Body Wash

The Best Natural Body Washes from Brands You Can Trust

Dr. Squatch just sold to Unilever for $1.5 billion. Nubian Heritage went to Unilever via the Sundial Brands acquisition. If you want a body wash from a brand that's still independent and uses genuinely clean ingredients, here are your best options.

Our Trusted Picks

Vetted for Safety & Independence

Also worth noting: Blueland makes body wash tablets and Plaine Products offers refillable body wash in aluminum bottles. Both are listed in our other category pages with full reviews.

Buyer Beware

Brands to Avoid

Dr. Squatch Unilever 2025
Nubian Heritage Unilever 2017

The Dr. Squatch story: Built as a men's natural soap brand with viral YouTube ads and a strong DTC presence, Dr. Squatch appeared to be the real deal — fun, independent, and ingredient-conscious. The $1.5B sale to Unilever in early 2025 makes it the latest in a long pattern of corporate giants buying indie credibility rather than building it.

What to Look for in a Clean, Independent Body Wash

Gentle surfactants over harsh detergents

The biggest difference between clean and conventional body wash is the cleansing agent. Conventional products rely on SLS and SLES — cheap, effective detergents that also strip your skin's natural moisture barrier. Clean body washes use plant-derived surfactants like coco-glucoside, decyl glucoside, or sodium cocoyl isethionate. They foam less aggressively but clean just as well without leaving your skin tight and dry.

Skip the synthetic fragrance

Body wash is one of the highest-fragrance-load personal care products. You're applying it to wet, warm skin with open pores — maximizing absorption of whatever's in that "fragrance" blend. Clean options either use essential oils (listed individually on the label), naturally derived fragrance with full disclosure, or are unscented. Dr. Bronner's, for example, lists every essential oil used in each scent variant.

Moisturizing without silicones

Conventional body washes add dimethicone or cyclomethicone to leave skin feeling silky. These silicones create a film over your skin rather than actually moisturizing it. Clean alternatives use plant oils (coconut, olive, jojoba), aloe vera, glycerin, and shea butter to genuinely hydrate. The texture may feel different at first, but your skin will be healthier for it.

Packaging matters

Several of our recommended brands are innovating beyond the standard plastic bottle. Bathing Culture uses refillable glass. Plaine Products ships in returnable aluminum bottles. Blueland uses dissolvable tablets. Even Dr. Bronner's offers concentrated formulas that last far longer than conventional body wash, reducing plastic waste per use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bar soap or liquid body wash better?

From an ingredient standpoint, both can be excellent. Bar soaps (like Dr. Bronner's castile bars) tend to have shorter ingredient lists and less packaging. Liquid body washes offer more variety in formulation and are sometimes easier to use. The key difference is the surfactant system: bar soaps are typically saponified oils, while liquid washes use gentler synthetic or plant-derived surfactants. Neither is inherently better — focus on the ingredient list, not the format.

Why does Dr. Squatch selling to Unilever matter?

Dr. Squatch sold to Unilever for approximately $1.5 billion in early 2025. Before the acquisition, it was one of the most successful men's grooming DTC brands — built on natural ingredients and funny marketing. Now it's a Unilever brand alongside Dove, Axe, and Suave. History shows that corporate acquisitions lead to gradual formulation changes, ingredient substitutions for cost savings, and profit flowing to shareholders rather than product improvement.

What ingredients should I avoid in body wash?

The main ones: Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) — harsh detergent that strips skin oils. Synthetic fragrance ("parfum") — undisclosed chemical cocktail. Parabens — hormone-mimicking preservatives. Cocamide DEA/MEA — foam boosters that can be contaminated with carcinogens. DMDM hydantoin — formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Triclosan — antibacterial agent linked to hormone disruption. Any of our recommended brands avoid all of these.

Are EWG Verified body washes worth the premium?

EWG Verified means every single ingredient has been reviewed against EWG's database for safety concerns, and the product avoids all ingredients on their restricted list. It's one of the strongest consumer-facing certifications. Everyone by EO and ATTITUDE are both EWG Verified and competitively priced — so you're not necessarily paying a premium. The certification gives you confidence without having to cross-reference every ingredient yourself.

Can I use Dr. Bronner's castile soap as body wash?

Absolutely — it's one of the most versatile products on our list. Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap can be used as body wash, hand soap, shampoo, and even household cleaner. For body wash, dilute about 1/2 tablespoon in a washcloth or use a foaming dispenser. The unscented Baby Mild formula is ideal for sensitive skin. It's also one of the most affordable per-use options when you factor in concentration.