Are your baby wipes safe? Chemicals in baby wipes – Update!
*I’ve updated this post because there are so many new brands of baby wipes out on the market now – and some super fantastic ones at that! Also, due to consumer pressure for non-toxic ingredients, many companies have reformulated their ingredients which is amazing!
In the news recently, there have been statements made about the use of baby wipes triggering allergies. I’ve looked at the scientific study and have included my thoughts below. I’ve also learnt that common food allergens should preferably not be included in an ingredients list for skin products.
Baby wipes had just come out when I was born. My mum has often told the story of taking me to the Children’s Hospital with terrible nappy rash. Their solution? Two weeks without nappies and to cease baby wipes. Until I had Isabella, I never really gave this story much thought… But TWO WEEKS WITHOUT NAPPIES!?! I can’t even begin to comprehend that nightmare…
Given this horrific family story, I was very sure I wanted to avoid a repeat at all costs. When Isabella was very young, we’d use pure cotton make-up pads and a spray bottle with water in it to wet them. Baby wipes were just used when we were out of the house. As I grew more sleep deprived, I became more focused on survival and convenience, so wipes slowly became our norm… Not just for nappy changes, but for sticky fingers, wiping food from faces etc.
Trying to look up what chemicals are in baby wipes is a tricky thing! The big companies- Huggies, Curash, Aldi etc. don’t include their ingredients lists on their websites… Just a lot of words like ‘hypoallergenic’, ‘pH balanced’, ‘dermatologist tested’ etc. I literally had to go to multiple supermarkets, pharmacies and health food shops and take photos of the ingredients lists on the packets and go home and look them up! The ingredient names are all long and unfamiliar, so for most people, standing in the aisle with a baby getting restless, they would have no choice but to become a victim to the advertising of ‘trusted’ brands, with no opportunity to make an educated decision.
Ingredients in baby wipes have come a long way… Companies are starting to realise that consumers are becoming more aware and so some, like Huggies, Curash and Pampers have recently changed their formulations. All wipes have chemicals in them to act as preservatives and cleansers. It’s impossible to rank each chemical, but some are definitely worse than others; so I’ll list them in what I think of as ‘must avoid’ and ‘would be nice if it wasn’t there’ categories. My information comes from the Skin Deep Database published by the EWG which ranks certain risks of chemicals.
Must avoid:
- Parabens (see my previous post). These actually have a weak hormone activity and have been detected in breast cancer tissues and have links to male infertility. They can also cause skin irritation. The EU have actually banned many types of parabens.
- Methylisothiazolinone (MI). This has been the cause of some horrific allergic reactions and is a leading cause of dermatitis. It’s banned in the EU from being used in baby wipes.
- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1-2-diol. This releases formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. It is also an irritant to the skin, eyes and lungs.
- Fragrance: This can be made up of hundreds of undeclared chemicals. Often including parabens and phthalates.(read more about fragrances and phthalates)
- Phenoxyethanol: Studies suggest that this ingredient has the potential to be an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors are bad news because they have an additive effect… we’re also talking about a product which we are applying to a large surface area of skin repeatedly, many times a day. You want it as safe as possible. That’s why this ingredient is in my ‘Must Avoid’ list. It is also a skin, eye and lung irritant. (Read more about phenoxyethanol here)
Would be nice to avoid:
- Malic Acid. This is a skin irritant and shouldn’t be used around the eyes particularly (so watch out if you’re wiping your babies’ face with wipes!)
- Propylene glycol. This is a skin, immune system and respiratory irritant. Propylene glycol also enhances skin absorption and so allows other chemicals to absorb into the skin more easily.
- Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride. This is a skin, immune and respiratory irritant.
- Tocopheryl Acetate. This is a skin irritant and allergen.
