Palmolive Sleep Relaxing Body Wash
Lower concern. Typical rinse-off body wash with no PFAS-typical use case.
Palmolive Sleep Relaxing Body Wash is a rinse-off cleanser without waterproofing, nonstick, or stain-resistant claims. Body washes are not typical PFAS risk products, though no brand PFAS disclosure exists.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
aqueous liquid body wash formulation
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
You may also be interested in
Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
Aqua Pure
3M Aqua-Pure AP802B Whole House Filter Housing
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
What Palmolive Sleep Relaxing Body Wash is made of, ingredients and materials
Palmolive Sleep Relaxing Body Wash is an aqueous liquid formulation, typically containing water, anionic surfactants (cleaning agents), glycerin (humectant), fragrance blend, and preservatives. As a rinse-off product applied briefly to skin then washed away, dermal absorption risk is minimal compared to leave-on cosmetics. The aqueous base and lack of emulsifier-heavy cream formulation reduce concerns about problematic polymer residues or occlusive ingredients.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Fragrance allergens and contact sensitizers
Scented body washes typically contain fragrance blends that may include limonene, linalool, or other compounds known to cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Palmolive does not disclose full fragrance composition (per industry standard 'fragrance' listing), so specific allergen verification is not possible from label alone.
Skin barrier disruption from harsh surfactants
All cleansing body washes strip skin lipids; excessive use or use on sensitive/damaged skin can impair the stratum corneum. Palmolive's formulation is standard in this regard and not more aggressive than competitors, but individuals with eczema or compromised skin should patch-test or consult dermatologists before regular use.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
1,4-dioxane (preservative byproduct)
No specific testing or recalls for 1,4-dioxane contamination in Palmolive body wash are on record. Modern preservative systems in mass-market formulations typically use low-risk agents, though trace dioxane is a potential byproduct in ethoxylated surfactants if manufacturing controls are inadequate; Colgate-Palmolive facilities likely meet FDA standards but independent verification is unavailable.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No documented use of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (e.g., DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea) in current Palmolive Sleep body wash formulations is on record. Standard rinse-off body washes typically avoid these older preservative classes due to regulatory pressure, but ingredient disclosure is incomplete without proprietary formula access.
Source, ATSDR ↗Heavy metals
Palmolive Sleep body wash does not list synthetic colorants (CI numbers) on standard product labels, suggesting natural colorants or no added dyes. If synthetic dyes are present, FDA-approved colorants have established safety limits; no brand-specific contamination recalls exist.
Source, FDA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Palmolive (owned by Colgate-Palmolive) maintains basic safety compliance and ingredient transparency on product labels and website. The brand has no widely documented recalls or safety violations specific to body wash products in recent years. However, Palmolive does not actively pursue third-party certifications (e.g., EWG Verified, Leaping Bunny) or publish detailed chemical safety testing results, limiting independent verification of formulation claims.
How it compares in its category
Standard mass-market body washes occupy the middle ground, lower concern than unregulated soap bars with undisclosed dyes, but more scrutinized than premium or natural brands with third-party certification. Palmolive's formulation approach is typical of major brands; fragrance-forward body washes carry slightly higher fragrance allergen risk than unscented alternatives, but this is inherent to the product category, not a Palmolive-specific concern. No major compositional red flags separate this from comparable drugstore options.
If you buy it
Use as directed, apply to damp skin, lather, rinse thoroughly. No special storage precautions needed beyond keeping the bottle closed and away from extreme heat. Discontinue if skin irritation or contact dermatitis develops; fragrance sensitivity is the most common reaction to scented body washes. Standard shelf life is 2-3 years unopened; discard if the product separates, discolors, or develops odor.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 78% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Palmolive has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More body wash grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.