16 Best Pregnancy Safe Shampoos Of 2022 For Good Hair Care

While the concept of a pregnancy safe shampoo might sound ridiculous in theory, believe me when I say they’re an absolute necessity.

The reason you’d want a special shampoo for pregnancy is to avoid your body being exposed to all of the harmful chemicals it normally has to face on a daily basis, like parabens, phthalates, artificial preservatives, and the like.

This isn’t just for your sake either, it also concerns your child’s overall health as whatever goes into your body will also be transferred over to your child.

That being said, this is something to be aware of regardless of whether or not you’re pregnant, as the chemicals found in these products can cause you to suffer from their negative effects no matter what.

It’s just that we’re only made aware of it once we become responsible for another life.

Now, you may think making the transition from your standard hair care products to these ‘clean’ ones is going to be a problem, but thanks to the shampoo brands producing these healthier alternatives, you will be perfectly fine.

They might be a little bit more expensive than your average shampoo, but if you have the budget to afford it it’s worth the price, both for your sake and the sake of your baby’s health.

Finding them might be difficult though, but never fear as I’ve gone on my usual expeditions into the vast jungles of the Amazon marketplace to pick out what I consider to be the best pregnancy safe shampoo labels out there.

For all of you busy moms, here’s a quick list of our top picks!

Best Pregnancy Safe Shampoos

1. Love Beauty and Planet Volume and Bounty Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner For Hair

While the people at this company tend to use a lot of and’s in their product names, they’re one of the more quality companies out there, especially when it comes to pregnancy safe shampoo.

​Their best product is the coconut water & mimosa flower blend, which helps strengthen your hair and give it volume thanks to the power of their coconut oil-infused conditioner, revitalizing thin hair and helping it grow back out.

The ingredients are all-natural, free from any phthalates, parabens, and sulfates, ensuring you get a healthy product that protects your child’s health and your own comfort.

It’s also worth mentioning this is a cruelty-free, vegan shampoo and conditioner as well.

The company is known for refusing to use any animals in its testing processes.

The lack of sulfates also makes it safe for chemically-treated/colored hair, meaning your daring dye won’t get washed out from continued use.

2. Baby Bum Shampoo & Wash

While it might be targeted toward babies, nothing is stopping you from using this shampoo yourself during your own pregnancy, as the benefits that make a shampoo pregnancy safe also extend to kids’ shampoos.

The fact it’s branded as a shampoo for kids makes it one of the most affordable options on this list, without sacrificing quality.

Essentially, it is a full-body cleanser that foams up and helps pull all that dirt off your soft and sensitive skin.

It’s infused with natural ingredients all based on various tropical plants and sea mineral extracts to help provide a moisturizing effect for your skin, no matter its quality.

Despite the fact it turns into foam, the Baby Bum shampoo contains no sulfates, nor does it have any parabens, phthalates, artificial dyes, or silicone.

The Baby Bum shampoo, as well as all their other products, are completely vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free too, ensuring quality and trust with modern buyers.

One other good thing is the fact they offer both a natural banana coconut fragrance or a fragrance-free shampoo.

3. OUAI Fine Shampoo

This is a slightly more expensive option, but one that’s well worth the price, as OUAI has made its unique blend of natural ingredients into a powerhouse that helps battle greasy hair, as well as strengthen the hair follicles of even the thinnest hairs, and support them at the roots too.

It works for all sorts of hair, from fine, straight, and coily hair to wavy and curly hair.

This is all thanks to the keratin-rich blend combined with chia seed oil and biotins, which keep hair as fresh and bouncy as it was before pregnancy, if not better.

It also helps reduce frizz, soften your locks, and add some illustrious shine.

It’s also cruelty-free as the people over at OUAI care about our animal friends and would dread to see anything bad happen to them.

This shampoo comes with a fine, Mediterranean aroma that mixes Italian lemon, white musk, and jasmine into a tantalizing scent that’ll transport you to the Sicilian coast every time you take a shower.

While it is certainly one of the best shampoos out there, I’d only recommend it for continued use if you have it in your budget to do so, as the amount in each bottle is actually rather small.

It can be a great treat or something to consider as an idea for a small gift for a gender reveal or baby shower for a fellow mamma.

4. SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner Set

The people over at SheaMoisture never disappoint with their products and they continue to churn out hit after hit, especially with this neat shampoo and conditioner set.

Using the set together helps bring some life back into even the most lifeless strands of hair, or dry scalps which have started to struggle for one reason or another, providing them with a powerful moisturizing effect and renewing their youthful texture.

