5 Best Vegan Shower Gel Brands You Need to Try

But, does it really matter what’s in your shower gel? Should you care about what goes into the product and onto your body?

The short answer is yes. It matters. And you should care.

In this guide, we’ll explain why, and help you find the best vegan-friendly shower gel!

In a Hurry? Here’s Our Quick List of Top Picks

• ecoLove Shower Gel for Dry Skin – Blueberry, Grape & Lavender
• Nutribiotic Super Shower Gel
• Alba Botanica Very Emollient Island Citrus Bath & Shower Gel
• The Crown Choice pH Balanced Shower Gel
• Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Soothing Shower Gel

What to Avoid When Choosing Shower Gels and Other Products for Your Skin

There are many ingredients manufacturers use in body care products that make things lather, smell good, and leave your skin soft.

But many of those ingredients can be actually harmful to your skin, the environment, and, often, to animals.

The products we’ve grown up using may be doing more harm than good. From parabens to microbeads, your body care regime may be contributing to more than just landfill waste.

So, what can you do? First off, you need to read the ingredients. Take a look at the list on the back of your favorite shower gel and see what it’s made of.

Parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, microbeads, animal milks, animal testing! Oh my! Who wants all that nasty stuff? Conscious consumers don’t. But why? What’s so bad about all of that?

Parabens

What the heck are they and why should we avoid them? Parabens are type of preservative used widely in both food and cosmetic items. They come in a variety of names, methyl-, butyl-, propyl- with paraben at the end.

They are used in products to inhibit bacteria and mold growth, and to prolong the shelf life. Okay. So that’s good. Who wants mold in their shower gel?

But parabens have shown to mimic estrogen and is an endocrine (hormone) disruptor. It’s also been found in breast cancer tumors, though its actual link to breast cancer is still being studied.

Some parabens are worse than others, but they have all been scientifically studied to be bad news.

They’re also showing up in the bodies of ocean animals. Like Gill in Finding Nemo warned, “All drains lead to the ocean.”

What we wash down our drains eventually finds its way into the bellies of sea life, and it’s not a pretty picture.

There are less toxic preservatives out there, and many eco-friendly products will proudly state they are Paraben-Free.

Sulfates

Sulfates are surfactants in many products. In simple terms, it’s what makes your soap lather up into all those luxurious bubbles.

Bubbles equal clean, right? I mean, those Scrubbing Bubbles got the whole bathroom clean in no time flat.

The truth is, bubbles don’t actually make anything cleaner. It’s part of the cleaning experience we’ve been sold all our lives. We’re so ingrained with this information we believe if a soap doesn’t lather, it’s not working.

Besides, being part of a cleaning fallacy, sulfates can be drying and irritating to your skin, causing you to slather on lotion (see what they’ve done?). It can cause acne and exacerbate allergies.

It’s also bad for the environment. Again, sulfates end up in the ocean and in groundwater. They can also damage soil and are harmful to septic systems.

The most common sulfate surfactants found in shower gels are SLS and SLES. There is conflicting information on the toxicity of these ingredients, but many consumers are opting out.

Petrochemicals

This is a biggie. Petrochemicals can be anything from the surfactant to the fragrance. It’s more difficult to discern petrochemicals in your shower gel, because it may not even be listed. The largest red flag is the seemingly innocuous “fragrance.”

Fragrance can be anything. And if it isn’t identified, it’s likely a synthetic petrochemical. If you aren’t sure, check the company’s statement on petrochemicals. They are usually proud to be free of such things.

Microbeads

These are tiny little plastic beads put into many beauty products to promote exfoliation. While it may seem like a good idea, think again about where those little beads end up after you’ve scrubbed down.

That’s right, in the bellies of animals, usually sea life. Microbeads are being banned for sale and export in 2019, but there are still products containing them on shelves.

Animal Milks and Honey

Now, at first this seems pretty innocent. Milk and honey have long been touted as natural beauty care. But as a plant-based consumer, you’ll want to avoid these ingredients for the welfare of the animals.

The use of animal products in beauty care contributes to the overall exploitation of animals. They’re often subjected to unethical practices, unclean living conditions, and live tortured lives. That’s not so beautiful.

Animal Testing

Animal testing has always stuck in my craw. Whether you avoid eating animals or not, you should try to avoid using products tested on them.

Animals don’t use soaps and shower gels, so why should they be subjected to testing for them? It’s not even as if they test them in a logical (or ethical) way.

You’d think they’d just wash the animal and see if they react to the soap. But instead, they rub the soap in their eyes, inject it under their skin, make them ingest large quantities of it.

It’s disgusting, and completely unnecessary. Human products should be tested on human subjects, with complete consent, of course.

It’s simple to see which products and companies don’t test on animals. Most will display the Leaping Bunny certification or PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies certification.

