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Best Body Washes — Gentle Surfactants, Skin-Barrier Safe

A shower exposes the largest organ in the body to whatever is in the bottle. Sulfate surfactants (SLS, SLES) and synthetic fragrance are the two ingredients most likely to disrupt the skin barrier and trigger contact dermatitis. Our top-scoring body washes clean effectively with coco-based amphoterics and stay in the mildly acidic pH range the stratum corneum actually prefers.

What to look for

Coco-glucoside, coco-betaine, or decyl-glucoside as primary surfactant
No SLS / SLES / ALS
No synthetic fragrance or 'parfum'
pH 4.5 to 5.5
Glycerin or plant oils listed for barrier support

Our top-scoring picks

Every product below scored 75 or higher on our 0–100 ingredient-and-nutrition scale. Links go directly to Amazon; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Sensitive Shampoo + Body Wash

Honest

Body Wash

NewYorkBiology

Refresh Shampoo + Body Wash Citrus Vanilla

Honest

Everyday Body Wash with Organic Botanicals

FORIA

Lighten up Anti-Aging shea buttter Body wash

Rough Nature Shower Gel Men

DM, alverde men

Shower gel with essential oils- refreshing fig

Apivita

Body Wash

Sanex

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