This natural shampoo and conditioner set is made from all-natural ingredients like baobab, organic Shea butter, honey, and mafura, which help bring the natural oils back to your locks so they can stand strong on their own and not just rely on the shampoo itself.

That’s not all though, as you also have a rather unique ingredient in here too, the African rock fig, which has strong antioxidant properties sure to help provide some of the initial preventive measures to help keep your hair safe from outside elements that may weaken it.

This same ingredient also helps with washing out styling products that might be starting to cake into your hair and produce nasty after-products, like dandruff, etc.

The best part is that all these ingredients are safe for all types of hair, from curly to straight, and they’ll even treat color-treated hair with the utmost care, not stripping any of the dye because the shampoo itself doesn’t contain any sulfates.

The bottle design is neat too, reminiscent of those old-timey colors and larger bottle designs, which also means that you get more product for your money.

5. Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

This is a product from PureNature, and this shampoo and conditioner set uses Argan oil as a base alongside some other ingredients to help provide a hydrating effect to dry hair, while still being gentle on the more sensitive scalps out there.

It’s rich in various vitamins and antioxidants which help provide added protection from the elements like sun damage, whether from UV or heat.

They’ll also help deal with artificial heat sources and other factors which might damage your hair, like various styling products that degrade hair quality from prolonged use, high-power blow dryers, and curling irons.

PureNature has decided to include Vitamin E in the mix, as well as a revitalizing agent that makes your hair feel oh so soft!

All the ingredients you’ll find listed on the bottle were carefully selected to ensure they’re all gentle enough to avoid causing any irritation or damage, while still being potent enough to get the job done.

The shampoo itself is free from any phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and any other harsh chemicals you might see in store-bought ones.

6. Christina Moss Naturals Hair Shampoo

An excellent choice for hypoallergenic shampoo, which roots out any and all possible irritants and allergens so you can enjoy nice and relaxing, worry-free baths.

It’s made without any parabens, PGs, SLES, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, artificial dyes, petrochemicals, or phthalates, and the people over at Christina Moss have done their research and eliminated all possible suspects.

The foam it generates comes from a natural foaming agent, not sulfates.

They’re as honest a company as they come.

This product is made using fully organic aloe vera as a base, a plant well known for its soothing benefits, alongside a hint of olive oil, so it’s guaranteed to be gentle to even the most damaged or color-treated hair without ruining it further.

In fact, it’ll help repair and strengthen it!

Christina Moss also functions on a 100% satisfaction guarantee policy, one that all the best brands on Amazon offer.

In their case, they offer you 6 months of this promise, and if you’re dissatisfied with their product in any way they’ll provide you with either a replacement or full refund, especially if the best before date doesn’t match the satisfaction period.

7. Maple Holistics’ Tea Tree Shampoo for Dry Hair

Made from natural essential oils like jojoba and tea tree oil, this pregnancy safe shampoo aims to combat greasy hair and oily scalps by dissolving all the oily build-up which causes flaking, dandruff, and other scalp problems.

It’s something you can share with your husband too, as the rejuvenating benefits of the product aren’t just for women, guys can use them too.

The green tea tree leaf extract, as well as added notes of lavender and rosemary, helps deal with telogen effluvium as this unique blend of essential oils helps boost blood circulation to the scalp and strengthen the roots of your hair.

This product is sulfate, phthalate, and paraben-free, ensuring complete safety for your hair follicles as well as all forms of hair, even dye-treated locks.

Even without the necessary sulfates to build up foam to help lather yourself up, it still manages to get the job done with the rest of its ingredients.

8. Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal

This is a simple but effective shampoo for pregnant women from Aveeno.

​They don’t tend to complicate things too often and are always willing to provide their customers with a simple solution to their problems.

Their shampoo product is made using a sulfate-free formula to avoid agitating the scalp or stripping any dye from color-treated hair, providing a gentle way of washing away dirt and grime off your hair while also preventing any sort of potential build-up.

​9. The Honest Company Shampoo & Conditioner Set

Another company you might be familiar with, especially with their baby products, is Honest co. as they are famous for their fully natural baby wipes and diapers.

Don’t worry though, they didn’t slack on this product just because it’s a bit different, they’ve made sure it meets their standards of quality so it’s one of the best shampoos on the market.

It’s completely hypoallergenic and tear-free, meaning it can be used for your future kids too.

The ingredients are a treat as well, as they’re fully natural and free from phthalates, sulfates, and parabens, containing healthy replacements like jojoba oil, aloe vera, sweet almond, and coconut oil to provide a spa-like treatment for your hair.

