Are you looking for the best bubble bath for kids? Here is our in-depth review.
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There’s this magic place that can alleviate so many parenting challenges—a place that invites calamity, cleanliness, creativity, diversion, and delight! THE BATHTUB!
From offering peace to the busy baby days to the remedy for your 3rd grader’s berry-stained fingers of summer break, a bath is so much more than a hygiene ritual. It can be an oasis of calm for a tantruming toddler or a quiet, restful break for an anxious adolescent.
Besides building a waterslide in your bathroom, there isn’t anything that brings more fun to the tub than some quality bubble bath! The choices can be overwhelming, as they should be—kids these days have a number or allergies and sensitivities worth paying attention to, especially when it comes to what goes on their skin.
There are a number of chemicals that help boost a bath product’s suds and bubbles. But some of these chemicals are suspected of causing irritation, redness, and itching to delicate skin and can even lead to urinary tract infections.
The hopeful news is that many companies have formulated quality products without common irritants such as parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, phthalates, artificial fragrances, and harsh dyes. Instead, bubble bath can be just as fun and effective using natural, plant-based ingredients and essential oils while also being gentle on the environment.
Our list below contains bubble baths free of bothersome ingredients and we rated them based on their cost, bubble factor, and other unique characteristics such as pleasant scents and ease of dispensing. Dive in!
1. The Honest Company Truly Calming Lavender Bubble Bath
- Plant based formula: Our ultra-calming lavender bubble bath with naturally derived ingredients and essential oils is the perfect addition to your bathing routine; It cleans, gently soothes, and nourishes baby’s skin without over drying
- Gentle, mild, & tear free: Gentle enough for daily use, this mild and tear-free calming bubble bath with super foaming bubbles cleans and helps retain moisture for delicate skin; Lavender essential oil perfectly balances the organic botanicals
- Made without: SLS, sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, dyes, formaldehyde donors, MEA, DEA, or TEA: We use smart ingredients to create trusted products that work, because you shouldn’t have to choose between what works and what’s good for you
- Lavender essential oils: Super-calming lavender essential oil calms and relaxes, making this the perfect addition to your baby bath routine; Organic chamomile and Calendula gently nourish the skin; Jojoba protein and quinoa extract help enrich babies’ delicate skin
- Honest purpose: We love your babies; That’s why we err on the side of caution when it comes to ingredient selection, doing our best to avoid chemicals of concern; We use smart ingredients and create trusted products that work
This is our choice for overall best bubble bath for kids.
The Honest Company is one of the most well-known companies for reputable, gentle products for kids. Their bubble bath uses high-quality botanical ingredients that work smart for all your children’s cleansing needs.
They make a lot of claims when it comes to honest, safety, quality, purity, and effectiveness—and given their celebrity endorsements and long-standing reputation as being one of the best companies to rely on when it comes to caring for your kids, it’s fair to say their products can be trusted.
Their bubble bath is affordable and comes fragrance free or in a variety of scents powered by essential oils and no artificial fragrances. The lavender scent is among the most popular for creating a soothing evening routine. It’s an excellent choice for a teen needing some decompression time, or for a fun baby bubble bath.
This particular product comes out fast so be mindful when dispensing the solution. A little goes a long way!
Be sure to add bubble bath to the water stream as you are filling the tub and use your hands to mix and agitate the solution with the water to increase the bubbles!
2. Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Baby 2-in-1 Bubble Bath & Wash
- 100% GOOD FOR YOUR BABY: This comforting and nourishing body wash and bubble bath gently cleanses and nourishes your babys delicate skin. Lightly fragranced bubbles are safe for newborn skin.
- FORMULATED FOR VERY SENSITIVE SKIN: Formulated with Oatmilk and organic calendula to relieve symptoms of eczema and moisturize dry skin. This gentle bubble baths naturally-derived ingredients help calm and soften the skin.
- PLANT-BASED & HYPOALLERGENIC FORMULA: Specially formulated with 100% mild and pure botanical ingredients to protect and soothe. This bubble bath and wash is enriched with Babos organic Nutri-Soothe Complex. Vegan friendly.
- NO HARSH CHEMICALS & IRRITANTS: Hypoallergenic to reduce the risk of allergic reactions and clinically tested. Sulfate, gluten, soy and dairy free. Also free of peanuts, almonds and walnuts. Made in USA and B Corp Certified.
