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Originally Posted On: https://au.joonya.com/blogs/articles/how-to-choose-the-best-baby-wipes
How To Choose The Best Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are a staple for parents, an essential tool for diaper changes, messy faces, and sticky fingers.
But how much do you really know about what’s in them and what ingredients do you need to avoid in baby wipes?
The Deceptive Nature of “Natural-Sounding” Ingredients
Unfortunately, the world of wet wipes is rife with vague ingredient labels and hidden chemicals.
Take the example of “Japanese Soybean Amino Acid.” At first glance, this serene-sounding name seems harmless—perhaps even beneficial.
However, a closer look reveals that it’s often far from pure. A quick search reveals that products claiming to include such extracts frequently rely on additional chemicals to preserve them, such as phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate. These are preservatives that, while common, can irritate sensitive baby skin.
Names like “Japanese Soybean Amino Acid” would never make it onto labels in markets like the EU, where cosmetics regulations are considered the gold standard.
EU laws require full transparency, with all chemical components explicitly listed. This level of scrutiny ensures consumers know exactly what they’re using, leaving no room for “game of secrets.”
Harmful Ingredients In Wet Wipes & Baby Wipes
A recent investigation by Consumer Reports examined 15 brands of baby wipes and found that nearly half had concerning or unclear ingredients.
Baby wipes which could be harmful included ingredients such as alcohol, chlorine, plastics, petrochemicals, heavy metals, formaldehyde, parabens and phenols.
Therefore when choosing baby wipes, it’s important to be cautious of red flag chemicals like 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, which are often hidden in ethoxylated compounds like PEGs (e.g. PEG-40, PEG-16), polysorbates (e.g. polysorbate 80), or any ingredient ending in “-eth” (e.g. laureth, ceteareth).
Another component to look out for are Quats – quaternary ammonium compounds are preservatives that can be skin irritants. Look for terms like “quaternium” or “onium chloride” on ingredient labels.
It’s best if you can avoid wipes with unclear chemical names.
Finally, check the materials used, many baby wipes use plastics that don’t decompose, raising environmental concerns.
How To Choose Safe Baby Wipes
Whether you’re shopping for your little one or for general household use, keep the following in mind when choosing baby wipes to ensure you choose the safest brand:
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Inspect Ingredient Lists
Steer clear of wipes containing potentially harmful preservatives or ambiguous chemicals.
Be vigilant for ingredients like 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, often disguised in ethoxylated compounds such as PEGs, polysorbates, or terms ending in “-eth” (e.g, laureth, ceteareth).
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Say No to Quats
Quats (quaternary ammonium compounds) are potential skin irritants. Look for phrases like “quaternium” (e.g. quaternium-17) or “onium chloride” (e.g. benzalkonium chloride) and avoid products that include them.
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Choose Eco-Friendly Materials
Select wipes made from biodegradable options like plant-based fibers, such as viscose, lyocell, modal, or Tencel. Check as well if the material is FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council ®) certified for extra-reassurance.
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Avoid Hidden Fragrances
Generic terms like “fragrance”, “natural fragrance”, or “parfum” can conceal harmful chemicals. Opt for 0% fragrance-free wipes or those that clearly disclose all fragrance components.
Joonya: A Safe Choice For Baby Wipes
In this competitive and often murky marketplace, here at Joonya we stand out by prioritizing trust and transparency for our Joonya Baby Wipes.
As parents who experienced their babies suffering from frequent rashes, we designed our baby wipes to minimize chemical exposure and maximize safety.
Every ingredient has a top safety rating on EWG’s Skin Deep database, and is free from alcohol, chlorine, petrochemicals, formaldehyde, parabens and phenols.
Made with 99.7% water and organic Aloe & Jojoba which hydrate and nourish delicate skin.
The full ingredient list is as follows:
Purified Water, Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice Powder, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Silver Dihydrogen Citrate, Citric Acid (non-GMO), Decyl Glucoside, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Citrate.
Learn more about why Joonya are the best baby wipes brand for your family.
The DERMATEST® seal confirms that our wipes do not cause skin irritation or hypersensitivity to the skin after dermatological testing.
Finally, we’ve developed the use of a silky-soft, embossed fabric made from responsibly sourced FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council ®) certified, compostable wood fibers – a thoughtful choice. Licence C145475.
