1. Jackson Reece / 2. Babo Botanicals / 3. Joonya / 4. Pipette / 5. Bum Boosa / 6. healthybaby / 7. Hello Bello / 8. Eco Pea / 9. Eco by Naty / 10. Attitude
With research provided by Michael Hopkins, PhD
When I became a mother, I didn’t intend to use baby wipes at all. I assumed that in addition to exclusive cloth diaper usage, I’d be employing a washcloth and warm water at changing time.
Um, yeah. As soon as I experienced the convenience of the disposable wipe, wringing out poopy rags was a thing of the past. So I set out to find the best non-toxic baby wipes on the market.
It’s important to find the cleanest baby wipe for several reasons:
- The frequency with which we use baby wipes–multiples times a day, every day, for years!
- Baby wipes are used on the most delicate area of a baby, and we don’t wash the area off after use, so all ingredients are absorbed into baby’s skin.
- Baby wipes represent a huge environmental burden, even forming a reef in the river Thames! We owe it to our planet to choose the most environmentally friendly wipe possible.
The good news is that the ingredients in baby wipes are definitely much better now than when I wrote the first version of this guide ten years ago. Back then, fragrance and parabens were in most brands of wipes. Those ingredients are now much less common. And more and more brands are moving away from plastic and toward plant-based materials. This is good news for babies and for the Earth!
Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Wipes
If you are like me and have a hard time depriving yourself of the convenience of disposable baby wipes, you’ll want to avoid wipes with the the following ingredients:
- “Fragrance” or “parfum,” since these almost always means pthlalates (which are known endocrine disruptors).
- Phenoxyethanol, a suspected carcinogen. This is hard to avoid in “natural” wipes, so this ingredient alone won’t land a brand in Sneaky Stuff in our rankings below. But we give extra points to the brands that skip this preservative.
- PEG ingredients, which are petroleum-based compounds that are used as moisture-carriers and are known developmental toxins.
You’ll notice that many natural baby wipes contain sodium benzoate as a preservative. This is a food-grade ingredient that I try to avoid in food, as it can create carcinogenic benzene when combined with vitamin C. However, all wet wipes do require a preservation system in order to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria, and I am not worried about a small amount of sodium benzoate. In our list of Best, Good, and Okay Stuff below, we will indicate which brands of non-toxic wipes include sodium benzoate in case some of you are trying to avoid it.
The Most Certified Non-Toxic Baby Wipes
If you’re looking for a brand of non-toxic baby wipes that has a lot of third-party verification of their safety, consider healthybaby. Not only are they a B Corp, but their wet wipes received EWG and MADE SAFE certifications, and the wood pulp they use in their wipes is verified by the Forest Stewardship Council. You’ll read more about these wipes below, under the Best Stuff.
Ingredients You Won’t See Listed on Baby Wipes
In addition to the ingredients you’ll see listed on the side of a package of wipes, there are a number of other chemicals that may be included. These come in the form of contaminants and byproducts of the production process for some of the ingredients that go into the wipes. For example:
- Polysorbate-20, a common preservative, is often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.
- 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol (the preservative in the old Kirkland wipes, although they recently removed it) releases carcinogenic formaldehyde.
- Tocopheryl acetate (synthetic vitamin E that’s used as a skin conditioner) is produced using hydroquinone, a skin toxicant and potential carcinogen.
The Material of the Wipe Itself
Most baby wipe labels don’t even list what the wipes themselves are made of, but 90% of are made of petroleum-based plastic, such as polyester or polypropylene. I don’t think either of these poses a risk to the baby on whom these wipes are used. However, because of the environmental toll these wipes post, we don’t call any plastic wipes Best Stuff.
Which is the Best Plant-Based Material for Baby Wipes?
If you’re avoiding plastic baby wipes, you’ll find that there are several different kinds of plant-based materials manufacturers use instead. Of these, we think bamboo is the most eco-friendly choice. Bamboo grass grows quickly and it also breaks down faster. You may have heard that the way bamboo is processed can be toxic. It’s true that bamboo must go through a chemical solvent process to become viscose, and we hope that in the future they’ll be able to make bamboo into lyocel via a mechanical process. For now, we think bamboo viscose is the greenest material for a disposable wipe, but we also think that wood pulp and organic cotton are sufficiently sustainable materials.
Alternatives to Disposable Diaper Wipes
As we’ve established, there is no truly earth-friendly disposable diaper wipe. If you want to try for a more sustainable diaper-time cleanup, we love this organic cloth with this no-rinse foamer.
