Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash

Specially formulated with colloidal oatmeal, Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash is designed to be gentle on sensitive or irritated skin. Our editors tested the product in our lab and sent it out to parents for testing as well, and we were happy to discover that Aveeno's creamy wash fulfilled its promise of getting babies clean without irritation.

Fumbling with a soapy bottle when you're in the middle of bathing a squirmy little one is a big time pain, but our testers and editors had no trouble opening and closing the snap-top lid of the Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash, or dispensing the desired amount. Our editors noted that because the bottle doesn't have a pump, you have to turn it over to squeeze a dollop of baby wash onto your hand or washcloth. While this isn't a deal breaker, you'll have to take your hands off your babe in the tub for a second to do this, which is a particular consideration when dealing with newborns and infants who aren't big enough to sit up on their own yet. (You can always decant the soap into a pump bottle for your own peace of mind.)

When it comes to soaping up baby’s skin, the majority of our parent testers found this wash easy to spread and work up a mild lather—a pleasant surprise because creamy formulas don't usually lather much. The thicker consistency also made it quite easy to control where the product ends up, and most of our parents commented on how clean, soft and smooth their babies' skin was after a bath—even the kids who had eczema. That said, one mom who usually adds the baby wash to the bathwater rather than directly to her little one's skin noted she was unable to get the Aveeno to mix into the water due to its creamy texture.

To see how well the Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash cleans off an oily mess, editors smeared peanut butter on their hands and then lathered up. It took a couple of applications to completely remove the PB, and a trace of peanut butter scent remained even when hands were clean (this was pretty typical for all washes we tested).

For babies with irritation-prone skin, avoiding products with added fragrance is often key. Though Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash does have a mild oatmeal aroma, the baby wash is fragrance-free, which our editors appreciated. The majority of our parent testers were also fans of the light scent, though one mom who was used to scented products wished for more fragrance.

FINAL WORD

If you're looking for a gentle cleanser that will get your babe fresh and clean without drying out their skin, Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash is a great option. Most of our parent testers rated the quality, ease of use, ingredients and value of this baby wash good to very good, and said that it's better than other similar products they've used. Our editors liked the tear-free and paraben-free formulation, and that a little squirt of thick, creamy wash goes a long way.