Honest Company · Body Wash
The Honest Company Sensitive Fragrance Free Baby Shampoo and Body Wash
Lower concern, baby wash has no inherent PFAS drivers, but brand transparency is absent.
This is a simple liquid soap with no waterproofing, grease resistance, or nonstick coating, the main industrial uses of PFAS. The Honest Company does not publicly claim PFAS-free status or hold third-party verification on this product. No independent lab data is publicly available, and the brand has not disclosed PFAS testing results.
Shop Honest Company on Amazon →Material
aqueous liquid soap, fragrance-free cosmetic formulation
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
This is an aqueous liquid soap formulation designed for sensitive infant skin, fragrance-free to minimize irritation and allergen exposure. Baby washes of this type typically contain mild surfactants, humectants (like glycerin), and preservatives to prevent bacterial growth; the absence of fragrance eliminates a major source of undisclosed allergens and skin sensitizers. As a rinse-off product with minimal skin contact duration, dermal absorption of residual ingredients is low compared to leave-on cosmetics.
The brand's record and disclosure
The Honest Company markets itself as a clean-beauty brand but has faced criticism for vague ingredient transparency and greenwashing claims. The company has not published detailed PFAS testing data or committed to PFAS-free commitments publicly, despite scrutiny of personal-care brands in this space. No major safety recalls or regulatory violations specific to this product line are on record. The fragrance-free formulation aligns with the brand's sensitivity positioning but does not guarantee absence of all synthetic preservatives or processing-derived contaminants.
How it compares in its category
Fragrance-free baby washes are among the safest in the body-wash category because they eliminate fragrance allergens and synthetic fragrance byproducts (such as 1,4-dioxane in fragrance concentrates). This product sits in the mainstream-premium segment; it avoids some hazards present in ultra-cheap alternatives (higher heavy-metal contamination risk in colorants) but lacks third-party certifications (e.g., Cradle to Cradle, EWG verification) that provide independent hazard testing. Comparable alternatives include Aveeno Baby Wash and CeraVe Baby Wash, which offer similar safety profiles with more publicly available ingredient sourcing data.
If you buy it
Use as directed for rinse-off; do not allow prolonged skin contact or ingestion. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to preserve preservative efficacy and prevent bacterial colonization of the bottle interior. Discontinue if rash, redness, or irritation develops and consult a pediatrician. Replace if the product shows separation, odor changes, or visible particulates, which may indicate preservative failure or contamination after 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.”
1,4-Dioxane (fragrance solvent contaminant)
Fragrance-free formulations do not require fragrance solvents, eliminating the primary driver of 1,4-dioxane contamination. No independent testing of this specific product is on public record.
Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
Baby washes require broad-spectrum preservatives to prevent bacterial growth; some formulations use DMDM hydantoin or imidazolidinyl urea, which release formaldehyde over time. The Honest Company product ingredient list is not fully disclosed publicly, so presence cannot be ruled out.
Heavy metals in colorants and mineral additives
This product is marketed as fragrance-free and likely colorant-free or minimally colored. No recalls or regulatory findings of heavy-metal contamination in this specific line are on record.
Talc and talc-related contamination
Talc is not a typical ingredient in liquid body washes and is not reported in this product category. Rinse-off formulations do not require talc-based anti-caking agents.
Allergenic preservatives and botanical extracts
Sensitive baby washes may still contain preservatives (phenoxyethanol, methylisothiazolinone) or plant-derived botanicals that trigger allergic contact dermatitis in susceptible infants. The Honest Company's full ingredient disclosure is necessary to assess this risk definitively.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% 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.