What's Really in Your Baby's Wet Wipes

A wet wipe is a cloth that's been sitting in liquid, in a sealed pack, for months. Anything wet that sits that long grows bacteria and mold, so every wet wipe needs preservatives to keep it from spoiling.

Then that liquid goes on your baby's most sensitive skin and stays there, under a warm diaper, up to 10 times a day. Regulators even class wet wipes as "leave-on" products, like lotion.

Fragrance, preservatives and surfactants found in wet wipes have all won it. One preservative once common in baby wipes was banned from wet wipes in Europe in 2017. In the US, the FDA doesn't approve these ingredients before they're sold.

That "Eczema" Might Be the Wipes

Doctors in Pediatrics described children whose stubborn rashes wouldn't clear with antibiotics or steroid creams. It was an allergy to a preservative in their wet wipes. When the wipes stopped, the rash cleared. Wipe allergies are often misdiagnosed as eczema.

The NHS lists fragranced wipes as a cause of nappy rash, and still recommends cotton and warm water for newborns.

Most Wet Wipes Are Part Plastic

Many wet wipes are blended with polyester and polypropylene so they don't fall apart when soaked, and most labels never say so. The UK is now banning wet wipes that contain plastic.

PureWipes are 100% cotton. A dry wipe doesn't need plastic to survive months of soaking.

Even "Water" Wipes Need a Preservative

"99% water" and "natural" wet wipes still sit in liquid, so they still list a preservative. The problem isn't the brand. It's the liquid. The only way to get to zero is to take the liquid out.

Pull. Wet. Wipe. Pure as It Gets.

In a study of 722 newborns, the wipe with the fewest ingredients meant significantly fewer days of diaper rash. PureWipes have one: the water you add.

Thick, Fluffy and Lint-Free

Thick, fluffy 100% cotton fiber. Soft enough for a newborn's face, strong enough for a blowout, and lint-free, so nothing is left stuck to your baby's skin.

Wet Wipes vs. PureWipes

"But Will It Clean as Well as a Wet Wipe?"

Wet wipes smear. Moms say it all the time: "water wipes just smear poop around," "soapy and slimy, they smear more than clean."

Thick cotton grips. A damp, thick, fluffy cotton sheet lifts the mess instead of sliding over it. One mom who switched to cotton and water called it "much more effective than wipes."

Not a paper towel. PureWipes are thick 100% cotton that holds together wet, and lint-free, so nothing is left stuck to the skin. Big blowout? Use a second wipe.

On the go or at daycare? Wet a small stack in the morning and keep it in a sealed pouch. They're ready all day.