- Food Products in the ingredients lists such as goat’s milk, cow’s milk nut oils and oats. Studies have shown a link between the application of a potential food allergen repeatedly onto the skin and food allergen sensitisation. This increases the potential for severe food allergic reactions when the food is actually eaten. This is especially relevant for a child with a high risk of food allergy and also those with eczema.
So how do the baby wipes you’ve got at home rate? [Updated]
I’ve looked at 50 different brands of wipes so you can learn about what is in the wipes you use at home. Here are what’s in them and my rankings.
Wipes I Do Recommend:
Australian Non-Toxic Awards Winners 2019
GOLD & PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Joonya Eco Wipes Reviews
These are a wipe that I’ve used a lot over the years. I’ve tried so many, and yet I keep coming back to these. Joonya wipes are unscented, which is something I really like for baby products particularly. They contain Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil which whilst they don’t leave a residue, leave the skin soft and hydrated. The cloths are a slightly larger size than others, which I find means I need to use less overall as I can fold and wipe again more easily. These wipes are wet enough to last the life of the pack without drying out and also have a pearl grain design which I find makes for more effective wiping. Joonya wipes come in a large pack of 80 with a clip top, which keeps the wipes moist for longer and also reduces the chance of them being compromised hygienically.
Joonya offer a huge discount for wipes bought in bulk online, making these premium wipes more affordable than most.
An excellent non-toxic wipe which is premium in every aspect from the formulation to the cloths and pack.
SILVER: JAK ORGANICS AQUA Wipes Reviews
JAK AQUA is the ultimate safe, unscented water wipe. Whilst water makes you think about purity, the reality is that high water content products can become a breeding ground for bacteria. JAK AQUA has been lab tested and been shown to be resistant to bacteria for 3 months in an incubator. This is really important and sets it apart from other water wipe products.
These wipes work really well and due to their lack of fragrance and simple formulation can be used not just for the nappy area, but on the face and hands as well. These are the only wipe I have ever been able to use on my children’s eczema prone faces without them looking like a beetroot within minutes, due to a reaction.
JAK AQUA wipes come in a large pack of 80 with a clip top which keeps the wipes moist for longer and also reduces the chance of them being compromised hygienically.
These are the ultimate non-toxic and safe water wipe which can be used for not only the nappy area, but also hands and face.
BRONZE: Petit Kiddo Liniment Baby Bum Cleanser Reviews
Petit Kiddo is a creamy liniment of organic olive oil, limestone water and bentonite clay which is an old French recipe and the common way to change nappies in France. Not only does this liniment have a beautifully simple and non-toxic formulation, but I found it works really effectively for its 3 in 1 claim of cleansing, moisturising and creating a barrier. The olive oil makes even a sticky nappy change a breeze as everything wipes off so easily. My son’s skin didn’t flare between changes and so whilst using it added an extra product compared to using a disposable wipe, I found I then didn’t need to add a nappy balm after.
If you are choosing to use cloth nappies, then Petit Kiddo is my number 1 recommendation for a baby wipe when combined with reusable organic cotton wipes. It is a wonderful, effective non-toxic alternative to both disposable wipes and nappy balms.
FINALIST: JAK ORGANICS BABY Wipes Reviews
These wipes have a 2 in 1 cleansing and barrier action. The organic coconut and jojoba oils in the formulation, make it an absolute breeze to do a nappy change as everything wipes off so much more easily. They also leave the skin with a beautiful light coverage of oil as a barrier. Having a child with eczema and sensitive skin, who gets a red bottom by the next change if I miss a barrier cream, this wasn’t quite enough of a barrier for him on its own. Though, I can imagine if your child’s skin wasn’t quite so sensitive, there is the potential that this could be a true 2 in 1, which would be a dream and so convenient.
This wipe is naturally fragranced and if you love smells and perfumes, I have no doubt that you’ll love these. JAK BABY wipes come in a pack with a clip top which keeps the wipes moist for longer and also reduces the chance of them being compromised hygienically.
