Gear Review: California Baby Super Sensitive Body Wash, Shampoo, and Conditioner

Like many parents, I am conscious of the products I use on my children, always looking for formulas that have that perfect balance of safe and effective ingredients. This task can be difficult in general, but adding in a child with sensory sensitivities and eczema can make it feel downright impossible. 

When given the opportunity to try California Baby’s Super Sensitive shampoo/body wash and conditioner, I was thrilled because these products seemed perfect for my daughter. She has eczema, but since we’re in the warmer months (and we live in the humid South), she doesn’t have as many flare-ups during this time of year, so we don’t necessarily need to use heavy, super-strong eczema products on her skin. Additionally, she’s autistic and can have big reactions to products with strong smells or that just don’t feel right on her skin—too slimy, too bubbly, too runny, too scratchy, and so on. After trying  California Baby’s Super Sensitive products, I was excited to find they met my and my daughter’s high standards and exceeded my expectations. 

Delivery and Packaging

These products were packed and delivered in a standard cardboard box, and inside, they were packaged again in one of California Baby’s “100% Plant Based Collection” gift boxes. The combo shampoo/body wash comes in a 19-fluid-ounce bottle with a pump, and the conditioner is a 2-fluid-ounce squeeze bottle with a standard flip cap (this is the sample size; the standard size is 8.5 fluid ounces). 

There are many things to love about California Baby, but its commitment to sustainability may be what I love most, and that commitment is evident in their packaging. The box had no plastic packaging, and all the filler was made from recyclable paper. Additionally, the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastics, and once you’ve finished your product, you don’t have to remove the tree-free labels from the bottles; they can be recycled right along with them. The company also prioritizes sustainability during its manufacturing process, which you can read more about on its website.

Key Features

Made with 100% plant-based ingredients: Safe ingredients are a must with baby and kid products, and California Baby certainly delivers in this regard.  Like all California Baby products, the products we tested are independently lab-tested and USDA-certified 100% bio-based. This means the products are free of harsh chemicals, including petroleum-derived ingredients and their contaminants. Remarkably, the only non-plant ingredient in the formula is ultra-purified water. (Bonus: Given the company’s commitment to baby and kid-safe ingredients, it probably comes as no surprise that California Baby was founded by a mom.)

Fragrance-free formula: This feature really stands out for me because my daughter can have significant reactions to scents. Both products we tested are fragrance-free, and unlike many unscented bath products, there are no chemicals added to the shampoo/body wash or conditioner to mask natural scents. 

Allergy-friendly formula: Fortunately, my daughter does not have any major allergies that we know of (yet), but I think it’s still worth mentioning that all California Baby products are allergy-friendly. Every product is free of gluten, soy, sesame, oat, dairy, and nuts (with the exception of coconut). Additionally, California Baby owns their own FDA-registered, certified-organic factory and manufactures all of their own products. This not only allows them to create higher-quality formulas with more quality control, it also eliminates the risk of allergen cross-contamination. 

Effectiveness: These products prove that you don’t need a huge list of chemical ingredients to be effective. I felt like my daughter’s body and hair were thoroughly cleaned using the combo shampoo/body wash, and the conditioner left her fine hair super soft without weighing it down. Also, plant-based products can sometimes lack a good lather, but this shampoo/body wash bubbled up quite nicely. In fact, I added a few pumps to one of my daughter’s baths, and it made for a fun, foamy bubble bath. 

Areas for Improvement

The body wash formula has little moisturizing benefit: Given she has eczema, my daughter’s skin is drier than average, but after using this body wash, I did notice that we needed to lather on a lot of body lotion after her baths because it seemed to dry her skin a little more than other products. To be fair, though, this is not an eczema-specific product (which California Baby does offer), and since it’s made to be super gentle on all skin types, I understand why they would not add moisturizing ingredients to the formula. Still, I would have liked it a bit more if it didn’t leave her skin so dry. 

Who Would Enjoy These Products

The entire family can enjoy California Baby products (they also have a California Kids collection and even have products for pets). Thanks to its gentle formula and 100% plant-based ingredient list, the Super Sensitive line is a good choice for anyone. If sensory or skin sensitivities are not a concern, California Baby has a vast selection of other products, too, all of which are made with safe, clean ingredients and are still manufactured with sustainability in mind. I would recommend these products to any of my friends and family with little ones.