Honest Company · Body Wash
Honest The Company Shampoo Body Wash
Lower concern for PFAS; typical liquid soap formulation with no known risk triggers.
Honest Company's shampoo body wash is a liquid cleanser with no documented PFAS-prone ingredients (no waterproofing, non-stick coatings, or grease-resistant treatments typical of rinse-off cosmetics). The brand does not claim PFAS-free status, nor disclose PFAS data, but the product category itself carries minimal inherent PFAS risk.
Shop Honest Company on Amazon →Material
aqueous cleansing base (soap/surfactants), water, glycerin, plant extracts
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
cosmetics is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Honest Company Shampoo Body Wash is a water-based cleansing product built on mild surfactants and glycerin, a humectant that draws moisture into skin. Plant extracts (typically botanical oils or fruit acids) are included for marketed skin benefit and fragrance. This formulation class avoids high-risk components like coal-tar colorants, phthalate plasticizers in the liquid itself, or heavy preservative loads that appear in some budget body washes.
The brand's record and disclosure
Honest Company has marketed itself as a cleaner alternative brand with emphasis on transparency, though the company does not proactively publish full ingredient safety data sheets or independent testing. No major recalls or regulatory warnings are on record for this specific product line. The brand does not claim PFAS-free status in public statements, which is consistent with the silent stance noted in your context.
How it compares in its category
Honest body washes sit in the mid-premium segment, priced above mass-market brands (which often use legacy preservatives and synthetic fragrances) but below luxury lines that undergo extended safety auditing. Formulation-wise, it avoids some older practices (e.g., triclosan antibacterials) that persist in conventional drugstore products. The plant-extract positioning is common in the clean beauty space but does not itself confer measurable safety advantage over simpler surfactant-only formulas.
If you buy it
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to preserve botanical components and prevent preservative degradation. Use as directed; no special precautions beyond standard body wash safety (keep out of eyes, avoid ingestion). If any irritation or rash develops, discontinue and rinse thoroughly; this is true of any new cleanser. Bottles should be kept sealed between uses to prevent bacterial growth in the wet pump or opening.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Preservative-related irritation or allergic contact dermatitis
Aqueous soaps require preservatives to prevent bacterial and mold growth; Honest formulations typically use parabens or phenoxyethanol. While approved for use, individual sensitivity to preservatives is documented in the general population. No specific adverse event reports are on record for this product.
Fragrance allergen exposure
Body washes rely on fragrance compounds (synthetic or botanical) to deliver scent; plant extracts themselves may contain natural allergens. The brand does not break down fragrance ingredients in public disclosures, making individual allergen screening difficult.
Botanical extract contamination or variability
Plant-derived ingredients can harbor trace pesticides or heavy metals if sourced from contaminated agricultural land. No recalls or test data on record for Honest Company's specific extract suppliers; this is a category-wide supply-chain concern rather than a known issue with this brand.
Microplastics in formulation
Modern body washes rarely contain microbeads after regulatory restrictions in the US and EU (2015 onward). Honest Company products do not list plastic microbeads in available ingredient profiles.
Heavy metals in colorants or additives
If the product uses synthetic colorants (FD&C approved dyes), these are regulated for heavy metal content. No specific testing or contamination reports exist for this product line in public records.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 75% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Body Wash
Cetyl
Dr Bronner's Baby Unscented Pure Castile Liquid Soap
saponified vegetable oils (castile base), no protective coatings
Lower-concern choice; simple castile soap formulation carries minimal PFAS risk.
⚠Risky category by default
Dr. Bronner's
Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
Plant-based soap (coconut, olive, palm oils); no coatings or treatments
Lower PFAS concern, uncoated liquid soap with no water- or stain-resistant treatments.
⚠Risky category by default
Dr. Bronner's
Dr Bronner's Baby Unscented Pure Castile Liquid Soap
Plant-based soap (coconut, olive, palm oils)
Lower PFAS concern, pure castile liquid soap has no typical vector for forever chemicals.
⚠Risky category by default
More body wash grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.