Baby Shampoo as Mask Defog Review
It is a cheap and common mask defog choice used by many divers, especially in training. It works under perfect conditions but fails if your mask floods or gets dunked. Not environmentally safe and not designed for diving. I no longer use or recommend it.
Overall Score: 5.2 / 10 (Acceptable)
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Extremely inexpensive per use | Not safe for freshwater or marine ecosystems |
| Widely available and familiar | Washes off easily if mask is flooded or dropped in water |
| Easy to mix and use | Inconsistent performance depending on water, prep, and dilution |
Why I Chose Baby Shampoo
Like most divers, I started out using baby shampoo in training and early dives. It was cheap, easy to get, and what the instructor used. It worked well enough when conditions were controlled, but I started noticing it would fail often. Especially when my mask got bumped into the water during setup or when diving in cold environments. Once I became more concerned about the environmental impact and started exploring better alternatives, I moved away from it entirely.
Performance in the Water
- Fog Prevention: Reasonable if applied fresh and not rinsed. Doesn’t hold up well to flooding or accidental dunking.
- Flood Recovery: Very poor. Baby shampoo is immediately diluted if water enters the mask or it’s submerged during setup.
- Skin and Eye Comfort: Generally mild, but some divers report stinging if too concentrated or poorly rinsed.
- Environmental Safety: Not fully biodegradable or reef-safe. Ingredients like fragrance and surfactants are not tested for use in aquatic environments.
Verdict
Baby shampoo is a convenient and cheap option that works okay under ideal conditions, but its limitations are hard to ignore. It’s not reliable when the mask floods, not environmentally responsible, and not consistent across dives. I no longer use it and don’t recommend it for anyone diving regularly or in sensitive locations.
Would I buy it again? No. It’s not worth the tradeoffs when better options exist.
Deep Dive into the Score
Scoring System: Each category is scored out of 10 and weighted by importance. This model is used consistently across all gear reviews for transparency.
| Category | Score (0–10) | Weight | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Function & Performance | 5 | 30% | 1.5 |
| Ease of Use | 7 | 20% | 1.4 |
| Versatility | 4 | 15% | 0.6 |
| Durability & Build Quality | 3 | 15% | 0.45 |
| Value | 9 | 10% | 0.9 |
| Brand Trust & Transparency | 3 | 10% | 0.3 |
| Total | 5.15 | ||
Rounded Display Score: 5.2
Deep Dive Score Explanations
- Function & Performance – 5: Works well when applied perfectly and not disturbed. Otherwise unreliable.
- Ease of Use – 7: Easy to find, mix, and apply. Can be prepped ahead of time in travel bottles.
- Versatility – 4: Not resilient to water exposure. Only effective for first dives with careful setup.
- Durability & Build Quality – 3: Product itself isn’t built for diving. Bottle may leak, cap can clog over time.
- Value – 9: One of the cheapest options by far. Just over a penny per dive if diluted and stored properly.
- Brand Trust & Transparency – 3: Johnson’s is not designed for marine use and does not publish environmental safety data for aquatic ecosystems.