This shampoo is free from any artificial odors too and uses the natural, sweet scent of freshly picked oranges mixed with a hint of vanilla instead.

A good alternative to the Honest Company is the Hello Bello brand which also makes personal hygiene products.

10. Paul Mitchell Shampoo One

This one is for mammas who want to feed their inner hairstylists by getting a product popular in salons.

This Paul Mitchell shampoo has been praised by every hair salon far and wide for just how effective it is at helping strengthen hair and bringing life and luster back into it, a true resurrection of one’s hair follicles.

The shampoo itself contains zero harsh chemicals and is completely cruelty-free and vegan with a chamomile, jojoba oil, aloe vera, and rosemary base, all of it mixed in with wheat-based conditioners that provide an uplift to your hair texture and help de-frizz it.

It also leaves behind a pleasant smell reminiscent of the tropics which will help bring you that dream vacation feeling to help de-stress you even further.

Despite being a professional-grade shampoo, it won’t affect dyed hair so your style can remain safe for longer, and the product itself is actually quite affordable compared to some of the others on this list, especially considering how much product you get in comparison to them.

11. Pura D’Or Original Gold Label Anti-Thinning Biotin Shampoo

You might recognize this brand for its high-quality line of hair care products, and this is no exception.

Built primarily on a DHT blend and biotin, this shampoo strengthens hair at its roots and helps shield it from any outside influences that may end up damaging it.

This is the ultimate product for helping prevent hair thinning and hair loss.

The other ingredients aren’t a disappointment either, as they provide a wonderful mix of all-natural items like nettle extract oil, black cumin seed, and pumpkin seed oil, all of which help in strengthening the cleansing potential of the Pura D’Or shampoo without damaging hair.

Much like some of the other products on this list, the Pura D’Or company provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you aren’t satisfied with any of their products in any way, they’ll either get you a replacement or your money back, no questions asked.

12. Whamisa Organic Seeds Sub-Acid Hair Shampoo

This is a shampoo that might catch your eye due to its rather interesting bottle shape, but looks aren’t the only thing this product has going for it, it has substance too!

Whamisa prides itself on being an all-natural shampoo and isn’t ashamed to say not all of its ingredients are organic, coming in at 68.2%, but none of them are harmful to your hair or your skin in any way.

It contains no sulfates, parabens, or phthalates, and instead has a mix of extracts from different plants like aloe vera and barley seed mixed together with some potent plant oils like Bergamot and lavender.

All of these will help enhance and strengthen your hair’s roots while also providing a fresh, earthy fragrance that’ll make you feel like you’re surrounded by nature in all its splendor.

13. Pureology Moisturizing Shampoo

If you’re someone who already has a nice, bushy, and thick head of strong hair, and you want to maintain it, Pureology’s shampoo might be the way to go.

It’s also a good option if you want to maintain the color of your dyed hair without any of it washing out.

This is achieved through their powerful mix of various plant extracts, like sage, jojoba, and green tea leaf to provide some natural hydration to your scalp and help keep your hair as lively as it already is, if not improve it.

Think of it like watering a well-kept garden.

All of this is possible because the shampoo itself is free of any sulfates, which are known to make store-bought shampoos a bit too strong for the scalps of pregnant women, often leading to hair dye peeling off or hair getting damaged further.

This product is also completely vegan and cruelty-free, as the best shampoo brands strive to be friendly to both humans and animals.

14. Alba Botanica Drink It Up Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner Set

This Alba botanica shampoo and conditioner set is made from a coconut milk base rich in fatty acids, which is ideal for dry hair and helps prevent split ends and excess hair shedding in general.

The added mix of calendula oil helps serve as natural protection from outside elements and helps keep naturally dry hair intact, allowing it to grow properly.

And, as with all good products, it’s completely vegan and contains no animal bi-products, nor has the company used animals to test their cosmetics, ensuring another level of trust which should be common practice with every company.

This is a slightly more budget option if some of these other products seem a bit too expensive for your tastes.

15. Klorane Ultra-Gentle Shampoo

This is a shampoo from a French brand, Klorane, and it is based on oat milk unlike all the others based on oils.

Oat milk has a rather unique soothing property for the scalp and the skin in general, where you’ll feel like you’re bathing in a milk bath rather than regular water, so you come back out with it feeling revitalized and silky smooth.

This shampoo is completely free of sulfates as well as any other harmful chemicals, replacing the former with natural ingredients that manage to do the same job without harming your roots.