- SAFE FOR LITTLE ONES: Pour at least 2 capfuls of bubble bath under vigorous running water at the start of tub filling for big, soft bubbles baby will love. Rinses clean, leaving your babys skin feeling soft and comforted.
This is our pick for second best bubble bath for kids just because its costs a bit more per ounce than our overall favorite. However, it puts the natural in natural bubble bath with quality ingredients that a child’s skin happily soaks up—resulting in luxurious, soft, healthy skin.
The comfort of the added calendula, aloe, and oatmilk makes this product unique and creates a natural, calming scent that is reminiscent of a summer sunset on a river bank. Seriously. My kids call it the bunny soap, thanks to the cute little label featuring a summery-looking bunny reminding parents that the product is made with cruelty free standards, and it’s always their first pick when it comes to bathtime.
If you ever notice dry skin on your little one, this is the perfect product to bring to baby bubble bath.
3. Johnson and Johnson’s Bedtime Baby Bubble Bath
- 27.1-fluid ounces of Johnsons Bedtime Baby Bubble Bath gently cleanses and calms your baby with fun bubbles while featuring a special aromatic blend that helps to soothe and relax your little one before bed
- This soothing baby bath is made with NaturalCalm essences, a unique blend of gentle and calming aromas, and is hypoallergenic with no parabens, phthalates, sulfates or dyes
- Made with No More Tears formula, this baby bath is as gentle on eyes as pure water and features calming, soothing aromas that help baby relax before bed
- Pediatrician- and dermatologist-tested, this bedtime bubble bath gently cleanses babys delicate skin
- This calming baby bath creates fun bubbles making bath time more enjoyable and can be used in the evening as part of Johnsons clinically proven routine of warm bath, gentle massage and quiet time to help your child get a peaceful nights sl
This is our choice for best cheap bubble bath for kids.
Johnson and Johnson reformulated their products to be more gentle on skin. Once the target of a hippie mom’s scorn, J & J now joins the ranks of other earth-minded companies with its safe and effective products now teeming with natural ingredients.
Because of their size and corporate connections, J & J products are thoroughly tested, proven non toxic, and carry the tear free formula patent. Their size is what helps them keep their prices low as well, making this our pick for the best budget bubble bath.
They continuously have evaluations on their products, ensuring their safety and effectivity while always sourcing the best ingredients. Their new formula guarantees long lasting bubbles, and this particular product boasts a natural lavender scent and is sure to make bath time both safe and fun!
Jury is out on the pump bottle, some love it and some wish for a pourable product—either way just pump solution directly into the running water for quality tub time.
Questions and Answers
What bubble bath is safe for kids?
The bubble baths listed in our reviews are all formulated to be gentle on sensitive skin so they are great for every kids bubble bath. Many of them are also tear free but perhaps do not carry the patent of having a tear free formula, which can be expensive for small, earth-minded businesses.
Things to keep in mind when using a bubble bath: Infants under 1 may not be terribly interested in bubble bath so it’s best reserved for your busier toddlers and older kids.
Always keep an eye on kids while they are in the bath to avoid slips and falls and to discourage the habit of drinking bath water. While bubble bath is non toxic, it’s not formulated to be consumed.
Does bubble bath clean kids?
The bubble baths listed in our reviews all gently cleanse your kids while providing tubs of fun! If your child has lots of locks atop their head, you may want to use a kid’s shampoo to help remove oils and properly clean their hair.
What is the best bubble bath for bubbles?
Bubbles are made of soap, water, and air. Many cheaper bubble bath products will add sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a chemical agent called a surfactant, to expand the bubble’s surface.
This particular surfactant is a known irritant to sensitive and young skin. Fortunately, there are natural alternatives derived from coconut and palm oil that do the same thing!
For example, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa) is an ingredient that sounds similar but is derived from these natural sources, making it easier on a lot of people’s skin and an excellent ingredient to boost your bath’s bubble factor.
SLS is derived from the same oils that SLSA and most of the other surfactants are, so that’s not what makes any of them easier on some people’s skin.
Also, when you say they gently cleanse kids, do you mean when they’re diluted in the water as bubble bath, or only when they’re used as body wash? Most kiddie dirt comes off with plain water, so just having them come out clean from a bubble bath doesn’t say anything. I’d like to see a realistic test (like realistic greasy dirt, such as dried tempera paint, on actual skin, not mud on a flower as in one ad) of bubble bath water vs. plain water, and then one of bubble bath water vs. soap or body wash.