A fantastic non-toxic, mostly organic, highly effective wipe which leaves the skin with a beautiful layer of protective oils.
FINALIST: Lovekins Natural Baby Wipes Reviews
Lovekins natural baby wipes have a great ingredients list. They are delicately fragranced with rose geranium oil which is lovely and not overwhelming, even to someone who is sensitive to fragrances. These wipes are a thicker cloth than most and have a pearl grain design which should make for more effective wiping, however I feel they need a touch more wetness to really achieve this fully. The wipes are not biodegradable. These wipes come in a pack with a clip top which keeps the wipes moist for longer and also reduces the chance of them being compromised hygienically. A great non-toxic baby wipe.
Other Recommended Baby Wipes:
Ecoriginals: I love these wipes and have used them at home. Such a great product- and from a really great Australian company too. The wipes when bought in bulk are cheaper than the premium wipes at the supermarket. They have a great ingredients list and are a good sized wipe. Can’t recommend them enough.
Wotnot Wipes: These have been reformulated to remove tocopheryl acetate which make them an even better wipe than before! Definitely a fantastic, safe choice. I’ve used these and would definitely recommend. (I’ve found there are some of the older packs with the tocopheryl acetate ingredient in them still on shop shelves… the new formula packs are white and have 70 wipes in them, so make sure you’re getting the new ones!)
Tooshies by TOM: These have an awesome ingredients list. I’ve used a few packs of these and they are great. They are lightly scented from natural rose geranium oil if you like a scented product.
Little Innoscents Baby Wipes: These have a great ingredients list! I’d like them even more if potassium sorbate wasn’t there as that can be a skin irritant too. But they look great!
Naty Unscented Wipes: These don’t have any of the above listed ingredients that we’d prefer not to be in! I’d like them even more if sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate wasn’t there as they can be a skin irritant too. But these look good!
If I Couldn’t Choose My Top Wipes:
Natracare Baby Wipes: These wipes are made from organic cotton and have a pretty good ingredients list. They do have parfum in them, but it is from essential oils. They look good!
Luv Me Eco Baby Wipes: The ingredients in these wipes look good however they aren’t listed in the normal format which regulations insist upon. This means that I can’t tell 100% whether the preservatives they use are really as gentle as they could be. I’d want to know more before I could use them happily, but they do look promising.
Water Wipes: These wipes have always had just two ingredients listed… however one of them was grapefruit extract which the company has now disclosed contains 0.002% Benzalkonium Chloride. It was always a mystery as to what the preservative was in these wipes and now we know! Benzalkonium Chloride is a well-known skin and eye irritant and there have even been studies linking it with reduced fertility in mice. Whilst the Benzalkonium Chloride is present in very small concentrations, it definitely isn’t my preferred preservative. I wouldn’t use them every day on my child.
Bambure Bamboo Baby Wipes: These contain tocopheryl acetate which, while it would be nice to not have in the ingredients, are still a lot better than most wipes. The only other ingredient of slight concern in them is PEG 40 hydrogenated castor oil, which can strip natural oils from the skin.
Pampers Sensitive: These have been reformulated and they have removed phenoxyethanol which is great! They do have PEG-40 Hydrogenated castor oil which can strip natural oils from the skin and sodium benzoate which can cause skin irritation. It’s definitely an improvement from its old formulation!
Seventh Generation Free & Clear Wipes: These do have tocopheryl acetate and sodium benzoate which I’d prefer weren’t there. Otherwise, it’s a pretty good ingredients list!
Kids Goat Bamboo Wipes: This has both goats milk and tocopheryl acetate which I’d prefer weren’t there. Apart from those, it’s a great ingredients list.
Wipes I Wouldn’t Use Myself:
Curash Simply Water: These have been reformulated in the past year. MI has now been replaced by phenoxyethanol in the ingredients… which is still on the must- avoid list… but an improvement from the MI. I still wouldn’t use them.
