Baby Shampoo as Mask Defog Review

I used baby shampoo as mask defog during training and early dives because it was cheap and easy to find. It worked in controlled conditions but washed away when my mask flooded or got dunked. Inconsistent performance and concerns about using a household product in aquatic environments led me to stop using or recommending it.

By Tyler Allison · Updated July 2025

Use: Training and early dives
Current role: No longer used as mask defog
Still in my kit: No

The Short Version

Baby shampoo was cheap, familiar, and adequate under controlled conditions when I started diving. The problem was how easily that performance disappeared if water entered the mask or it got dunked during setup. I no longer use it as defog because the low price did not make up for the inconsistency.

Would I buy it again? No, not for mask defog. The tradeoffs are not worth it to me when better options exist.

What Works

Very low cost per use
Easy to find in ordinary stores
Simple to mix and apply
Reasonable fog prevention with fresh application and careful setup

What Doesn't

Washes off readily after flooding or accidental dunking
Performance varies with dilution, preparation, and water exposure
Did not reliably handle my cold-water or disrupted kit-ups
Not a product designed for diving or aquatic use

Why I Started Using It

I began using baby shampoo during training and early dives because it was what my instructor used. It was inexpensive and easy to get, and it worked well enough when conditions were controlled.

As I dived more, I noticed repeated failures, particularly when the mask got bumped into the water during setup or when I was diving in cold conditions. Exploring alternatives and becoming more concerned about what I was putting into the water led me to move away from it entirely.

What It Was Like to Use

Fog Prevention: It worked reasonably when freshly applied and undisturbed. Dilution and preparation made a difference, so the result was not consistent from dive to dive.
Flooding and Dunking: Water entering the mask diluted the shampoo quickly. An accidental dunk during setup could undo the application before the dive began.
Preparation and Packing: It was easy to mix ahead of time and carry in a travel bottle. That convenience did not solve the problem of it washing away once water entered the mask.

Cost and Environmental Concerns

The appeal was the price: diluted shampoo cost very little per dive. But an inexpensive application was not useful to me if it failed during ordinary setup or mask flooding.

Environmental concerns also influenced my decision. Baby shampoo is not designed as an aquatic-use product, and I wanted a dedicated defog with documented aquatic testing rather than assume that a familiar household product was appropriate to release into the water.

The bottle was another ordinary household or travel container, not purpose-built dive equipment. Leaking bottles and clogged caps were additional limitations noted in my original use assessment.

Why I Use Something Else

I understand why it appeals to students, budget-conscious divers, or someone who has forgotten dedicated defog. It is readily available and can work in carefully controlled conditions, but those advantages do not change my own decision to stop using it.

For my regular diving, I prefer Stream2Sea Mask Defog. It has been more dependable when my mask gets dunked or flooded, which matters more to me than the small saving per application.