The 4 Best Baby Oils

Best Overall Baby Oil

Honest Company Sensitive Body Oil

Fragrance-free	Yes
Scent	No
Organic	Yes
Method of dispensing	Pump
Fast absorbing	Yes

Honest Company Sensitive Body Oil is a great overall choice for your baby's skin. Naturally derived, omega-rich ingredients provide a light but nourishing feel. One tester summed it up saying, “I love that it absorbs fully without leaving a greasy feeling.” Organic, safe ingredients make it a product you can feel comfortable applying to delicate newborn skin. The bottle is a pump action with a dust cover lid. It is a stiffer pump but easy to use and stays clean from the start until an empty bottle.

While the bottle size fits nicely in your hand, it is on the small side and could require frequent purchases. This could make it more expensive over time. Our test said, “It can get harder to grip when your hands are wet because it is small.” If budget is a concern, we think Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil is a good choice for babies over 3 months of age. Burt's does have a light fragrance, so it might not be the right fit for everyone. Overall, we love the Honest oil and have been using it for years on babies and ourselves, finding it to strike the best balance between light, scent-free, and easy to use.

Best Value Baby Oil

Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil

Fragrance-free	No
Scent	Yes
Organic	No
Method of dispensing	Flip top
Fast absorbing	Yes

Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil is a budget-friendly choice made with quality ingredients. It has a slightly thicker consistency but rubs in fully without a slick or slippery after-feel. It also has a light fragrance, but it does linger. One tester stated, “I loved that the product is moisturizing and left a soft and protected feeling all day.” Users had mixed opinions on the smell of the oil, with some finding it too strong for a baby and others finding it just right.

Without the added fragrance ingredient, Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil would have ranked higher in our testing metrics. We aren't huge fans of fragrances because the manufacturer is not required to tell you what the individual components of the fragrance are. This particular fragrance is, as one tester said, “The fragrance isn't offensive, but I'd prefer a fragrance-free option for many reasons, including concerns over ingredients and leftover smells.” If you are looking for a fragrance-free oil suitable for newborns and are willing to spend a little more money, we recommend Honest Sensitive Organic Body Oil. This oil is scent and fragrance-free with a light feel that rubs in well and doesn't leave a residue behind. If you don't mind fragrance and your little one is a bit older, we think Burt's Bees is a wallet-friendly choice that can be one for your shortlist.

Top Pick Baby Oil for Ingredients

Ever Eden Soothing Baby Massage Oil

Fragrance-free	Yes
Scent	No
Organic	No
Method of dispensing	Pump
Fast absorbing	Yes

Ever Eden Soothing Baby Massage Oil was rated highest by our testers for the potential safety and quality of its natural ingredients. This oil has only four ingredients, making it one of the fewest in the review where we feel less is more. It can be safely applied to newborn skin, and the locking pump cap makes it suitable for travel. We also loved the light, satiny feeling it left on the skin. One tester stated, “My skin felt so soft, I would buy this oil for myself.”

The one downside of Ever Eden is the price. It is significantly more expensive than other oils we tested and could be a deal-breaker for those on a tight budget. “I wish it were cheaper because it checks many of the boxes I'm looking for,” stated one tester. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option that also offers limited ingredients and organic components, the Honest Company Sensitive Organic Body Oil is a great choice without the high-end price. However, if you want a high-quality oil that is newborn-safe and has minimal ingredients with no fragrance or scent, then the Ever Eden is hard to beat.

Top Baby Oil for Newborn Massage

Earth Mama Calendula Baby Oil

Fragrance-free	Yes
Scent	No
Organic	Partial
Method of dispensing	Pump
Fast absorbing	Yes

Earth Mama Calendula Baby Oil is a great choice for your newborn baby's skin care. With only three natural organic ingredients it is a product we think you can feel comfortable applying on your baby's skin from day one. We like that this product was developed by a NICU nurse specifically for neonatal skin care. One reviewer stated, “I love that hospitals trust this oil for neonatal massage.” Additionally, we appreciate that the bottle is opaque, protecting the contents from light, which can cause degradation of oils.

While we love that the opaque packaging protects the oil ingredients, we understand there are consumers who might like to visualize the color, purity, and volume of oil in the bottle. If you prefer transparency of bottle contents, Honest Company Sensitive Organic Body Oil is a great option and comes in a clear bottle. It is also on the expensive side, which could be a deal-breaker for some, depending on how much and how often you plan to use it. The Honest Company oil is less expensive and also fragrance-free. That said, if your budget can manage it, the Earth Mama is a good newborn choice.