16. Puracy Shampoo and Conditioner Set

One of the newer products to hit the shelves, Puracy offers an updated formula for their own shampoo for pregnant women as the final entry on this list.

It’s one of the first products to completely ditch silicone, while also providing a completely natural replacement for it in the form of LexFeel N5, which helps increase the duration of the protection the shampoo provides after a wash by up to 3 whole days.

The shampoo itself is, as with many of the other good shampoos on the market, free from any sulfates, phthalates, and parabens, as well as any artificial fragrances.

This time, the product really is all-natural!

It’s also completely safe for color-treated hair as well as being gluten-free and hypoallergenic to boot, so you don’t have to worry about any unwanted reactions.

This product is made entirely in the US too, so you’d be supporting our economy by deciding to go with Puracy as your preferred brand.

The people over at Puracy also offer their own “Pure Love guarantee” where they’ll give you a full refund if you aren’t completely satisfied with their product, as all good brands want to ensure their customers do.

Why Pregnancy Safe Shampoo Is Important

Now, you won’t exactly find any of these shampoos directly saying they’re for pregnant women, as the idea of a shampoo made specifically for pregnant women is still quite new and not something that is easily advertised.

However, it’s not too hard to guess which shampoos and conditioners are pregnancy safe and which aren’t, all you have to do is look at the label to find everything you need to make that judgment call.

The first thing you should be on the lookout for are any and all harsh chemicals which might be listed on the product itself.

Next, you’ll want to check if the shampoo is all-natural or contains plant-based ingredients, or is derived from them, as those usually tend to be gentler on your skin and don’t usually contain any of the aforementioned harmful chemicals like parabens, phthalates, etc.

These will usually be flagged as hypoallergenic.

Also, look for a shampoo that caters to sensitive skin, as yours is likely to become more receptive to stimulation due to your pregnancy.

That’s why finding something for your newly sensitive scalp is going to make those showers feel a whole lot better than they would otherwise.

The same might happen to your hair too, so try finding haircare products that cater to a wide variety of hair types rather than just the one you’re normally used to.

Believe me when I say pregnancy can lead to either greasy or dry hair depending on how your hormones decide to act that day.

Your hair might also be more prone to split ends and breakage, and sometimes you might even have more of your hair fall out, but that’s only under specific circumstances.

This is why it’s crucial to get a gentle shampoo that’ll be able to treat and nourish any of your damaged hair, as well as treat your scalp to the point where you normalize your hair growth once more.

Your nose, or rather your sense of smell, might end up becoming more receptive to changes in odor and could become a bit more irritated than it would’ve before your pregnancy, which is why choosing a fragrance-free shampoo might also be a box you need to tick.

This is mostly due to the fact synthetic fragrances tend to be very aggressive, especially during a pregnancy when the entire body is on high alert, your sense of smell in particular.

Harmful Chemicals To Avoid

Not all of us majored in chemistry, which is why ingredient labels tend to be rather confusing!

This is why I’ve made a little list of the most important ingredients you should avoid.

1. Sulfates

One of the first things that come to mind is sulfates, or rather sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient in store-bought shampoos which produces the foam we associate with cleaning products like dish soap, and not just shampoo in general.

This is why many moms-to-be opt for dish soap that’s safe for babies, for example.

Sulfates are responsible for the effectiveness of cleaning and washing products as it helps bind the dirt and oils, pulling them off the skin and allowing the water to wash it off easily.

The main problem is for people with sensitive skin and sensitive scalps, who often suffer from skin and scalp irritation and dry and damaged hair.

If you’re someone who gets this symptom during pregnancy, you might want to swap out your regular-store bought shampoo for a sulfate-free shampoo to hydrate your scalp and keep your hair as soft and as silky as possible.

Another problem that might surface, especially for any of you mammas who like to dye your hair, is when you lather it with sulfates, as they tend to also strip that chemical layer off and make the color more prone to washing off during a bath.

If you’re concerned about that, then you definitely want to make the swap sooner rather than later.

2. Parabens

While you might know paraben as candle wax, it has a whole different purpose in cosmetics and similar products in the form of an artificial preservative.

Its use is widespread due to it being an affordable and rather effective ingredient, however, it does have its drawbacks too.

The main issue is that it might end up causing severe issues in your child’s development, like stunting the growth of the fetus.

The other problem is the fact it essentially works as a sort of catalyst, or rather a gateway for other harmful chemicals to be better absorbed into your body the more your skin is exposed to it, which in turn makes it more likely to endanger the baby and lead to issue #1.

