Free Shipping on Orders $50 or more! Most orders ship same day when placed before noon MST, Monday-Friday.

What is in a Disposable Wipe?

 

thirsties blog

I love our Thirsties cloth wipes. I use them exclusively and since we're already washing cloth diapers it's super easy to throw them in wet bag and wash them.  But I have to admit I've been using them because I feel it's less wasteful and because it's cost efficient. Out of curiosity, I did quick online search for the chemicals found in common brands of disposable baby wipes. I was shocked when I learned about the following common ingredients: Methylisothiazolinone: This is what is known as a biocide. It is used to kill microbes or bacteria in solutions that contain water. It's used a preservative of sorts in wipes. Full strength it can cause chemical burns, skin irritation and contact dermatitis. Some babies may actually have an allergy to this type of biocide and their skin may react accordingly. Methylisothiazolinone has been banned for use in cosmetics in Canada but not for use the in U.S.--and that includes baby wipes! Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate: This nasty chemical, also used as a preservative and biocide in disposable wipes, is also a neurotoxin. Though it was first used in paint and wood treatments, it is a common ingredient in both cosmetics and personal hygiene products. Because it's so noxious, it is either banned or highly regulated in many countries, though not in the United States. This chemical is also a contact irritant. Why would it be added to baby wipes, of all things? Dioxins: If the disposable wipes are made from a material such as a paper or other fiber that has been bleached, the wipes will contain dioxins. These are also present in any bleached disposable diapers. Dioxins are highly toxic and have been linked to cancer and fertility problems. They can negatively affect the immune system and the endocrine system (hormones). Babies that wear disposable diapers and are wiped with disposable wipes are being exposed to these dioxins almost all day long. You can easily make your own homemade solutions for cloth wipes using inexpensive non-toxic ingredients, you can use a pre-made solution like Thirsties Booty Luster or in a pinch, you can use water. Any of these options are better than wiping off baby with a cocktail of chemicals on a non-biodegradable wipe.
disposable wipes
Previous post Next post

42 comments

  • Cloth wipes just make so much sense… you’re already washing the diapers, what’s a wipe added to that? So easy and nice on his skin, too!

    Lauren Faxel on
  • Has anyone tried Bum Boosa wipes?

    Chrissy on
  • We use family cloth in our house. We are expecting our 9th, so it saves a lot of money on toilet paper, with soon to be 11 members in our house. We are already doing cloth diapers for two in cloth and cloth wipes, so we thought we give it a try, thing is we LOVE it!!! Flannel is super soft. Try it on yourself and you will want to use it on your little ones. No chemicals like packaged wipes and we save sooo… much $$$. You can make them with old flannel blankets too, you know you have a bunch laying around somewhere! Make the switch!!!

    Kara Reeder on
  • I use them as a backup (had the same package for about 3 years now, they stay wet if they are kept closed).. right now my baby has a bad rash (from no one telling us at a party that she was dirty REPEATEDLY. ACK!) because they aren’t as ‘rough’ as cloth wipes made of terrycloth, which seem to open her skin up more. We do use cloth 99% of the time, though.

    Jill on
  • We love Thirsties wipes!

    Laura on

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published