Is your guy (or teen boy) hooked on Axe or Old Spice body wash? 🙋♂️ If so, it might be time to swap it out, because his skin (and your nose) deserve better than mystery fragrance blends and questionable ingredients. Today, I’m sharing safer, natural shower gel options for men that still smell great and are actually good for their health and skin!
This post contains affiliate links.
This post covers:
- Why Safer Body Wash Matters & Greenwashed Brands to Avoid
- Best Clean & Low Tox Body Wash Brands for Men
- Natural Bar Soaps for Men
Why Safer Body Wash Matters & Greenwashed Brands to Avoid ⚠️
Although men tend to use fewer personal care products than women, it’s definitely still super important to choose low tox options! The skin is our largest organ, and even though many guys keep their routines simple, using just one or two products every day means those same ingredients are hitting their skin over and over again (not to mention inhaling harmful fragrances). Especially something like body wash, which covers them head to toe! 👨🏻
Plus, research keeps pointing to how certain ingredients can impact things like hormones and fertility, which is already dropping globally. Here are some common ingredients to look out for in body wash:
- Dyes
- PEGs and PPGs
- Undisclosed synthetic fragrances
- Sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
- Irritating preservatives such as benzisothiazolinone (BIT), methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT), and methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
Greenwashed Body Wash Brands to Skip ❌
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, nor is my goal to shame you or make you feel guilty if you DO use these brands. But I wanted to call out some popular brands that are known for greenwashing and make you aware of their misleading marketing claims. Many people purchase these brands and *think* they are natural or clean when in reality they still use unsafe ingredients in their formulas.
- Dr. Squatch (has undisclosed fragrance)
- Every Man Jack (fragrance, phenoxyethanol, polyquaterniums)
- Harry’s (fragrance, PEGs, phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 20)
- Native (overall not bad except for the fragrance)
- Method (fragrance, SLS)
The Best Clean & Low Tox Body Wash Brands for Men 🫧
Obviously, men can use any body wash; it doesn’t have to be dude-specific. But here are some awesome options that have more gender-neutral or masculine scent profiles that they might prefer!
🐰 All of these are vegan and cruelty-free!
Aleavia Coastal Woodlands Body Cleanse
$20 • Travel size available
Aleavia makes microbiome-friendly prebiotic body washes that are gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin; they remove dirt and excess oil from skin without stripping away the “good” bacteria. Coastal Woodlands has notes of fir balsam, rosewood, oak moss, cardamom, vetiver, and jasmine. It smells incredible!
Heads up, since the formula doesn’t have any strong surfactants, this doesn’t have an intense lather—but you can achieve more suds with a loofah or sponge!
Use code ORGANICALLYBECCA for a discount 🏷️
Also available here on Amazon and Live Healthillie.
Related post: “70+ Clean Makeup, Skincare, & Personal Care Products for Teens and Tweens”
Attitude Men’s Body Washes
$13 • EWG Verified
Attitude’s body washes are available in four scents—my hubby enjoys Eucalyptus & Sage. They have a good lather and a stronger, longer-lasting, more complex scent profile that’s closer to a conventional body wash. This is because they incorporate both plant-based and safe synthetic fragrance molecules; however, all ingredients are disclosed, and the formula is 98% natural!
Also available here on Amazon.
Bathing Culture Body Washes
$36 • Certified Organic • Travel size available
Bathing Culture creates unisex body washes that are crafted with biodegradable, certified organic ingredients. They offer three scents, two of which lean more masculine: Break Water (seagrass, sagebrush, fir balsam) and Cathedral Grove (coniferous needle, juniper, peru balsam).
Choose from glass bottles, recycled plastic, small aluminum travel sizes, or bulk refills.
Also available here on Amazon and Credo.
Dr. Bronner’s Organic 4-in-1 Sugar Soaps
$11-21 • EWG Verified • Fair Trade Certified
Dr. Bronner’s castile sugar soaps can be used on the face, body, hands, and hair! They offer many scent options like Peppermint, Citrus, Almond, Eucalyptus, and unscented. This brand can typically be found at drugstores, natural grocers, Walmart, and Target, too.
Kosmatology Spruce’d Up Body Wash
$12 • MADESAFE™ Certified
Kosmatology uses simple, minimal, organic ingredients. A pharmacist created this brand when her daughter was struggling with eczema and sensitive skin, so you don’t have to worry about this body wash stripping or drying out skin. Spruce’d Up has pine, cedarwood, and cinnamon!
Use code ORGANICALLYBECCA for a discount 🏷️
Also available here on Amazon.
Related post: “The Best Natural & Non-Toxic Hand Soap Brands”
Plaine Products 2-in-1 Hair & Body Wash
$30 • Travel size available
Plaine Products walks the walk when it comes to sustainability and zero waste living. The bottles are metal, and your first order comes with a pump, then you reuse it with each refill (the company even covers the cost of return shipping). This versatile hair and body wash smells like sage, citrus, and fir! The first ingredient is aloe rather than water, so it’s concentrated and nourishing.
Note: This contains phenoxyethanol, an ingredient I prefer to avoid, but it’s not a total dealbreaker for me if the rest of the ingredients are clean. Just be mindful of how many of your products have it across the board, particularly if you have sensitive skin.
Use code ORGANICALLYBECCA for a discount 🏷️
Also available here on Amazon and EarthHero.
Related post: “Natural Shampoo Guide: How to Find the BEST Clean Shampoo for Your Hair Type”
Toups & Co. Men’s Body Wash
$24
Toups & Co. handcrafts organic products in small batches. The men’s body wash has a subtle, earthy, citrusy scent with orange, balsam, douglas fir, and key lime. This is another one that produces a better lather when used with a loofah, but you can’t beat the pure ingredients!
Get a 15% discount with my link 🏷️
Ursa Major Hoppin’ Fresh Body Wash
$26
Ursa Major is known for their forest-infused formulas that appeal to both men and women. They’re a certified B Corp that focuses on responsible manufacturing and sourcing. The body wash gel has cool eucalyptus, punchy peppermint, and fresh-squeezed citrus. It has a creamy, concentrated lather that foams up easily. Plus, it comes in a metal bottle!
Also available here on Amazon, Credo, and The Detox Market.
Shop the products from this post:
Natural Bar Soaps for Men 🧼
Maybe your man prefers a solid soap bar (my husband does!) or is looking for a low-waste, more affordable, budget-friendly option. These have #OrganicallyBeccaApproved ingredients!
Attitude Men’s Body Soaps ($8)
Bathing Culture Soap ($16)
Chagrin Valley Soaps ($10)
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soaps ($5)
Jackfir Bushwhacker Soap ($22)
Meow Meow Tweet Soaps ($12)
Ursa Major Hoppin’ Fresh Soap ($14)Check out these posts for more products:
30+ Natural, Organic Personal Care Products for Men (Husband Approved!)
Top 5 Best Natural Deodorant Brands for Men (Sweaty Husband Approved)
Choosing a cleaner body wash is an easy swap that can make a big difference for skin and overall wellness. I hope this guide helps you find a better option that your guy will actually enjoy using every day! Thanks a bunch for reading, and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below 💚
Love this! It would be great to see a men’s facewash post to compliment this one 🙂
Noted!! I do have some men’s skincare options in this post too: https://organicallybecca.com/natural-mens-products/ 🙂
Hi everyone,
I as a man love reading your blog! I appreciate your wisdom and research. Your love for real everything for the consumer (all of us) is commendable and honored. Looking forward to reading more, in good health!
DR