What are baby wipes really made out of?
Babies have very sensitive skin, so it makes sense for parents to want to buy a brand that’s going to nurture and protect their newborn skin. Especially, if you consider how many times you’ll be wiping that cute as a button bum. (A lot)
But how do you know which baby wipes are best for your bub’s skin? Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the best baby wipes for your family.
How to compare baby wipes
When comparing baby wipes, there are a few obvious things to look for, like how easy they are to use. And some less obvious ones, like which chemicals you should avoid putting on your baby’s skin.
Here are 5 things to consider when buying baby wipes.
1. Ease of use
This involves a bit of trial and error, but you want the wipes to be easy to use. I.e you need to be able to pull wipes out of the packet one-handed. This is a non-negotiable, especially with a wriggly baby. One way to find this out before buying wipes is to read baby wipes reviews from other parents.
2. Sensitive skin
We know that babies have sensitive skin, so a less is more approach is really important, especially in the early days. Look for wipes that are hypoallergenic, alcohol-free, and contain minimal chemicals. Again, reading baby wipes reviews can really help with this one to see if any other parents had skin sensitivities after using certain wipes.
3. Environmental impact
Parents are very earth-conscious these days. And when you consider how many baby wipes will be used in the first year of parenting alone, you can understand why. The good news is that some brands now offer wipes that are 100% biodegradable with packaging that is made from recycled products. Remember that biodegradable and compostable baby wipes can go into your home compost as long as there’s no poo on them. And definitely do not flush baby wipes down the toilet.
4. Price
Baby wipes can vary between brands. Different brands sell their wipes in different quantities, so it’s a good idea to compare the price of baby wipes per 100 wipes.
5. Ingredients
The thing with baby wipes is that they are classed as a cosmetic product. And any cosmetic product with an expiry date that contains water needs to have a preservative added.
Also, companies need to make sure that the preservative is efficient at eliminating potential bacteria and germs.
So you can see that the decision to use a baby wipe free from all chemicals and preservatives comes with a risk: bacteria.
Common baby wipes ingredients
- Water – baby wipes should be made mainly of water so they are nice and wet.
- Surfactants – water alone isn’t enough to remove oily residues that can’t be dissolved with water from the poop. So some manufacturers add a surfactant to help clean the skin adequately without removing skin lipids.
- Preservatives – as mentioned above, preservatives are needed t to make sure that your baby wipes aren’t contaminated before you even open the packet.
- Humectants – are added to keep the wipes moist
- Emulsifiers -these are used to stabilise ingredients oil and water.
- Perfumes – to make your already nice-smelling baby smell nice.
- Stabilisers – to help get the pH for balance right so they are not too acidic or too alkaline for baby skin.
How to choose baby wipes
As with any skincare product, the key is to keep it simple. You want as few ingredients as possible, and you want those to be as good as they possibly can be. (Rember that baby wipes needs a preservative.)
Ingredients you want to avoid
This website has more information on baby wipes and how to choose the best one for your family.
It also lists a bunch of ingredients that you should avoid.
Ingredients to avoid in baby wipes:
- Bronopol
- DMDM hydantoin
- Fragrance or perfume
- Parabens
- PEG’s (polyethylene glycols)
- Phenoxyethanol (particularly for infants)
- Phthalates
- Propylene Glycol
- Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
- Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS)
- Triclosan
Which wipes?
WaterWipes Biodegradable Baby Wipes are a great choice for your baby’s bum. They’re made with 99.9% water and a drop of grapefruit seed extract, which contains a trace of Benzalkonium Chloride as a preservative.
Many parents in the Tell Me Baby community say these wipes are gentle on the skin and stay nice and moist.
“These are the best wipes out there,” said one reviewer. “They remain wet for a long time and easily clean everything. They are so gentle on my baby’s skin as they have very few ingredients. Also, I love that they are fragrance-free and biodegradable. I would recommend these wipes if your baby has sensitive skin as my baby does.”
Read more WaterWipes reviews.
Other wipes made from mostly water include: (Click the link to read what other parents think)
