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If you prefer to moisturize your skin without a side of unnecessary chemicals, you may want to consider switching to an organic body lotion. Natural and organic lotions are crafted from plant-based ingredients and herbal extracts, so they’re devoid of harmful chemicals and synthetic fragrances that we don’t want to be rubbing into our skin every day.
With a non-toxic body lotion, you can confidently apply your moisturizer every day without cause for concern.
What Ingredients Don’t Belong in Natural Body Lotion?
Traditional body lotions often contain ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and petroleum-based ingredients. These chemicals are added to extend the shelf life of the product, enhance fragrance, and provide texture, but unfortunately they may also have health risks. Here are some of the problems with these common moisturizer ingredients:
- Parabens, which are commonly used as preservatives in traditional body lotions, have been linked to hormone disruption and breast cancer.
- Phthalates, often used as fragrance enhancers, have been linked to reproductive issues and developmental problems in children.
- Synthetic fragrances may contain hundreds of chemicals that are not disclosed on the label, and some of these chemicals may cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.
- Petroleum-based ingredients, such as mineral oil, may clog pores and prevent the skin from breathing properly.
What Ingredients Should Be in Organic Body Lotion?
Organic body lotion is made with natural ingredients such as plant oils, essential oils, and herbal extracts. These ingredients are not only safer for your health, but they also provide various benefits to the skin.
- Plant oils like coconut oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter are rich in vitamins and fatty acids that nourish and moisturize your skin.
- Essential oils such as lavender, tea tree, and peppermint have antibacterial and antifungal properties that help soothe and heal your skin.
- Herbal extracts like chamomile, calendula, and aloe vera are known for their calming and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce redness and irritation.
By choosing organic body lotions, you can avoid harmful chemicals and synthetic fragrances that may cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, and more serious health risks.
9 Best Organic and Natural Body Lotions
While some of these body lotions are certified organic, others contain a mix of organic and non-organic ingredients. All of the lotions in our list are plant-derived and free of the yucky stuff that shouldn’t be in body lotion. Importantly, they are also all EWG verified, which means the EWG (Environmental Working Group) has found them to be in the safest possible category it assigns to skin-care products.
1. Avalon Organics Hand and Body Lotion
Avalon is one of our favorite hand and body lotions because it really helps moisturize dry skin, especially in the winter months. It is certified organic and made with a plant-based formula of botanicals and essential oils.
Avalon does not use any GMOs, parabens, harsh preservatives, synthetic colors or fragrances, phthalates or sulfates in its organic body lotion. It goes on smoothly, is unscented, and moisturizes for hours after applying. I am a huge fan of Avalon Organics for moisturizing in the dry winter months.
2. Mustela Certified Organic Hydrating Cream
Mustela is a popular and well-loved organic body cream that is safe for both adults and babies. It hydrates sensitive skin safely, being free of fragrances, parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals you don’t want in your lotion. It contains aloe vera and olive oil that work to keep your skin hydrated and smooth.
Mustela’s organic body dream is also vegan, hypoallergenic, and made of organic and natural ingredients. In my opinion, the only strike against them is that we wish this hydrating cream came in a pump style bottle.
3. ATTITUDE Soothing Body Lotion for Dry & Sensitive Skin
Attitude makes a super soothing body lotion, among many other fantastic non-toxic products. The shea butter and oatmeal ingredients in its formula make it especially hydrating. It moisturizes for hours, is non-greasy, and has a light floral scent to it.
This is another EWG verified lotion that is free of harmful chemicals like parabens, phenoxyethanol, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. It’s also vegan and never tested on animals.
This lotion has a bit of a sweet smell, however, so if you’re looking for unscented, we would look at Mustela or Avalon Organics instead. We love the pump bottle, which makes it easy for kids to use.
4. Dr. Bronner’s Organic Body Lotion
My family and I enjoy Dr. Bronner’s straightforward products and certified organic ingredients in our house, and their lotions are no exception. These are super moisturizing, made with organic jojoba and coconut oils that keep your skin smooth.
Dr. Bronner’s lotions come in a few different scents: orange lavender, patchouli lime, lavender coconut (my personal fave), and peppermint. They smell and feel great, and really help treat and prevent dry skin.
5. Sally B’s Skin Yummies Eco Body Lotion
Sally B’s Skin Yummies are made with a lot of organic ingredients, including sweet almond oil (nut alert!), coconut oil, jojoba seed oil, and tamanu oil. This lotion includes Vitamin E, which is great for keeping skin hydrated, as well as organic aloe (which is great for treating sunburns).
Sally B’s lotion is quick to absorb and does a great job conditioning dry patches on the skin. It’s scented with organic essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances.
6. Baja Baby Unscented Body Lotion
Baja Baby is designed to be gentle on even the most sensitive baby skin, but we like it for older kids and grown-ups as well. It’s made with organic avocado oil, organic grapeseed oil, and organic sweet almond oil. It is designed to help with skin that’s prone to eczema and extreme dryness.
Baja Baby body lotion is EWG verified and made of 100% plant-based ingredients. It’s vegan friendly and free of sulfates, parabens and phthalates.
7. Weleda Skin Food Body Lotion
I use Weleda Skin Food face lotion on the daily, and I’m so excited they’re now making this body lotion! Weleda is known for its super rich lotions, and this one is no exception. It’s quite thick, but easy to work into your skin, and it’s incredibly hydrating.
Weleda’s body lotion has essential fatty acids and plant extracts that help alleviate dry skin quickly, and is non-greasy. It has extracts of pansy, chamomile, rosemary, and calendula that you find in most of its skin products. I personally love its citrusy scent, and my skin always looks and feels great after applying.
Weleda is vegan-friendly and never tested on animals. It’s also paraben, phthalate, preservative, and synthetic fragrance free, just like we like it!
Weleda also makes some of my favorite non-toxic deodorant.
8. Everyone Nourishing Lotion
Everyone makes our favorite kids’ shampoo and body wash, and we are also big fans of their hand and body lotion in our house. It comes in different scents (we like the lavender and aloe best) that smell great but aren’t too overpowering.
Everyone’s lotions work well to gently hydrate dry skin. This lotion is EWG verified and free of GMOs, gluten, parabens, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances.
We also appreciate that Everyone has an eco-friendly “zero waste mission” in which they divert the vast majority of their waste from landfills and focus on recycled materials for packaging.