentation. It’s a simple, white bottle with easily readable black or brown text. But that seems to be the point; less branding, more focus on ingredients and quality.
First of all, Blu Atlas Body Wash follows the same principles as all of Blu Atlas’s products. It’s a natural body wash, meaning it’s made overwhelmingly (99%) from natural origin ingredients. These include plants, fruits, and minerals that occur naturally.
Natural origin ingredients are less harsh on the skin, as body washes with them contain natural exfoliants, surfactants, and cleansing agents. These ingredients cost more than cheap chemical alternatives, but they often provide natural alternatives that are better for the long-term health of your skin.
In the case of Blu Atlas Body Wash, the natural active ingredients are green tea extract, aloe barbadensis leaf, and sugarcane.
Green tea extract provides a rich dose of antioxidants and phytonutrients to your skin. This may produce the effects of reducing puffiness and calming redness due to the anti-inflammatory properties green tea provides. Aloe barbadensis leaf extract is another antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It’s one of the best natural moisturizers. It’s rich in vitamins, too, including Vitamins A, C, and E. These offer antioxidant properties. Lastly, sugarcane is a strong natural exfoliant that offers even more antioxidants. It is known to smooth out and brighten the skin.
In line with their commitments to natural ingredients, Blu Atlas is a clean brand. Their body wash, like their other hair and skin care products, doesn’t contain harsh sulfates, parabens, or phthalates. It’s also a 100% vegan and cruelty-free brand. That means no animal-derived ingredients and no testing products on animals. This ethical commitment is a bonus that makes an excellent addition to the healthy and natural-origin ingredient commitments.
What’s the result of all of this? Customers report satisfaction with both the results of each wash and with the ethical commitments that Blu Atlas maintains. The scent is pleasant as well, and no artificial scents go into it. Instead, it’s just a pleasant result of the natural formulation.
The feeling afterward is one of calmness and natural cleanliness. It’s a gentle green tea scent and an anti-inflammatory mix that makes the skin feel as good as it smells—excellent. For a 99% natural product, it also lathers surprisingly well!
For maintaining the highest natural, healthy standards without sacrificing any efficiency, Blu Atlas Body Wash is our top choice for a body wash in 2023.
2. Davines OI Body Wash
Davines OI Body Wash is our second choice for its gentle, soft, and hydrating effects. But it’s the scent that stands out even more; Davines produces one of the best gentle scents with their OI Body Wash.
Davines OI Body Wash is not a natural body wash like Blu Atlas Body Wash. However, it is a well-priced, nice-smelling body wash that is light enough for daily use on almost all skin types. Its moisturizing properties more than make up for any drawbacks except on the driest skin.
These results, as is normally the case, come from a consistent commitment to quality manufacturing with the best ingredients.
Customers report satisfaction with the easy lathering and the scent that it leaves behind. Some customers refer to it not just as a body wash, but as an “incredible perfume.” It’s a scent of woody cedar and cool moisture. The moisturizing properties also produce a lot of praise from customers with a history of dry skin.
The only complaints that are at all consistent involve packaging defects, so make sure you use a good shipping option. This issue is common for many of even the best body wash brands. Despite this issue, the sleek container is another bonus worth mentioning.
For luxurious application, moisturizing dry skin, and a scent that, while controversial, produces some of the best and most consistent responses we’ve found, Davines OI Body Wash is our number two choice.
3. Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash
Aveeno has released many “relief” body wash and shampoo products. This “stress relief” entry is one of the most widely applicable moisturizing body washes. It’s a cheaper option, too, so it’s good if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck without sacrificing too much quality.
As a moisturizing body wash, you can expect Aveeno to be slightly problematic on especially oily skin. But for dry skin, the reviews left by customers leave no doubt that Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash is one of the most reliable moisturizing body washes you can find.
The Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash formulation is based on colloidal oatmeal and lavender. Put together, these active ingredients promote a calming and moisturizing wash. This leaves the skin feeling refreshed, with some relief from dryness, cracking, and inflammation.
As a bonus for those with sensitive skin, it’s a hypoallergenic body wash. That means it was specifically formulated to avoid most allergies and sensitivities.
Unsurprisingly, customers report relief from previously experienced dryness after switching to Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash. Relief from itchiness is a common experience. For its part, the body wash is also known for its light but soothing scent. It provides a reliable, great clean that has you feeling relieved and clean as a whistle.
4. Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash
Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash is a semi-natural calming shampoo that is good for many kinds of sensitive skin.
If you’re looking for a gentle formula free of the harshest dyes, preservatives, and surfactants, this one is worth a try. It’s a middle-priced deal with a formulation that has a lot going for it. It’s meant for drier or more sensitive skin, but it’s good for all but the most naturally oily skin.
The Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash formula is soap-free and fragrance-free. Instead, it includes a natural blend of enriched omega oils and other natural lipids. These ingredients offer heavy and natural moisturization. They hydrate and nourish the skin deeply with naturally-derived ingredients that improve the overall health of your skin. Those actions are supported further by their protective and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ultimately, the formulation creates clean, strongly-moisturized, and well-protected skin. The latter is provided by omega oils’ natural protection via forming a layer in the skin that protects from environmental pollutants. Those include things like pollution, harsh weather conditions, dirt, and unwanted grease. It essentially serves a barrier function, supporting your natural skin barriers and protecting your hydrated skin.
In addition to these benefits, there are antioxidant properties as well!
The only potential major drawback, apart from any possible allergic reactions, is that the wash is very rich. If you have very oily and acne-prone skin, a lighter alternative will likely suit you better. But if your skin is dry and sensitive, Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash is definitely worth a try.
5. CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash
CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash is a general-purpose foaming body wash. It is a good option for most kinds of skin apart from the oiliest. It’s a strongly moisturizing option but less so than most moisturizing body washes on this list.
As a great bonus for some of our readers, CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash is one of the most popular options for eczema. It’s certified by the National Eczema Association for being gentle and moisturizing enough to regularly apply to affected skin. You don’t need to have eczema to benefit, however. This is a high-quality body wash for those with normal skin or with ongoing dryness issues.
Foaming cleansers in general are a bit different. But CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash is a particularly gentle foaming body wash. It ensures ceramides and hyaluronic acid is adequately applied to cleanse skin without irritating it. This improves the user’s comfort and helps their skin attract and retain moisture. If dehydrated skin is a problem you face, this is a good, gentle, popular option for handling that.
These same ingredients also play a part in refreshing your skin and repairing the natural skin barrier. This leads to long-term moisturizing and softening effects.
While it’s not strictly labeled a “natural” body wash, CeraVe Hydrating Body Wash is paraben-free and sulfate-free. The foaming occurs naturally and there are no harsh ingredients known to irritate sensitive skin.
6. OGX Radiant Glow + Argan Oil of Morocco
OGX Radiant Glow + Argan Oil of Morocco is a natural and heavily moisturizing body wash. It is meant for dry skin but can be useful for normal skin as well.
The idea behind OGX Radiant Glow + Argan Oil of Morocco is simple. Use premium natural ingredients to cleanse, moisturize, and leave a natural shine.
It is also marketed by OGX as a “restorative” body wash. We can’t speak to the exact extent to which that is true, but its results with all kinds of customers with dry and damaged skin speak for themselves. It’s a great option for creating silky-smooth skin out of dried and damaged skin.
The main driver behind this moisturization and restoration is Moroccan argan oil. Argan oil plus glycerin, one type of kernel oil, silk amino acids, and Polyquaternium-39 leads to a consistent moisturizing and soothing result.
In addition to what it has, OGX Radiant Glow shines through its lack of sulfated surfactants, parabens, and other unnatural and possibly irritating ingredients. This may sacrifice its shelf life a little bit, but your skin will thank you for choosing it!
Most customer reviews back up the intended results that OGX claims. They speak of moisturized skin that previously fueled their nightmares. Predictably, those with drier skin more consistently praise it. But one factor that most users complement is the smell. Customers report a pleasant and long-lasting scent that is particularly good for warm-weather use.
7. Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Shower Gel
Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Shower Gel is another hydrating body wash with natural active ingredients. If you’re reading and waiting for body washes for oily skin, skip down to numbers 9 and 10 on this list!
Pure Fiji Coconut Milk is based on an exotic blend of nut extracts and fresh coconut milk. It was formulated to rapidly hydrate and add protection to your skin upon contact. It was also designed to be nutrient-enriching and to deliver essential vitamins.
The result that customers report is normally one of hydration, visual vitality, and smoothness.
Yet while Pure Fiji Coconut Milk is hydrating, it’s not so intense that those without dry skin cannot use it. It is a more widely applicable body wash than most and can produce great results for all skin types. The nutrient and vitamin enrichment is equally beneficial on dry or oily skin.
Among the nut mix, there are coconut, macadamia, dilo, and sikeci nuts. There are moisturizing agents, especially natural oils, that fit in perfectly with your skin’s natural barrier. Pineapple extract is also present, helping strip away dead skin cells and other small impurities.
Most customer feedback surrounds an equal mix of the scent and the visual results on the skin. It’s a liquid wash that spreads easily and leaves seemingly every cell of your skin hydrated and nourished. If you like tropical nut-based scents, you may find this one especially appealing. Half the customers that mention it claim they get compliments about it all the time!
8. Puracy Natural Body Wash
If you’re looking for the highest-quality budget body wash, you have a few options. Puracy Natural Body Wash is a coconut and vanilla-scented body wash that maintains a relatively high standard for its price range.
Puracy Natural Body Wash is a foaming, preservative body wash. It’s a rich natural foam that penetrates the skin to leave it feeling fresh and hydrated. This also serves to preserve your natural skin oils while adding to them naturally. If you find yourself non-allergenically irritated by other body washes, this one may provide some relief.
While it’s not one of the 99+% natural body washes, Puracy Natural Body Wash has a few ethical commitments that we appreciate. They incentivize customers to get refill packs to reduce waste with a significant discount. Plus, their ingredients are healthier to dispose of than those of most body washes.