Thankyou Thick Baby Wipes: These wipes contain phenoxyethanol which is on the must-avoid list. They also contain potassium sorbate which can be a skin irritant. I desperately wanted to love these wipes as I love the Thankyou company’s philosophy. Alas, I don’t love their wipes. (They do make great nappies though!)
Gaia Bamboo Baby Wipes: These contain phenoxyethanol which is on the must- avoid list. They also have alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride which I’d prefer wasn’t there. I wouldn’t use them.
Johnson’s Skincare Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free: These have phenoxyethanol in them which is on the must-avoid list. They also have sodium benzoate which I don’t love. I wouldn’t use them.
Baby U Baby Wipes Fragrance Free: These have phenoxyethanol which is on the must – avoid list. They also have tocopheryl acetate and sodium benzoate which I don’t love. I wouldn’t use them.
Heinz Baby Basics. Sticky Fingers Hand and Face Wipes, Fragrance Free: These have phenoxyethanol in them which is a must-avoid. They also have propylene glycol which I’d prefer wasn’t there. I wouldn’t use them.
Aldi Mamia Fragrance Free wipes: These have tocopheryl acetate in them which I’d prefer not to be there and sodium benzoate which I don’t love. They also have phenoxyethanol in them which is on my must avoid list. I wouldn’t use them.
Coles Little Explorer Baby Wipes: These have phenoxyethanol in them which is on the must-avoid list. They also have some ingredients I don’t love; palm oil derivatives, polyquaternium-7 and silicones. I wouldn’t use them.
Coles Comfy Bots Fragrance- Free: These have phenoxyethanol which is on the must-avoid list. They also have propylene glycol which would be nice if it wasn’t there. The other ingredients are ok, but not fabulous, like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate which are known skin irritants. I wouldn’t use them.
Bambini Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free: These have phenoxyethanol in them which is on the must-avoid list. They also have propylene glycol and tocopheryl acetate which I’d prefer weren’t there. I wouldn’t use them.
Little Ones Fragrance-Free Baby Wipes: These have phenoxyethanol which is on the must- avoid list. They also have tocopheryl acetate and propylene glycol in them, which I’d prefer them not to have, as well as sodium benzoate which I don’t love. I wouldn’t use them.
Huggies Fragrance-Free: These have phenoxyethanol which is on the must- avoid list as well as tocopheryl acetate and malic acid. I wouldn’t use them.
Aussie/ SIDS and Kids Unscented Wipes: These have phenoxyethanol which is on the must-avoid list. They also have propylene glycol and tocopheryl acetate which I’d prefer weren’t there… as well as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. I wouldn’t use these wipes, so will look to support this great cause in other ways.
Baby U Goat Milk Baby Wipes: These wipes contain phenoxyethanol which is on the must- avoid list. There’s also tocopherol acetate, propylene glycol and sodium benzoate as well as obviously having goats milk in them which could increase the chance of a food allergy. I wouldn’t use them.
Baby Solutions (Kmart) Baby Wipes: These have thankfully been reformulated and the worst ingredients removed. They still have phenoxyethanol which is on the must- avoid list. They also have propylene glycol, benzalkonium chloride and tocopheryl acetate which I wish weren’t there. Not my favourite wipe by far and I still wouldn’t use them… but a lot better than they were!
Wipes I Definitely Wouldn’t Use:
Aldi Mamia Extra Thick & Soft Wipes: These have fragrance which are on the must-avoid list. They also have tocopheryl acetate and sodium benzoate which I’d prefer weren’t there. I wouldn’t use them.
Johnson’s Skincare Baby Wipes, Lightly Fragranced: These have phenoxyethanol and fragrance in them which are on the must-avoid list. They also have sodium benzoate which I don’t love. I wouldn’t use them.
Curash Soothing Aloe Vera & Chamomile: These have fragrance and phenoxyethanol in them which are on the must-avoid list. They also have propylene glycol. I’d avoid.