Best Stuff
Attitude Natural Baby Wipes
These are made of “chlorine-free cellulose,” which is a plant-based biodegradable fiber. The ingredients list is unconcerning, but these wipes do contain sodium benzoate.
Cost per wipe: $0.10
Babo Botanicals 3-in-1 Sensitive Baby Wipes
All Babo products are produced on a certified organic farm in upstate New York, and are made in small batches. None of Babo’s products contain sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde-releasers, or propylene glycol. The wipe itself is made of biodegradable plant material. The preservative system used here is potassium sorbate.
Cost per wipe: $0.30
Bum Boosa Baby Wipes
Made of bamboo cellulose, Bum Boosa was among the first brands to develop a more eco-friendly wipe. Bum Boosa changed their formula and now uses sodium benzoate as a preservative.
Cost per wipe: $0.05
Eco by Naty Wipes
These non-toxic baby wipes are made from 100% plant based fibers and received the TÜV Austria “OK Compost” certification. Eco by Naty wipes use sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as preservatives.
Cost per wipe: $0.07
Eco Pea Baby Wipes
These non-toxic wipes are EWG-verified, made of biodegradable bamboo, and contain sodium benzoate as a preservative. The rest of Eco Pea’s ingredients are squeaky clean, but I have not yet used these wipes to evaluate how they perform.
Cost per wipe: $0.08
Healthybaby Wet Wipes
These EWG-verified, non-toxic baby wipes are made from wood pulp, and get extra points for having the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. This means that the wood used was responsibly sourced.
Healthybaby’s wipes contain sodium benzoate and citric acid for preservation, and all of the other ingredients are natural and safe.
In addition to the EWG verification, these baby wipes earned a Made Safe certification, and Healthybaby is a certified B Corp, as well!
From a performance standpoint, I love how these thick, embossed wipes clean up with just the right amount of moisture–they are among my favorite wet wipes.
Cost per wipe: $0.11
(Healthybaby also makes an organic cotton dry wipe that you can use with just water, too.)
Hello Bello Wipes
The are made of plant fibers and have a very clean list of ingredients. They contain sodium benzoate as a preservative. I like that Hello Bello’s non-toxic baby wipes are produced in the USA.
Cost per wipe: $0.05
Jackson Reece Biodegradable Wipes
These wipes are made from wood pulp, and have a nice short list of ingredients. These come in scented (essential oils) or unscented varieties, and the wipes are big and thick. They offer the perfect level of wetness, and use potassium sorbate as a preservative.
Cost per wipe: $0.10
Joonya Natural Baby Wipes
I still use these wipes for cleaning hands and faces in our house. I like the amount of wetness (but lack of any soapy suds) in these wipes. Joonya uses decyl glucoside as a surfactant and silver hydrogen citrate as a preservative (which carries an EWG score of just 1). These do not contain sodium benzoate, and the wipe itself is made of 100% wood pulp, which is FSC-certified.
Cost per wipe: $0.09
Pipette Baby Wipes
I haven’t tried Pipette’s EWG-verified wipes, so please comment below if you’ve tried them! These wipes do not contain sodium benzoate and have a very clean ingredients list. The wipe themselves are made of 100% plant-based materials.
Cost per wipe: $0.07
Natracare Baby Wipes
These non-toxic baby wipes are certified by EWG, and contain absolutely nothing of concern.
Natracare use organic cotton for their wipes, which are free of sodium benzoate. The only downside is that these are among the most expensive baby wipes we reviewed.
Cost per wipe: $0.16
Good Stuff
Dyper Baby Wipes
Some of our favorite diapers are Dyper, and we like their wipes too! The only ingredient I don’t love is the they contain benzethonium chloride as a preservative, which is why we aren’t calling these Best Stuff. Dyper’s wipes are made of 100% bamboo viscose, the best material we found for a disposable wipe. These do not contain sodium benzoate.
Cost per wipe: $0.10
Made Of Soothing Baby Wipes
Made Of wipes are free of alcohol and other skin irritants, and are independently tested to be free of microbes, heavy metals, parabens, and more. Notably, nowhere on their site does Made Of tell you what their wipes are made of, which is why we are not calling them Best Stuff. These wipes DO contain sodium benzoate.
