11 Best Organic and Natural Shampoos for Pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is best to avoid any product with harsh chemicals including shampoos. Not all shampoos are safe when you are expecting. Here are 11 best organic and natural shampoos for pregnancy, which are safe and will leave your hair luscious.
Almost as soon as you find out you are pregnant, you start worry about smallest possible thing that could possibly harm your baby. You start thinking about two cup of coffee you had it yesterday or your gym routine of last week.
Pregnancy is most exciting as well as worrisome time for women. Reason being, when you are pregnant, whatever you do, eat, or expose yourself to, could have a significant impact on health of your developing baby. So, you need to take some extra step to keep yourself and baby safe during those three trimester.
Chemicals found in products like body wash, face wash, face mask, body lotion– that we unknowingly use in our household could possibly be harmful to you and your baby during pregnancy. And shampoos that we use are no exception. Usually, the amount of toxic chemicals is low in shampoo, but why take a risk when you are expecting?
There are pregnancy-safe natural and organic shampoos available in the market for you to use. Finding natural and organic shampoos is not that hard. All you have to do is look for ingredients that you can recognize.
To make your life easier, we have compiled a list of 11 natural and organic shampoos for pregnancy.
Let’s get right into it.
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Does Pregnancy change your Hair?
Not only hair, but pregnancy also changes a whole lot!! For some women, during pregnancy hair stays in the growth cycle longer than it supposes to be making their hair look thicker due to an increase in estrogen.
While for other pregnant women, it is completely opposite. Increase in estrogen level, cause hairs to grow slower and shed faster. Excessive shedding of hair (Telogen effluvium) one to five months following pregnancy.
According to AAP, hair loss during pregnancy is common and it affects approximately 40-50% women.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy are responsible for a change in hair. Fortunately, the right shampoo with the right ingredients can make a huge difference in hair health during pregnancy.
Recommended readings
- Body Aches and Pains during First Trimester of Pregnancy
- 10 Ways to Relieve Sciatic Nerve Pain During Pregnancy
Does Shampoo affect Pregnancy?
Not all shampoos are safe to use during pregnancy. Certain chemicals found in shampoos can cause serious harm to you and your unborn child.
The popular surfactant – sodium lauryl sulfate found in shampoos, has been liked to a birth defect in animal studies (1).
Other harmful chemicals that have been tested in in-vitro or animal studies include parabens, phthalates, and methylisothiazolinone (MIT, a preservative). According to a study published in 2005, methylisothiazolinone inhibited the growth of rat nerve cells (2-4).
That is scary!!
You don’t want to take a risk using shampoos that contains those chemicals and because those harmful chemicals can easily enter your body through hair follicles.
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11 Best Organic and Natural Shampoos for Pregnancy
1.PURA D’OR Hair Thinning Therapy Biotin Shampoo
Many pregnant women complain about hair thinning during pregnancy. The URAD’OR Biotin shampoo is the answer to your thinning hair therapy. This biotin-rich shampoo may assist in the regrowth of your hair.
Their formula contains all-natural ingredients such as biotin, argan oil, antioxidants, and others to detoxify the scalp and encourage healthy hair.
There is some research to suggest that biotin can improve overall hair quality, including thickness and shine.
In addition to biotin, PURADOR shampoo also contains argan oil to protect your hair from heat damage.
This shampoo is free from parabens, sulfate, and other harmful chemicals. It is also cruelty-free, gluten-free, and hypoallergenic so suitable for women with a sensitive scalp.
It comes with 365 days money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose trying this shampoo during your pregnancy.
2. Puracy Natural Daily Shampoo
Another one in pregnancy safe list is Puracy natural daily shampoo.
This 99% natural shampoo has a plant-derived LexFeel N5 as the main ingredient. LexFeel N5 is natural alternative to silicone to give you slick and frictionless feeling.
Other natural ingredients in this shampoo include black walnut leaf extract, ginger extract, beet sugar extract, olive oil, and Vitamin E. All of these ingredients work together to moisturize your hair for a healthy look.
This pregnancy-safe shampoo is free from silicone, sulfate, phosphate, dye, petroleum, salicylate and perfume, and other harsh ingredients.
3 Christina Moss Naturals Organic Shampoo
Christina Moss Naturals is a small family-owned business making organic products in the USA since 1999. This organic shampoo contains nourishing plant extracts, essential oils, and fatty acids for soft, clean, and shiny hair.
The main ingredient of this shampoo is coconut oil. And who doesn’t know the benefit of coconut oil to keep hair healthy? Coconut oil is rick in hair-loving nutrients such as Vitamin E, fatty acids, and deeply nourishing moisture to protect your hair from breaking from roots to end and stimulating hair growth.
This shampoo also contains aloe vera. Aloe vera makes a very effective nutrient in shampoo for hair and scalp because of its natural healing properties. It gently cleans, soothes, and hydrates the scalp and hair.
