5 Budget-Friendly Natural Products from Unexpected Stores & Brands

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People are more mindful than ever of the ingredients they’re putting in and on their bodies — and for good reason. Budget-friendly natural products are cropping up more and more, some from brands that you can find on the shelves of unexpected stores, like your local Walmart.

Check out these natural products that I found and see what you think:

Natural body wash is best for dry or sensitive skin.

Are you really getting clean if you’re using a body wash full of chemicals with hard-to-pronounce names, like parabens and phthalates? Parabens are artificial chemical preservatives that can affect hormones for both men and women, while phthalates are plastic solvents that have been linked to reproductive birth defects. If those ingredients don’t sound like something you want to put on your skin — your body’s largest organ — I’m with you.

I remember when you had to buy natural products on Etsy or source them out locally. And they were spendy. Now you can walk right into a Walmart and look for inexpensive beauty products and grab a gallon of milk while you’re at it.

On my last trip I saw that Ivory Moisturizing Body Wash doesn’t have dyes, parabens or phthalates. It’s super gentle (my dermatologist always recommends it to me) and moisturizing, making it perfect for those with sensitive and/or perpetually dry skin (yes, I’m calling myself out for both). The kids use it, too, because it won’t dry out their youthful, non-wrinkly skin, either.

Using a natural body wash doesn’t have to be hard on your wallet, either. I’ve seen deals in the past for Ibotta rebates on Ivory products, but even at full price, Ivory Moisturizing Body Wash is still cheaper than many comparable products. Here’s an example:

Ivory Moisturizing Body Wash, cotton scent, 17.9-ounce bottle for $4.97 — $0.28 per ounce
Compare to: Burt’s Bees Ultimate Care Body Lotion, 6-ounce bottle for $8.79 — $1.46 per ounce

Care for your hair with natural shampoo and conditioner.

Most of the shampoo products out there are full of harsh chemicals that do more harm than good — especially sulfates, which my hairdresser says can dehydrate my scalp, strip it of natural oils, and worse, wreck my investment into those highlights by fading the hue or making them look brassy.

With a lot of the natural products I can find in my grocery store, I don’t have to fork over $30 or $40 to buy the color-safe, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners for sale at my salon. Check out Herbal Essences bio:renew shampoo and conditioner, which are about $6 each, and more than 90% of their ingredients are naturally derived. I didn’t find any parabens, gluten, or colorants listed on the back of the bottles. Instead, the bio:renew line is made with purified water and botanicals — all of which have been endorsed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, an institution for botanical research in the United Kingdom. Herbal Essences bio:renew shampoo and conditioner are also safe for hair that has been colored because it’s pH-balanced.

I found Herbal Essences’ bio:renew line at Target, Walmart, and Amazon. Here’s how it stacks up against a similar shampoo and conditioner line:

Herbal Essences bio:renew Argan Oil Of Morocco Repairing Shampoo, 13.5 fluid ounces for $5.99 — $0.44 per ounce
Compare to: SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo, 13 fluid ounces for $9.99 — $0.77 per ounce
Herbal Essences bio:renew Hydrate Coconut Milk Conditioner, 13.5 fluid ounces for $5.99 — $0.44 per ounce
Compare to: SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Conditioner, 13 fluid ounces for $9.99 — $0.77 per ounce

Go aluminum and baking soda free with natural deodorant.

I always knew baking soda could fight smells in my freezer or fridge but was shocked to discover it’s commonly used in deodorant, too. Grab most any deodorant off the shelf at a big retailer, and you’ll see baking soda in its ingredient list. While baking soda helps control the body’s pH balance, it’s also super irritating to the oh-so-sensitive underarm area. Ivory Gentle Deodorant uses naturally derived Dead Sea Salt to fight odor (but I swear it’s not like salt on an open wound) and pH balance the body instead.

If you’ve ever purchased natural deodorant before, you know they run pricey. I’ve been on a quest to find natural deodorant that works and won’t give me pit rash. I found Ivory Gentle Deodorant at CVS or Walmart. And, unlike some other hippy deodorants, you won’t smell a couple hours after using it or experience excruciating armpit fire post-shave. Honestly, I still smelled (and felt) fresh at the end of the day.

Here’s how it stacks up against a similar product:

Ivory Gentle Aluminum Free Deodorant Hint of Lavender, 2.4 ounces for $4.97 — $2.07 per ounce
Compare to: Schmidt’s Lavender and Sage Deodorant Stick, 3.25 ounces for $8.99 — $2.77 per ounce

Grownups with sensitive skin can use gentle baby detergents.

My skin gets super itchy and rashy if I use harsh laundry detergent. I found this out after multiple trips to my doctor, thinking I had hives. Laundry detergent ingredients are common irritants, I learned.

Unlike many detergents found in grocery and drugstores, Dreft detergent uses a pediatrician-recommend hypoallergenic formula made for babies’ sensitive skin. It’s free of any added dyes, chlorine, phosphates, animal by-products, and brighteners. And no, you don’t have to be a baby to use it.

Dreft detergent is a “Certified Biobased Product,” a designation from the USDA that guarantees it has 75% plant-based ingredients. Dreft is also made at a zero manufacturing waste-to-landfill site that uses renewable electricity.

You can find Dreft Pure Gentleness Fragrance Free Liquid Baby Detergent at Target, and it’s definitely cheaper than other gentle detergents.

Dreft Pure Gentleness Fragrance Free Liquid Baby Detergent, 75 fluid ounces for $13.99 — $0.19 per ounce. There’s also a current $3 off in-store Target Circle offer.
Compare to: The Laundress Delicate Wash, 16 ounces for $19 — $1.19 per ounce

Natural feminine products are crucial for internal and external health.

It might surprise you that many pads and tampons are made with non-organic materials that contain pesticide residue, dioxins (which are a group of environmental pollutants), and even chlorine. The trend toward more natural products has thankfully infiltrated feminine hygiene production, expanding our options for what we put in our bodies.

L Inc., for example, makes award-winning organic personal care products for women. Their ultra thin pads don’t have any chlorine, pesticides, fragrances, or dyes. They’re made of organic cotton and, judging from the online reviews, are comfortable and absorbent. It’s also worth noting that feminine products are sometimes tested on animals — icky, I know — but L. products are 100% cruelty-free. Phew.

Unlike many organic products, there is negligible difference between the price point for your typical (i.e. less natural) feminine hygiene products and L.’s. For example, Always Ultra Thins are $0.12 per pad — only five cents less per pad than the much-better-for-you L.’s. Their $6.99 price looks even better when you compare it to another organic cotton pad: