How to Choose Safe Wet Wipes: For those who want to avoid unnecessary chemicals

Baby's skin is sensitive to chemicals

The skin of a newborn baby is soft and delicate. It is thinner than adult skin and is more vulnerable to chemicals.

Many parents want to carefully choose the products that come into contact with their baby's skin on a daily basis, but many may not know what is best and how to choose them.

This article provides a thorough explanation of how to choose reliable baby wipes. These are used on the most sensitive areas of newborn babies many times a day, so it's important to know the key points to choosing the right wipes.

Related article: Polyaminopropyl biguanide is a dangerous ingredient in baby wipes
Click here for recommended wipes

Are baby wipes safe?

If it says "for newborns" or "for babies," you know it's safe! Do you use it without paying attention to the ingredients?

Wet wipes are used not only when changing diapers, but also to wipe dirty hands and mouths. Many of them have antibacterial and preservative properties, but what ingredients do they contain?

Naturally, the ingredients used vary from product to product, but in fact, baby wipes often contain strong preservatives and chemicals that are not even used in adult cosmetics.

Preservatives that are prohibited for use in children under the age of three in the West are commonly used in Japan because there are no such regulations.

Chemicals found in baby wipes

Many baby wipes contain ingredients with long, complicated names. They are not just made up of water. For example, they may contain the following ingredients:

Cetrimonium Chloride

Cetrimonium chloride is used as a preservative in baby wipes. The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has determined that 0.1% of cetrimonium chloride is safe when used as a preservative. When used for other purposes, the safe concentration is 0.5%.

On the other hand, in Japan, it is possible to use up to 1%. However, this is only for quasi-drugs (medicated cosmetics). Most baby wipes are not quasi-drugs, so there is no need to adhere to the limit of less than 1%.

Cetrimonium chloride, when combined with other preservatives, can become too highly penetrating into the skin, meaning it can penetrate your baby's skin too much and cause skin irritation or allergies.

Polyaminopropyl Biguanide

A preservative also known as PHMB. It is sometimes used in combination with cetrimonium chloride.

In the EU, due to concerns about its carcinogenicity, its use in all cosmetics, including those for adults, was banned in 2015. It was subsequently re-examined, and is now permitted up to 0.1%.

Benzalkonium Chloride

In baby wipes made in Japan, this preservative is only allowed to be present at a maximum concentration of 0.05%.

In New Zealand, clinical patch testing conducted over several years has suggested that this may be a new allergen, and investigations are underway.

Parabens

A preservative often used in cosmetics. It is known as an endocrine disruptor that affects hormone balance. There are several types of parabens , but they are considered to have increasing toxicity risks, in the order listed below.

• Isobutylparaben
• Propylparaben
• Butylparaben
• Ethylparaben
• Methylparaben

In Denmark, butylparaben and propylparaben are prohibited from cosmetics such as baby wipes and lotions intended for use by children under the age of three.

Chemicals that aren't listed on the ingredients list of baby wipes

In addition to the ingredients listed on the full ingredient list, baby wipes may contain other substances you should be careful of.

They are ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane .

Both of these substances are carcinogens and may be present or remain in the ingredients in baby wipes, but they do not have to be listed on the ingredient list.

That's because these are not intentionally added ingredients and are thought to be contaminants that get mixed in during the manufacturing process.

Even very small concentrations of 1,4-dioxane have been linked to several cancers, which is why the EU has restrictions on residual levels of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics.

1,4-dioxane can also be released into the environment during the production of baby wipes, potentially contaminating soil, sediments, air and water.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , 1,4-dioxane is not readily biodegradable, which means that once released into the environment, it can remain there for a long time.

The ingredients that pose a risk of contamination with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane are as follows:

• PEG (Polyethylene Glycol)
• Polysorbate
• Laures
• Ceteareth

All of these are ingredient names followed by a number.

Wet wipe material

Many wet wipes are made from polypropylene or PET, which means they're basically made from plastic .

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a material often used in plastic bottles and polyester, while polypropylene is a plastic sometimes used in packaging, diapers, and sanitary products.

Polypropylene and PET: neither plastic is biodegradable. There is also little chance that wet wipes will be recycled after use, meaning they end up in the non-recycled plastic waste.

To keep your baby's bottom safe and clean

Naturally, manufacturers selling wet wipes will be strictly controlling the safety and quality of their products.

Therefore, it is natural that some people say there is no need to worry too much. However, it is not strange for some people to think that they do not want to use products that may pose a risk to their precious baby's skin.

If you are one of those people, keep the following points in mind when choosing baby wipes.

• Avoid the preservatives mentioned above
• Avoid ingredients that may be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane (e.g., PEG, polysorbates)
• Choose wipes made from plant-based, biodegradable materials
• Do not choose wet wipes made of plastic
• Choose unscented or fragrance-free wipes ( synthetic fragrances often contain substances that pose health or allergy risks)
• Choose wipes that do not contain essential oils (natural fragrance essential oils have a high risk of skin sensitization and allergies)

It's difficult to know which one to choose, but for those of you who feel that way, we recommend these baby wipes made from cotton and 100% water.
You can easily purchase it on Amazon. Why not give it a try?

Finally

If there is anyone reading this article who uses wet wipes, I urge you to take a moment to ask yourself whether you really need them.

Is it possible to rinse the baby's bottom in the shower or use a damp cloth, tissue or organic cotton instead?

Even if it's difficult to switch completely, you may be able to reduce how often you use them, such as by using wet wipes only when you go out.

The safest thing for your baby's skin is to minimize its exposure to unnecessary chemicals .

Safe for touching baby's skin. Skin care that takes into consideration skin and the environment: "CONCIO"

Moms have a lot of contact with their babies every day. When you welcome your baby into your home, it might be a good idea to reassess the skin care products you use.

CONCIO is the first additive-free skin care product in Japan to receive EWG certification, meeting new standards.

Focusing on the risk of skin irritation and allergies caused by cosmetic ingredients, we have implemented our own safety standards by not using 2,500 ingredients, providing global standards of safety to Japanese sensitive skin.