Christine Moss Naturals organic shampoo is also enriched with shea butter to prevent build-up in the scalp and lightly moisturizing the hair. It is also helpful in repairing hair damage caused by hairstyling tools and products.
This organic shampoo is free from harmful chemicals such as it gently cleans and soothes one’s scalp and hair while hydrating to ensure its use during pregnancy. It is also vegan and cruelty-free.
Like others, it also comes with six months of satisfaction guarantee.
4. Mother Dirt Natural Shampoo
Do you have sensitivities, allergies, or skin issues? Mother Dirt Natural Shampoo is for you. It maintains your scalp microbiome without being too harsh on your hair.
This shampoo is made from ONLY 5 plant-based ingredients essential to clean your hair without removing any good microbiome in your scalp.
This gentle formula contains two plant-based cleansers, seed protein softener, flower water, olive oil-derived conditioner, and baobab for shinier and healthy-looking hair.
With Mother Dirt shampoo, you can go longer between hair washes!!
This dermatologist-reviewed shampoo is clinically tested, preservative & sulfate-free, and unfragranced, making it safe to use during pregnancy.
5. Daily Hair Cleanser Natural Shampoo
Seed Phytonutrients Daily hair cleanser natural shampoo is designed for all hair types. This formula is 93% natural and environmentally friendly.
The key ingredient in this shampoo is camelina seed oil and sunflower seed oil. Camelina seed oil resembles flaxseed oil and is rich in omega 3-fatty acids, Vitamin E, and natural antioxidants.
Another important natural ingredient in this formula is coconut and turmeric. Both are known for their health and skin benefits for ages. Turmeric helps your hair by reducing hair loss through breakage and improve hair health. The vitamins and essential fatty acid naturally found in coconut nourishes the scalp and help to remove build-up from hair follicles.
This pregnancy-safe plant-based shampoo is non-GMO and free from sulfate, gluten, and paraben.
Not only is this formula natural and vegan, but it also comes in a 100% recyclable paper bottle.
6. Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Hydrating Shampoo
This shampoo is one of my favorites for curly hair. I have curly hair and this shampoo makes my hair bouncy and pretty.
This shampoo is made with rice amino acids, shea butter, avocado, and tomato fruit ferment.
Rice amino acids seal the hair cuticle thereby keeping your hair frizz-free from environmental moisture. Shea butter, avocado, tomato fruit ferment, and quinoa extract combine to hydrate, prevent frizz, and define curls.
When you have curly hair, you need to keep your hair hydrated and Curl Chrishma shampoo exactly does that!!
This gentle cleanser is made up of 98% naturally derived ingredients and is free from sulfate, silicones, parabens, phthalates, or artificial dye.
Unless you are sensitive to amazing fragrance during pregnancy, curl charisma is best for your curly hair.
7. Pure Nature Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo
Got a frizzy, curly, wavy, fine, and thick hair? And on top pregnancy hormones making it hard to manage? Not to worry. The Pure Nature Moroccan argan oil shampoo will hydrate and restore that over-treated hair.
This argan oil rich shampoo gives hair beautiful structure, leaving it soft and manageable.
In addition to argan oil, this shampoo contains Vitamin E that penetrates through the cuticle of the hair, preventing it from shedding during pregnancy.
This pregnancy-safe shampoo is free from sulfates, parabens, sodium chloride, gluten, or phthalates.
8. Om Botanical Pure Organic Shampoo
Looking for truly natural and organic shampoo? Don’t look anywhere else but this Ayurvedic 100% soapnuts shampoo.
The main Ayurvedic ingredients in this shampoo are soapnuts or soapberry (a berry related to the lychee) shikakai, holy basil, neem, willow bark, Vitamin B3, and DHT blockers like pumpkin seeds.
Soapnuts contain saponin, which is a gentle cleanser. It gently cleans your hair without stripping the essential nutrients.
Shikakai is a great source of antioxidants and Vitamin C among other vitamins. Vitamin C helps promote hair growth by giving the scalp a collagen boost.
All these natural, organic ingredients work together to repair, hydrate, soften, and strengthen your hair leaving it tangle-free and shiny.
This Ayurvedic 100 % plant-based shampoo is best for all hair types and is free from sulfates, parabens, silicons, artificial fragrance among other harsh chemicals.
9. MAJESTIC PURE Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Don’t take this shampoo off the list just yet because of ‘Apple cider vinegar’ name. It does not smell like vinegar at all.
Majestic Pure Apple cider vinegar shampoo contains raw apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and avocado oil as the main ingredient to clarify and hydrate hair and scalp.
Apple cider vinegar helps your hair by a detoxifying scalp and keeping it build-up free.
Another benefit of using this 100% vegan shampoo is itch control, dandruff control, and frizz taming among others.