Baby U Bamboo Baby Wipes: These have phenoxyethanol and perfume which are on the must-avoid list. They also have propylene glycol which I’d prefer wasn’t there. I wouldn’t use them.
Aldi Mamia Scented Baby Wipes: These have fragrance and phenoxyethanol which are on the must-avoid list. They also have tocopheryl acetate and potassium sorbate which I’d prefer weren’t there. I wouldn’t use them.
Coles Comfy Bots Lightly Scented: These have phenoxyethanol and also ‘fragrance’ which is most probably hidden parabens and phthalates. They also have propylene glycol and potassium sorbate, which would be nice if they were absent. I’d definitely avoid.
Curash Moisturising with Vitamin E: These have fragrance and phenoxyethanol in them which are on the must-avoid list. They also have propylene glycol in them as well as petrochemicals and silicones. I definitely wouldn’t use them.
Aussie/ SIDS and Kids Aloe and Cucumber Wipes: These have been reformulated for the better. They still have phenoxyethanol and fragrance in them which are on the must-avoid list. They also have Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate which I don’t love. I would choose to support this great charity through donation to their fundraising rather than buying their wipes.
Little Ones Scented Baby Wipes: These have phenoxyethanol and also ‘fragrance’ which is most probably hidden parabens and phthalates. They also have tocopheryl acetate and sodium benzoate. I’d definitely avoid.
Huggies: Lightly Fragranced with Coconut Oil: These have fragrance and phenoxyethanol which is on the must avoid list as well as tocopheryl acetate and malic acid. I’d definitely avoid.
Huggies: Lightly fragranced with Cucumber & Aloe: These have fragrance and phenoxyethanol which is on the must avoid list as well as tocopheryl acetate and malic acid. I’d definitely avoid.
Dymples Fragrance- Free wipes: These have 2 types of parabens as well as phenoxyethanol, propylene glycol, and tocopheryl acetate. I’d definitely avoid.
Curash Fragrance- Free: I was hoping these would have been reformulated like the simply water wipes, however they still contain five(!) different parabens, including one which is banned in Europe! They also have 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1-2-diol and phenoxyethanol. I’d definitely avoid!
In Summary:
My Recommended List :
Joonya Eco Wipes , JAK Organics Baby Aqua Wipes, Petit Kiddo Liniment Baby Bum Cleanser, JAK Organics Baby Wipes Coconut, Jojoba & Calendula,Ecoriginals, Wotnot Wipes, Tooshies by TOM, Little Innoscents and Naty wipes.
We use: Joonya Eco Wipes and JAK Organics Baby Aqua Wipes at home.
If I couldn’t choose my top wipes:
Natracare Baby Wipes, Luv Me Eco Baby Wipes, Water Wipes, Bambure Bamboo Baby Wipes, Pampers Sensitive, Seventh Generation Free & Clear Wipes and Kids Goat Bamboo Wipes had a pretty good ingredients list. I’d use them if I couldn’t choose the others, which I do think are better.
Wipes I wouldn’t use myself:
Curash Simply Water, Thankyou Thick Baby Wipes, Gaia Bamboo Baby Wipes, Johnson’s Skincare Baby Wipes (fragrance free), Baby U Baby Wipes (fragrance free), Heinz Baby Basics. Sticky Fingers Hand and Face Wipes (fragrance free), Aldi Mamia Fragrance Free wipes, Coles Little Explorer Baby Wipes, Coles Comfy Bots (fragrance- free), Bambini Baby Wipes (fragrance free), Little Ones (fragrance-free) Baby Wipes, Huggies (fragrance-free), Aussie/ SIDS and Kids Unscented Wipes, Baby U Goat Milk Baby Wipes and Baby Solutions (Kmart) Baby Wipes.