Customer reviews generally focus on the gentle touch and all-around pleasant results of using Puracy Natural Body Wash. Most reported improvements over time, while the only consistent complaints referred to packaging defects. On the positive side, some even claim that their psoriasis reacted well to it, providing some symptom relief.
9. Kiehl’s Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser
Oily skin? Kiehl’s Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser is one of the best body washes made for you.
Kiehl’s Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser is a very gentle, but still effective, cleanser. It washes out the skin and leaves a pleasant texture behind. It’s a semi-natural option, too, using aloe vera and hydrolyzed wheat protein as moisturizers. These work to provide relief while not over-moisturizing your skin.
Beyond that, it comes in four scented options; grapefruit, pour homme, lavender, and coriander.
Customers report Kiehl’s Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser leaving their skin feeling soft. It produces light and pleasant scents, using gentle suds to spread the wash throughout your body. It’s this texture and the long-term effects following its application that customers praise the most.
10. Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash
Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash is a body wash for those with oily or acne-prone skin. It is the most appropriate body wash for these issues on our list so far.
Designed specifically for acne-prone skin, Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash performs light moisturizing with glycerin. But the mix also contains a small dose of salicylic acid, which is the base active ingredient of many strong face cleansers. The small amount present in this Neutrogena product is enough to fight acne in all its forms throughout the body. It’s particularly applicable to the back area.
Concerns over salicylic acid and other strong acidic formulations normally come from those with dry skin. You can still use this one if you have dry skin, but it’s simply less recommendable. The idea with Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash is to dry out trapped oil without drying out or clogging your pores. For that, it’s a gentle formula with just enough power to fight off breakouts.
Most customer reviews surround Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash’s easy application and long-term results. While it isn’t a medicated acne treatment, most customers report a noticeable reduction in back (and some other) acne shortly after starting. Many mention the harsh medical scent, but few complain about the results regarding acne that result from the ingredients that create this scent!
11. Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap
Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap is another anti-acne body wash product. It’s an anti-acne and anti-aging formulation that is based largely on natural ingredients. Grapefruit, ginseng, and linden provide soothing, revitalizing, antioxidant-boosting, and evening properties. They also produce a natural, pleasant scent.
Most customer reviews report a reduction in acne and bumps. While it’s a great anti-acne body wash, it’s also good for oily skin more broadly. Most visual reviews report softer-looking skin that is free of invasive forms of acne. Some even report an end to keratosis pilaris and spots.
The formulation contains a unique mix of soothing and exfoliating ingredients. Chief among these is a healing oatmeal and several botanical ingredients. The main goal, which customers report it is overwhelmingly successful in achieving, is controlling body acne.
12. Dove Purifying Detox Body Wash with Green Clay
Lastly, Dove Purifying Detox Body Wash with Green Clay is a deep cleansing body wash. It’s based on green clay, a natural ingredient with several beneficial properties for your skin.
Among its benefits, green clay is a mineral-rich substance containing high doses of magnesium, calcium, and silica. Alongside this enrichment, it also has cleansing, soothing, and exfoliating properties. As many customers report, it can promote the soothing of the skin and a healthier overall appearance.
One other benefit is Dove’s patent Microbiome Nutrient Serum, which is meant to enrich the skin’s microbiome.
While it’s no natural body wash, Dove Purifying Detox Body Wash with Green Clay is sulfate free and paraben free. The formula is also 98% biodegradable, a good ethical bonus we can confirm.
While Dove Purifying Detox Body Wash with Green Clay isn’t meant specifically for dry skin, it’s an effective moisturizer and is recommendable to those with dry skin. It’s also strong as a cleanser, removing key impurities while enriching the microbiome.
This is a lot of talk, but the customer reviews speak to each of these issues, too. Most report good moisturization, healthy-looking skin, a decent scent, and an overall easy day-to-day product for washing your body.
How to choose the right body wash for you
We’ve gone over several options that may help people with various skin types and skin issues. But finding the perfect match for the right body wash requires a few considerations.
Skin type
This is the most obvious and important issue. If you have oily and acne-prone skin, many heavily moisturizing body washes won’t work well for you. The opposite is true as well.
Most body wash brands are quite clear about who their products are meant for. If they say they designed their product for dry skin, you can take their word on that. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the highest-quality option for dry skin. But it’s still what the formulation was built around.
Skin concerns
These can include dermatological conditions and sensitivities, or outright allergies. You need to know both what your sensitivities are, and what works well with them. For example, if you have dry skin, formulations with hyaluronic acid and similar ingredients may dry your skin out to a dangerous extent.
Read the label with an understanding of your skin, and you should be fine.
Scents
Scented body washes may cause irritation in those with sensitive skin or with sensitive noses. In these cases, synthetic fragrances must be completely avoided.
In cases where you lack these sensitivities, it is still prudent to make sure you enjoy whatever scent your body wash has. Most of the choices we’ve covered in this article have renowned, natural scents. These won’t activate most sensitivities, so long as you avoid your allergens.
Convenience
Lastly, you want to consider the small touches. Well-made packaging and easy spreading makes your daily routines more pleasant. So, consider how the body wash is applied and how the application feels to you.
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