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Better options for baby wash, oil and lotion
The fragrance-free baby wash, oils and lotion from Bambo Nature, Estelle & Thild and Weleda that met the Standard, and what to look for on the label.
- By
- Nontoxic Nest
- Published
- Updated
A wash, an oil and a lotion are the first bottles in most changing bags, and they go on your baby's skin every day. If you'd like them without fragrance, you need to know which bottles to pick up.
Here's the short answer. For bath time, choose the Bambo Nature Hair & Body Wash. For a lotion, the Estelle & Thild BioCare Baby Body Lotion. For an oil, the Estelle & Thild Mom & Baby Oil, the Bambo Nature Baby Oil or the Weleda Calendula Baby Oil. Anything about your baby's skin, from dryness to a rash, is a question for your BVC nurse or midwife.
At a glance
| Product | What it is | Fragrance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambo Nature Hair & Body Wash | One wash for hair and body, 11 ingredients | Fragrance-free | Bath time |
| Estelle & Thild BioCare Baby Body Lotion | Water-based lotion with organic aloe, jojoba and shea | Fragrance-free | Daily lotion |
| Estelle & Thild Mom & Baby Oil | Six oils and vitamin E | Fragrance-free | Massage and dry skin |
| Bambo Nature Baby Oil | Two ingredients | Fragrance-free | Shortest label |
| Weleda Calendula Baby Oil | Sesame oil and calendula extract, organic | Fragrance-free | Calendula without fragrance |
How we chose
Our picks passed the Standard: the full ingredient list is published, none of the ingredients the Standard keeps out is in it, and the brand states the product is fragrance-free. You'll find them in baby shampoo and body wash, the baby lotion category and the wider baby skincare and bath. The details below come from each brand's own product information.
Our picks
Rank 1: Best wash for hair and body
Bambo Nature
Bambo Nature Hair & Body Wash, 500 ml
For bath time, this is one wash for hair and body with 11 ingredients, starting with water, sodium laureth sulfate and glycerin. It's fragrance-free and comes in a 500 ml bottle.
Last reviewed 7 November 2026
Rank 2: Best lotion
Estelle & Thild
BioCare Baby Body Lotion* 150 ml
For a daily lotion, this is water-based with organic aloe leaf juice, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, glycerin and shea butter, preserved with sodium benzoate. It's allergy tested and 100% fragrance-free.
- Free from fragrance according to the brand
Last reviewed 27 October 2026
Rank 3: Best oil
Estelle & Thild
Estelle &Thild Mom & Baby Oil 100 ml
For massage or dry patches, this has six ingredients: organic sunflower, sweet almond, apricot kernel and pomegranate seed oils, squalane and tocopherol (vitamin E). There's no fragrance.
- Free from fragrance according to the brand
Last reviewed 23 October 2026
Rank 4: Shortest oil label
Bambo Nature
Bambo Nature Baby Oil
If you want the shortest label of all, this has two ingredients: ethylhexyl stearate and vegetable oil (olus oil). There's no fragrance.
Last reviewed 6 November 2026
Rank 5: Best calendula oil
Weleda
Calendula Baby Oil
If you like calendula, this mild oil is completely fragrance-free and organic, made from sesame seed oil and calendula flower extract. It has two ingredients.
- Free from fragrance according to the brand
Last reviewed 8 November 2026
What should you look for on the label?
Look for "fragrance-free" stated outright, then check the ingredient list for "Parfum". Fragrance is listed as Parfum whether it's made from synthetic or natural ingredients, and EU cosmetics law requires named fragrance allergens such as limonene and linalool to be listed after it above set levels. All five picks are fragrance-free and list no Parfum.
What's in conventional baby skincare?
Many of the best-known baby washes, oils and lotions list Parfum. On their makers' own pages, Johnson's lists parfum in its Baby Oil, Baby Shampoo, Top-to-Toe Wash and Baby Lotion, and its Baby Oil is paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil), isopropyl palmitate and parfum. Nivea lists parfum in its baby bath and shampoo, care and massage oil and baby creams. Both describe these products as hypoallergenic. The pages are linked under Sources.
If you remember three things
- Turn the bottle over and look for "Parfum"; "for babies" on the front doesn't tell you.
- Fragrance from essential oils is still listed as Parfum, followed by allergens like limonene and linalool.
- One fragrance-free wash for hair and body, and one fragrance-free oil or lotion, cover the changing bag.
Frequently asked questions
Is "hypoallergenic" the same as fragrance-free?
No. A product can be called hypoallergenic and still list Parfum. Look for fragrance-free stated outright, as on all of our picks.
Why are limonene and linalool on some labels?
EU cosmetics law requires named fragrance allergens to be listed on the label above set levels, and a 2023 regulation added more of them to the list. A product scented with essential oils lists them after "Parfum".
Which oil should I choose?
They're all fragrance-free; choose by what's in them. The Estelle & Thild oil is a blend of four plant oils with squalane and vitamin E, the Bambo Nature oil has two ingredients, and the Weleda oil is sesame oil with calendula extract.
Sources
- Johnson's Baby UK, Baby Oil: https://www.johnsonsbaby.co.uk/johnsons-baby-oil
- Johnson's Baby UK, Baby Shampoo: https://www.johnsonsbaby.co.uk/johnsons-baby-shampoo
- Johnson's Baby UK, Top-to-Toe Wash: https://www.johnsonsbaby.co.uk/johnsons-top-to-toe-wash
- Kenvue Pro UK, Johnson's Baby Lotion 300 ml: https://kenvuepro.com/en-gb/brands/johnsons/products/johnsons-baby-lotion-300ml
- NIVEA Germany, Kopf bis Fuß Bad & Shampoo: https://www.nivea.de/produkte/kopf-bis-fuss-bad-and-shampoo-200ml-40060002064620001.html
- NIVEA Germany, Meine erste Creme: https://www.nivea.de/produkte/meine-erste-creme-75ml-40060001908150001.html
- NIVEA Austria, Pflege & Massage Baby Öl: https://www.nivea.at/produkte/pflege-and-massage-baby-oel-40060000340720064.html
- Weleda Sweden, Calendula Baby Oil: https://www.weleda.se/produkt/calendula-baby-oil-g009656
- EUR-Lex, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on the labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1545/oj
- Each product page lists the brand pages and certificate registers behind it.