Wipes I definitely wouldn’t use are:
Aldi Mamia Extra Thick & Soft Wipes, Johnson’s Skincare Baby Wipes, Lightly Fragranced, Curash Soothing Aloe Vera & Chamomile, Baby U Bamboo Baby Wipes, Aldi Mamia Scented Baby Wipes, Coles Comfy Bots Lightly Scented, Curash Moisturising with Vitamin E, Aussie/ SIDS and Kids Aloe and Cucumber Wipes, Little Ones Scented Baby Wipes, Huggies: Lightly Fragranced with Coconut Oil, Huggies: Lightly fragranced with Cucumber & Aloe, Dymples Fragrance- Free wipes and Curash Fragrance- Free.
Other great options:
Another great option is to buy dry wipes and wet them yourself before each nappy change, reducing the need for chemicals and preservatives. Reynard Dry Baby Wipes are used in hospitals, including the special care nursery. New Beginnings are another dry wipe made from Bamboo and After Touch are made from 100% cotton. You can also do away with disposable wipes completely (and be much more environmentally friendly!) and choose reusable wipes- if you don’t mind the extra effort of washing! Apparently once you get a system worked out, they’re pretty easy for home changes. These Nature’s Child organic cotton reusable wipes ones look great.
Petit Kiddo‘s baby bum cleanser used with large organic cotton pads is another great, non-toxic and totally safe alternative. You also don’t need a nappy balm afterwards as it leaves a lovely organic olive oil residue on the skin once the rest is wiped off. It’s also slightly alkaline which counteracts the acidity left by urine. I was really impressed by this product.
Does the use of baby wipes cause food allergies?
It has been claimed recently that there may be a link between baby wipe use and food allergies, which for any parent is super concerning. The claims came about after a study was published in April, 2018 which looked at how to trigger food allergies in mice.
The study was not about baby wipes at all. It used Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a surfactant cleansing agent, as a way of compromising the skin’s natural barrier oils so that exposure to a food allergen caused sensitisation. In the study, the SLS was left repeatedly on the skin. For the SLS to trigger a food allergy, the mice also had to have a genetic predisposition for skin barrier defects (such as eczema) and be exposed to the food allergen. The hypothesis was that maybe baby wipes caused the same sort of cleansing agents to be left on the skin and it could be resulting in the increase in food allergies in children we’ve witnessed in the developed countries?
Firstly, in all the wipes I have listed none of them actually have SLS in them. However, this does not mean that they don’t have other nasty chemicals in them which could also disrupt the skin’s natural protective barrier.
What do I take from this?
I do think the best course of action is to make sure you’re choosing as non-toxic a wipe as possible, with ingredients which are much less likely to disrupt the skin’s natural barrier. If you had food allergies in the family or a baby with eczema, it might be well worth trying to make sure you always wash your hands before changing a nappy so that you don’t inadvertently expose your baby to potential food allergens on your hands. Also, when possible when you’re out, it might be worth walking that extra distance to wash hands under a tap rather than using baby wipes on hands and face before/after eating. Another great option when you’re out would be to use dry wipes that you wet from a water bottle.
I hope this helps you make informed choices!
Love Em x
*Remember never to flush wipes down the toilet as they don’t act like toilet paper and block the sewer systems creating huge damage!
*If I’m missing any wipes you’d like me to check out, please take a picture of the ingredients list and email it to me and I’m more than happy to take a look and add it to the list!
These rankings are purely my subjective opinions based on the ingredients lists on the back of baby wipe products in June 2018 and my research into the different ingredients using the EWG Skin Deep Database. This article does contain some affiliate links.
I have also written guides on what to look for when choosing safe bottom balms, baby shampoo and also toys.
Every move we make towards decreasing ours and our baby’s cumulative exposure to chemicals is an important one. To kick start you on your journey, I’ve written a FREE GUIDE of ‘9 Easy Ways To Reduce Your Chemical Exposure At Home’ which you get as a bonus when you sign up to my newsletter.