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	90	Ever Eden Soothing Baby Massage Oil Top Pick Baby Oil for Ingredients	$26
	86	Honest Company Sensitive Body Oil Best Overall Baby Oil	$14
	84	Earth Mama Calendula Baby Oil Top Baby Oil for Newborn Massage	$15
	77	Badger Baby Oil	$18
	68	Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil Best Value Baby Oil	$10
	64	Zarbee's Baby Massage Oil	$10
	59	Mustela Baby Oil	$15
	37	Johnson's Baby Oil	$3.00
	34	Johnson's Shea and Cocoa Butter Baby Oil	$6

How We Tested

We purchased each product for hands-on testing and to evaluate performance among the competition with side-by-side comparisons. We did a deep dive on product ingredients and company transparency as part of our process. Also contributing to and influencing our overall ranking was feedback from testers who tested and applied the oils over an extended period for ease of use and how they felt on the skin immediately and over time.

Our testing of Baby Oil is divided into Four rating metrics:

• Ingredient Review (40% overall score weighting)
• Fragrance and Scent Consideration (25% of weighting)
• Consistency (20% of weighting)
• Ease of Bottle Use (15% of weighting)

Why Trust GearLab

The BabyGearLab Team has been testing baby products since 2012, and it is safe to say that we have become the baby gear experts. Leading this review is Molly Bradac, Senior Review Editor, professional Nanny, and Newborn Care Specialist with over 14 years of experience. Molly's expertise and knowledge of all things baby make her a pro at identifying top-notch products and offering recommendations. Sue Stufflebeam rounds out the team as lead tester on our most recent update. Sue is a neonatal NICU nurse with 26 years of experience tending to newborns and is a mother of three.

Analysis and Test Results

With multiple baby oil products on the market, it can be difficult to know which options are best for you and your family. During hands-on testing, we evaluated important details such as ingredients, scents, consistency, and bottle ease of use.

What's the Best Value?

While none of the baby oils were overly expensive or out of the range of most buyers, that doesn't mean there aren't values to be had. We think the Honest Company Sensitive is a great value. It has everything we like for a reasonable price, and the pump top means it can provide just the right amount without losing product to leaks or overpouring. While the bottle is smaller, it could last just as long as the bigger bottle that might succumb to overuse or leaks. Alternatively, if it is more than you'd like to pay, the Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil is a great alternative, but the bottle top is a disc top, and it does include a scent.

Ingredients

In rating ingredients, we relied heavily on the information from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which breaks down the health and safety of ingredients in consumer products. We realize that some ingredients lack sufficient data, but we consider this source extensive and insightful. Products with minimal ingredients, no added fragrance, and a transparent ingredient list all ranked higher for us. Above all, we looked for baby oils that did the job without unnecessary or potentially harmful ingredients.

Science shows that newborn skin anatomy is different than adults, mainly in function and structure (fun fact: it is thinner). It continues to change during the first year of life and tends to be more vulnerable than the skin of grown-ups. Therefore, the products you apply to your baby's delicate skin command attention. While evaluating the competition, we looked closely at ingredient labels and ranked products with worry-free ingredients and label transparency higher than those that don't offer transparency.

When it comes to ingredient safety, we believe a distinction needs to be made between baby oils that contain mineral oil (a petroleum product) and those with naturally derived oils from plants. Products containing mineral oil such as Johnson's Baby Oil, and Johnson's Shea and Cocoa Butter Baby Oil score lower in EWG safety and have an increased potential for allergies and immunotoxicities. Keeping product safety foremost, these products ranked lower for us, even though, admittedly, they remain very popular with consumers (nostalgia anyone?).

It is important to point out that not all baby oils are recommended for delicate newborn skin. We looked for products with no added fragrance and ingredients with the best EWG safety scores for newborn skincare and massage. Some baby oils containing fragrance are only recommended for ages three months and up, so it is always important to read the ingredient labels as we did in our testing.

The top-scoring oil for ingredients is Ever Eden Soothing Massage. This option is the only EWG-verified option in the group for ingredients, meaning it doesn't have any concerning ingredients inside. It has fewer ingredients, is fragrance-free, and has a transparent list on the bottle. Coming in close behind are Badger Baby Oil, Earth Mama Calendula Baby Oil, and Honest Company Sensitive Oil. The lowest performers in the group were the Johnson's baby oils. Both use a foundation of mineral oil, which is a petroleum-based product, and the Johnson's Shea and Cocoa Butter has a very strong fragrance with no indication of what chemicals are being used.

Fragrance and Scent Consideration

In our review, we tested both scented and unscented products. While smell is a matter of personal preference, we prefer baby oils without added fragrance ingredients and rated them higher. Our testing team scored oils with strong scents lower.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers are not required to disclose “fragrance” ingredients and hidden behind this one word could be hundreds of chemicals and complex mixtures.

In our opinion, even the term natural fragrance leaves us with reservations as it lacks ingredient transparency, which can be misleading to consumers. Therefore, we prefer products with fewer ingredients and little to no fragrance. We think babies don't need fragrances to smell amazing, and less is more when it comes to products you put on their skin.

Some products in our lineup use flower oils and extracts, ingredients obtained through distillation, or soaking plant material in a substance for a long time. They provide a natural scent and are a safer alternative to synthetic fragrances. Although they are in a carrier oil, the amount is unclear, and it can increase the chance of skin sensitivities.