If a company is unable to afford the labelling and certification, they may state their product is not tested on animals.

5 Top Picks for Vegan Shower Gels

Whew. Now that you know what to watch out for, I’ll take you through what we believe are the best options for vegan-friendly shower gels!

ecoLove Shower Gel for Dry Skin – Blueberry, Grape & Lavender

EcoLove’s “purple line” is formulated with purple fruit and flower extracts, along with Dead Sea water and salt to nourish dry skin.

The 26 minerals found in the Dead Sea are noted for their myriad benefits, including hydrating and moisturizing. They also have antioxidant properties that cleanse and detoxify.

The fresh scent of lavender is soothing and comforting. It makes the perfect relaxing shower after a long day. This shower gel is perfect for all skin types, but especially beneficial for dry skin.

It won’t irritate dry, itchy skin, and instead relieves it! Faithful customers note regular use helps battle common skin irritations, especially in the winter months.

Nutribiotic Super Shower Gel

This fragrance-free, non-soap formula uses the power of Grapefruit Seed Extract to give you a deep, moisturizing clean.

Grapefruit Seed Extract is clinically proven to give natural antibacterial protection without drying.

This multi-use product is gentle on your skin, and when used as a shampoo, doesn’t weigh your hair down like many products. It’s perfect for all skin types, but especially nourishing for dry, sensitive skin.

Since it doesn’t contain any soapy surfactants, the consistency may take some getting used to. Never fear, it still leaves your skin clean and moisturized.

The fragrance-free version is safe for even the most sensitive of skin, and works great for babies, too! No need to worry about toxic petrochemicals in this shower gel!

Alba Botanica Very Emollient Island Citrus Bath & Shower Gel

Alba Botanica’s shower gel boasts a super soothing formula to tackle and tame your extra dry skin.

It lathers up nicely and leaves your skin refreshed and moisturized, without a filmy residue.

Alba recently reformulated their shower gels, adding Coconut Oil, which adds lasting moisture. However, this addition has thinned out the product, and some loyal customers are disappointed.

It still works in the same manner but doesn’t look or smell the same as it used to. If you haven’t used this product before, that shouldn’t be an issue, and it shouldn’t turn you off. It’s still great.

Alba Botanica’s products consistently do what they say and are readily available in most drugstores. I appreciate not having to search high and low for these products or paying extra for shipping.

Eco-conscious products should be easy to find and accessible to all.

The Crown Choice pH Balanced Shower Gel

What makes this shower gel unique is that it does not use any water in its formula. Instead, the base is Aloe Vera Juice, which is widely known for its healing properties.

This shower gel is pH balanced to effective clean without stripping away your skin’s natural moisture. It’s perfect for all skin types, and especially soothing for dry skin.

This formula is great for both skin and hair, so you only need one bottle to get you clean from head-to-toe. The non-drying aloe juice base won’t leave your hair like straw, either, so that’s a bonus!

Be cautious around mucous membranes, though. The minty oils may cause some unpleasant tingling, if you get my drift! Other than that, the spearmint/peppermint combo is sweet and refreshing without going overboard.

Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Soothing Shower Gel

This soothing shower gel uses a combination of fruit and flower extracts to gently cleanse and revitalize your skin. Andalou has patented Fruit Stem Cell Science to combat dry, irritated skin through nature.

Plant Stem Cells have been shown to greatly improve skin condition and protect skin from environmental harm. Continued use of these products claims to improve your skin’s vitality and decrease dryness.

1000 Roses is intended for sensitive skin, but is great for all skin types, as it does not leave a pore-clogging residue behind.

Customers testify it’s moisturizing without being sticky, and it doesn’t require lotion after. They do make a lotion in the same line, if you like to layer, or need the extra softness.

The scent is quite feminine, though, so perhaps not the best choice for sharing with the whole household. It’s a soft scent, though, and not overpowering. It won’t leave you smelling like your grandma (no offense, Granny!).

Top Choice for the Best Vegan Shower Gel

All these shower gels performed great and did what they promised.

But the clear winner is The Crown Choice pH Balanced Shower Gel!

It was difficult to find cons to this product, and across the internet, there are few negative reviews. It seems like everyone that uses it, adores it.

Add me to that list! I love the sweet mintyness (and I usually avoid mint products in the shower) and the multi purposefulness of this gel.

Other products claim to be multi-use, but are always lacking, especially in the hair department.

I don’t like having a headful of straw and having to overdo the conditioner to counteract that. Ick. This stuff works great, smells great, and looks great too!

In a world of so. many. beauty. products. it’s often overwhelming to find natural choices in a sea of chemical chaos.

Luckily, more and more manufacturers are noticing consumers no longer want those ingredients.

Until they are completely done away with though, we need to make better choices. We hope our product reviews can help you do just that!