It does not contain harmful chemicals that can hurt you or your baby.
10. DermOrganic Daily Conditioning Shampoo
DermOrganic daily conditioning shampoo is great for chemically or colored treated hair.
The main ingredient of this shampoo is argan oil. Argan oil leaves your hair luxuriously soft and manageable, with a natural shine and bounce. It also contains Vitamin E to keep hair strong, thick, and younger-looking.
The cleansers in this shampoo are made from EFA lipids and amino acids that moisturize and strengthen the hair. This shampoo is gentle on the hair, scalp, and skin yet creates a rich luxurious lather, unlike other sulfate-free shampoos.
This pregnancy-safe shampoo is all vegan, free of gluten, paraben, sulfates, glycols, DEA, MEA, dyes, sodium chloride, or other artificial thickeners.
11. Auromere Ayurvedic Shampoo Bar
Not only is this 100% natural, gentle yet effective shampoo bar made with unique Ayurvedic formula for nourishing and rejuvenating your hair, but the no-bottle packaging is friendly on the environment and your wallet, as one bar is equivalent to two bottles of liquid shampoo.
This Auromere soap bar contains organic Neem, the premier herb for skin and scalp, and 5 other herbal extracts: Reetha, Shikakai, Henna, gooseberries, and fenugreek, holy basil, all are known for their natural cleansing, nourishing, and rejuvenating properties and effect on the hair and scalp.
This soap bar is all in one, you can use it for the face and body too!! So, it makes an excellent travel buddy.
How to Choose Pregnancy safe Shampoo and Conditioner?
The easiest way to find a pregnancy-safe shampoo and conditioner is to go with the ingredient that you are aware of. Choose a shampoo and conditioner that contains oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, tea tree oil, argan oil, sunflower oil, aloe vera, shea butter, apple cider vinegar, or other ingredients that look safe to you.
Or go for all-natural or organic shampoos. It might make you think that, are all ingredients in shampoo truly organic? It may not be possible to include all the organic ingredients to make shampoo, but brands do their best to include a majority of organic additives and find other missing ingredients that are natural.
Tips to Keep Hair Healthy during Pregnancy
Change in the hair during pregnancy is inevitable.But there are certain things that you can do to lessen the damage to your hair.
- Use a shampoo and conditioner that contains natural or organic hair-supporting nutrients like biotin, vitamin E.
- Eat a healthy well-balanced diet containing fruits and vegetables as they contain antioxidants and flavonoids to protect hair follicles.
- Avoid hairdryer
- Use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair
- Do not wear your hair really tight or in braids that put hair in excess strain
- Massage your scalp and hair with coconut oil or castor oil two-three times a week to stimulate growth
- Avoid dying your hair in the first trimester of pregnancy
11 Best Organic and Natural Shampoos for Pregnancy: Conclusions
Finding an organic and natural shampoo during pregnancy is a smart move. You want to avoid as many harsh chemicals as you can during this phase of your life.
Remember, always look for an ingredient before buying your pregnancy safe shampoo as not all “organic or Natural” labeled products are truly organic or natural.
As a rule of thumb, if you can recognize and pronounce the ingredient on your shampoo bottle then you are good to go.
Also, I would also avoid shampoo and conditioner with rosemary, lemongrass, or essential oils that are harmful during pregnancy at least during the first trimester of pregnancy as whatever you put on your scalp it enters in your body.
I hope that one of these 11 best organic and natural shampoos for pregnancy helps you make your hair healthy and prevent it from hair loss.
On the other note, if you haven’t yet started planning and journaling about your pregnancy journey, it’s not late. Check out this post about best pregnancy planners and journals to create memories for life time.
Which organic or natural shampoo is your favorite during pregnancy? Leave your comment below.
References
- Bondi CA, Marks JL, Wroblewski LB, Raatikainen HS, Lenox SR, Gebhardt KE. Human and Environmental Toxicity of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Evidence for Safe Use in Household Cleaning Products. Environ Health Insights. 2015;9:27-32. Published 2015 Nov 17. doi:10.4137/EHI.S31765
- National Research Council (US) Committee on the Health Risks of Phthalates. Phthalates and Cumulative Risk Assessment: The Tasks Ahead. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2008.
- Du S, McLaughlin B, Pal S, Aizenman E. In vitro neurotoxicity of methylisothiazolinone, a commonly used industrial and household biocide, proceeds via a zinc and extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway. J Neurosci. 2002;22(17):7408-7416. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.22-17-07408.2002
- He K, Huang J, Lagenaur CF, Aizenman E. Methylisothiazolinone, a neurotoxic biocide, disrupts the association of SRC family tyrosine kinases with focal adhesion kinase in developing cortical neurons. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006;317(3):1320-1329. doi:10.1124/jpet.106.103044
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