There are other wild claims of high exposure to parabens increasing the likelihood of preterm birth, which is a great risk factor in and of itself as it endangers both your life and the life of your child.

The other theory currently being researched is that boys born to moms who’ve had high exposure to parabens might have higher estrogen levels in their system.

3. Phthalates

The other ingredient you want to avoid as much as possible is anything containing phthalates.

You’ll find these in any product that uses plastic, which usually includes a great number of items found in your household.

The main problem with cleaning products is they tend to get absorbed into the items they come into contact with for longer periods of time, like food or cosmetics.

The former only really happens on a dangerous scale if you heat the food inside a plastic container, which facilitates the bonding process.

While it hasn’t quite been well researched yet, the suspected negative effects appear to be rather similar to those of parabens themselves, namely the poor development of a pregnant woman’s fetus.

In addition, heavy exposure to phthalates seems to affect the reproductive organs of both genders.

While not entirely proven, these claims allude to something that could be a rather serious problem, and once again I urge you to avoid them if you can or at least minimize your exposure to them so you don’t end up proving these theories right.

After all, there are plenty of products out there that don’t contain phthalates.

I’m sure there are even more than those I’ve listed as the variations are so vast.

So feel free to remind me of any especially nasty ingredients I may have missed to help keep our fellow mammas well informed.

Why Does Hair Become More Sensitive During Pregnancy?

It’s not really the hair itself, but rather the scalp that ends up becoming more sensitive.

On the contrary, pregnancy tends to have a positive effect on your lustrous locks by making them stronger than before with a sturdier root, and the added hormone spikes tend to skip over the natural shedding process, allowing it to grow longer.

While this might run contrary to the statements made earlier, you should know that only about half of women enjoy this benefit throughout their entire pregnancy.

It’s not uncommon for other women to get the opposite effect, one that leads to a lot of shedding and hair loss, though only throughout the first half of their pregnancies.

If it doesn’t happen to you, don’t think you’re out of the woods yet.

The one common aspect many mothers share is losing hair postpartum, thankfully it only happens for the first 4 months after birth and fades shortly after.

It’s caused by the large amounts of stress your post-birth body gets put under, with an unhealthy mix of hormone spikes making for a very potent hair loss cocktail.

Luckily, none of these should cause any permanent hair loss and their effects can be treated, if not avoided entirely, as long as you’re careful.

There are plenty of things you can do to help avoid any problems, while also ensuring your scalp stays strong and your hair stays as thick and luxurious as ever, starting with avoiding the harmful ingredients listed above.

Other things you can do to help combat the loss of hair during pregnancy, and in general, are:

• Don’t put your hairdryer too close to your hair and use low-power settings to avoid damaging it at its roots or drying it out in general

• Look for shampoos containing ingredients that help further strengthen and supplement your hair’s roots and the hair itself, like silica and biotin.

• Switch to a diet that includes a lot of antioxidant-rich foods, like select fruits and veggies. Antioxidants help your hair grow and add an extra layer of protection to it.

• Also be sure to make your diet a lot healthier overall, with lots of different vitamins and minerals included, like zinc, biotin, and vitamins B, C, and E that house beneficial properties for hair strength and overall quality.

• Fine tooth combs should be avoided if possible as they’ll introduce a lot more drag and friction, making it more likely to irritate your scalp or pull hairs out.

• It’s also worth noting you should only brush your hair when it’s dry to help your hair regenerate its natural oils.

Brushing it while wet is more likely to damage it as it lacks that layer of protection.

The Bottom Line

A pregnancy safe shampoo is important considering all the potential risks posed by “regular” shampoos.

In addition, opting for a shampoo with all-natural ingredients will still be a better option for overall skincare.

It will also improve your child’s overall health, especially if you shower often.

It’ll help limit your exposure to all of the harmful ingredients normally found in shampoos and won’t irritate your skin as much.

Even if you’re one of the lucky moms who doesn’t suffer from more sensitive skin, scalp, and other problems caused by the hormone spikes during pregnancy, you’ll find the feeling of a pregnancy safe shampoo a lot gentler on the skin!

They’re also more likely to be cruelty-free, so no animals will have to suffer.

Regardless of what your decision might be, it’s one likely best discussed with your family doctor, pediatrician, or any other qualified healthcare professional, as with any other products that might potentially affect your child or yourself in a negative manner.

They’re the ones designated for professional advice and should be listened to over any advice you might see on the internet!

READ NEXT: 18 Best Pregnancy Safe Nail Polishes

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