Babies are extra sensitive to their environments. With delicate, sensitive skin and brand new immune systems that haven’t built up tolerances to the type of hazards and toxins grown-up bodies easily dispel. And yet many brands of baby wipes contain ingredients that we wouldn’t feel comfortable putting on adult skin, let alone our children’s.
These are the top ingredients to avoid in baby wipes and personal care products:
- foaming agents like SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) as these strip the skin of its protective layer and can make it a permeable pathway for the absorption of toxins into the body;
- preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, SHG;
- parabens;
- alcohol;
- isopropyl myristate;
- propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG);
- imidazolidinyl urea and other formaldehyde releasing preservatives.
Materials to avoid in baby wipes:
Many wipes are not biodegradable. Wipes can be made with viscose, synthetic materials and often plastics! These materials will not biodegrade, and may be chlorine bleached. No-one wants to wipe their skin with plastic. This is also why we shouldn’t flush wipes.
The solution:
An alternative are wipes made from truly biodegradable materials and infused with simple organic ingredients.
Organic cotton cloth is a guaranteed option to make sure that a wipe will safely biodegrade after use. Organic also has the benefit of no GMO ingredients or pesticide residues.
Find out more about Natracare’s organic cotton Baby Wipes. They are certified by EWG (Environmental Working Group) – meeting their strictest criteria for transparency and health, and also certified MADE SAFE.