The top-scoring options are all listed as fragrance-free. These include Ever Eden Soothing Baby Massage Oil, Honest Organic Body Oil, and Earth Mama Calendula Baby Oil. While Badger Baby Oil is fragrance-free, that does not mean it is scent-free; it has a strong, naturally occurring herbal scent that may or may not appeal to all users, which hurts its score in this metric.

The lowest-scoring oil was Johnson's Shea and Cocoa Butter Baby Oil, which has a strong fragrance and lacks ingredient transparency on what is included in the fragrance. We worry it could contain skin irritants and that the fragrance might not be everyone's cup of tea. Johnson's Baby Oil, Mustela Baby Oil, and Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil all have ingredient labels that list “fragrance” or “natural fragrance.” While some parents stress they love having baby oil with a smell that they associate with babies, like the familiar and iconic Johnson's Baby Oil, we believe any added fragrance is a potential irritant and really not necessary for baby's skin care. Again, less is more is the mantra of the day.

Consistency

When considering the kind of oil you want for your baby's skincare, consistency and “feel” can be important. We believe that the best baby oils are hydrating, absorb well, and leave skin feeling soft. We tested each product side by side and over time to determine our favorites.

Our testers found Ever Eden Soothing Baby Oil to be a standout for its nourishing satin feel. On the thicker end of the consistency spectrum, we liked the protective feeling that Badger Baby Oil and Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil provided. On the thinner end, we liked the ease of absorption and smoothness of Mustela Baby Oil and Honest Sensitive Body Oil. One factor our testers agreed on was that the mineral oil products took longer to absorb and left a lasting oily residual on the skin.

Ease of Bottle Use

Having an easy-to-use bottle can make a difference, especially when you have a wiggly baby or only one hand to operate it. Our lineup includes various bottle tops.

We prefer bottles with a pump top. They are quick and easy to use and pump an adequate amount of oil without the mess of manipulating a greasy bottle.

Products that feature a pump include the Earth Mama Calendula Baby Oil, Badger Baby Oil, Ever Eden Soothing Baby Massage Oil, Mustela Baby Oil and The Honest Company Organic Body Oil. Pump tops can be used with one hand, as in applying directly onto baby, or require two hands when the bottle is standing stationary on a surface.

We found that disc-top caps, like that on the Burt's Bees Baby Oil bottle, don't provide as much control “per squirt” and require some attention to avoid pouring out more oil than you intend or need. Over time, our testers found that disc-top bottles tended to become oilier with use, as oil tends to drip down the side of the bottle and collect with each use, requiring some maintenance of the bottle to help prevent a mess.

The two Johnson's products, Johnson's Baby Oil and Johnson's Shea and Cocoa Butter Baby Oil have child-safe twist tops that require you to push down and twist to open.

Once the cap is off, there is a squirt top we found difficult to control, frequently dispensing far too much oil at one time. Also, the disc top caps we tested and the Johnson's products readily leaked when tipped over in the open position. The pump top bottles did not leak when on their side, and some have the ability to lock for travel. If you've narrowed down the options using our other criteria, consider how easy the bottle is to use to help in your decision-making. A great bottle can be mess-free and prevent overuse or loss of product, potentially saving you money.

A Note on Infant Massage

Adding baby oil to your baby's routine naturally brings us to the topic of baby massage, which is highly beneficial. It can have a calming effect, increase your baby's sleep quality, and facilitate parent-child bonding. The power of touch is incredible, and if time allows, we suggest taking a few minutes to incorporate massage.

How to Pick the Best Baby Oil

Picking a baby oil doesn't need to be complicated. Each of the oils we tested effectively provided hydration and soft-feeling skin. When used for baby massage, each of these oils glided smoothly over the skin for a lovely, nourishing experience.

Consider Ingredients

We prefer products with the fewest ingredients possible to be safe and effective. We think you should look for a transparent ingredient list that is honest and can help you avoid known irritants or potentially problematic ingredients, like mineral oil and other petroleum-based components. With so many oil options, there is no need to accept any option that doesn't align with your ingredient tolerance.

What does it smell like?

The oil's smell is an important consideration since you likely plan to slather it all over your baby, and some smells may be very strong. There are a lot of opinions on how oils should smell or even if a scent or fragrance is necessary. Some consumers can't imagine a baby oil without a fragrance. Others feel there is no need for it, and still others found some smells off-putting or overly strong for babies. While we prefer the natural scent of babies and lean toward unscented options, we know some parents enjoy a light scent, and this could be a consideration in your buying choice. However, we caution against fragrances as these can include unlisted ingredients and fail our transparency rule.

Conclusion

Babies' skin can sometimes be dry, and baby oil can be a fantastic way to hydrate and moisturize your baby's delicate skin. If you are ready to add oil to your baby's routine, we are confident our review will provide the necessary details to find a product that meets your needs and budget. While baby oil isn't for everyone, and babies largely do not need an oil, if it is for you, we think there is an option for you in our review.