Selecting the Right Wipes – What’s good for your skin?
Many parents will find baby wipes something very handy when caring for their babies, because for a simple reason, it makes your life easier. But there are many new parents who do not know how to choose one, or they do not realize the type of wipes you use on your baby can have an impact on their health.
Babies have very delicate and sensitive skin. If you pick a wipe that is not suitable for your child, it can lead to irritated skin, diaper rash or other health concerns. Some factors that you can consider:
#1 Paper material and texture
This is what comes into contact on your baby’s skin. It should be soft and gentle on their skin. If you are cleaning your baby’s bottom, choosing a wipe that does not tear easily will decrease the chances of tearing the wipes and accidentally scratching the baby’s skin with your fingernails. If you are cleaning your baby’s bottom after he/she poo, then of course using wipes that do not tear easily will be more convenient for you.
#2 Content of the wipes
Some ingredients that we do not recommend:
- Alcohol –too harsh and drying on our baby’s skin.
- Parabens – Parabens is a group of preservatives that are commonly used in cosmetic products to prevent bacteria growth. Although it does not cause any immediate harm, there has been much discussion over its potential link with cancer growth.
- MIT (Methylisothiazolinone) – also a preservative used in cosmetic products that has been known to cause allergic skin reactions
Some ingredients that would be good to have:
- Aloe Vera – for skin moisturising
#3 Hypoallergenic
If you are worried about allergic skin reactions, it is recommended that you pick up a product that is hypoallergenic. This does not necessarily mean that the product is allergy proof, but that it is more unlikely to cause an allergic reaction than others.
#4 Organic and All Natural
I’m sure you see a lot of products out there that has an organic or natural label on it – organic tomatoes, fruits etc.
What does all natural mean? It means that the ingredients are derived from a natural source, such as plants or flowers. No artificial/synthetic ingredients are used.
What does organic mean? Organic means that the product is produced without the use of harmful chemicals such as pesticides. It is the same for baby wipes. There is a possibility of baby wipes being contaminated with pesticides, and this could potentially be transferred to your baby’s skin.
We do not recommend parents to DIY their own organic and natural wipes, because we are not professionals, and this could potentially harm our baby’s skin. Now at an affordable price, you can get organic and all natural wipes for your baby.
#5 Scented or unscented?
Many parents have the misconception that all scented wipes are bad, because they think that scented equals to chemicals. This is not necessarily true because both scented and unscented wipes can contain chemical ingredients. The only difference is the smell, and whether the fragrance is natural or artificial.
With fragrance or without fragrance?
- Fragrance = Can help to remove foul smell (e.g. babies’ vomit, babies’ poo – worse when switch to adult food)
- Fragrance free = No smell, but will not be able to remove foul smell
If you choose scented wipes, how do you know which to choose?
- Artificial/synthetic fragrance = baby skin will be more sensitive to artificial ingredients, especially newborns because they are still adapting to the environment.
- Natural fragrance = uses plant based ingredients (e.g. flower extracts or essential oils). Usually wipes that uses such plant based ingredients or essential oils can help to moisturize the baby’s skin after cleaning.
So it is advisable to get baby wipes with a natural fragrance. But still depends on individual preferences.
#6 Country of origin
This may not be a point that everyone will take into consideration or even notice. But if you are buying something for your baby, you naturally would want to get something that has some form of safety assurance. Countries such as Singapore have high safety and quality standards, so products that are produced locally would have gone through lots of testing and certifications. If you can have peace of mind in using a quality product, and at the same time support made in Singapore products, why not?