Cost per wipe: $0.11
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Okay Stuff
BabyGanics Face, Hand, and Baby Wipes
If you are a regular reader of mine, you know I often categorize BabyGanics as Sneaky Stuff. Their wipes, however, are actually not bad, with sodium benzoate being the only ingredient I don’t love–but not enough to concern me. However, because these wipes are made of plastic (polyester) they are detrimental to the environment–and from a company that has “ganic” in it’s name, this feels decidely Sneaky!
Cost per wipe: $0.04
Burt’s Bees Baby Wipes
While these wipes have a pretty clean ingredients list, the inclusion of phenoxyethanol knocks them out of Good Stuff. In addition, Burt’s Bee’s wipes are made of plant-based material but are NOT biodegradable.
Cost per wipe: $0.05
Dapple All Purpose Wipes
Contains phenoxyethanol (and sodium benzoate), which means they do not qualify as Good Stuff.
Cost per wipe: $0.14
Honest Wipes
Some of Honest’s products are Good Stuff and some are not. Their wipes fall into the former category in terms of the ingredients listed on the label. Honest’s wipes are made of plant-based fibers, but without knowing which specific plants, we cannot know for sure if these are biodegradable. A 2019 study found Honest wipes to be contaminated with formaldehyde, but this may have been an isolated batch. Still, we are keeping these wipes as just Okay Stuff for now. You can get Honest on their website as well as on Amazon.
Cost per wipe: $0.06
Kirkland Baby Wipes
The preservative phenoxyethanol knocks these out of the Good Stuff, but Kirkland’s wipes are better than many conventional brands–especially as they are made of wood pulp instead of plastic. These wipes do contain sodium benzoate.
Cost per wipe: $0.03
Mama Bear
Lots of you love these wipes, but they are only Okay Stuff as they contain phenoxyethanol and sodium benzoate.
Cost per wipe: $0.03
Parasol Wipes
Parasol wipes were found to contain formaldehyde in this study although of course we can’t know if any batch contains it now. While the ingredients are really clean, the wipe itself is plastic-based, and in 2022 there is no reason for this!
Cost per wipe: $0.06
Seventh Generation Free & Clear Wipes
These can be called non-toxic baby wipes, (although they do use sodium benzoate as a preservative). The real offense is that they are made of mostly plastic, so they are not an eco-friendly choice.
Cost per wipes: $0.04
WaterWipes
These wipes are billed as being biodegradable, and indeed they will biodegrade within 12 weeks “under the right conditions,” which is of course the challenging part! We don’t have specifics on what WaterWipes are made of beyond being “bio-based.” WaterWipes contain trace amounts of highly toxic benzalkonium chloride as a preservative. The amount is small enough to still call these Okay Stuff. Note that WaterWipes were also one of the brands of wipes to be found to contain formaldehyde in that 2019 study.
Cost per wipe: $0.07
Bad Stuff
Huggies
Unsurprisingly, Huggies baby wipes are some of the worst. Even their unscented wipes contain a number of questionable ingredients–including numerous parabens and DMDM hydantoin, a known human immune system toxicant–so don’t be fooled by the natural-sounding varieties (Cucumber and Green Tea, for example). I can barely stomach the scent of these wipes.
Lanisoh Clean & Condition Baby Wipes
These would never be Good Stuff as they are made of rayon and polyester.
They also contain a bunch of problematic ingredients, including PEG chemicals, phenoxyethanol, and benzalkonium chloride.
Pampers Wipes
Pampers is another brand that just doesn’t make any safe wipes, despite their numerous varieties. While a few score only moderate hazard on Skin Deep, the majority are ranked high hazard, thanks to fragrance, PEG chemicals, and benzyl alcohol. Even their “Sensitive” label should be avoided, as they include several PEG chemicals. Oh, and the wipes themselves are made of a plastic blend.
Up & Up Baby Fresh & Clean Baby Wipes
While Target’s brand of wipes are made of plant-based fibers, they contain synthetic fragrance. Update: The fragrance-free version of these wipes are actually fine.
Sneaky Stuff
365 Wipes
While the ingredients in the Whole Foods brand of wipes don’t pose a real risk to a baby (although we don’t love benzoic acid), the wipes themselves are made of polypropylene. Any wipe that claims to be “eco” and then is made of plastic is default Sneaky Snuff in our book.
Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Wipes
These sound great at first glance, being made of bamboo that biodegrades within 21 days. Sadly, the ingredients in these wipes aren’t great— they contain cocamidopropyl betaine, didecyldimonium chloride, and PEG chemicals (and their “Sensitive” ones really are not any better.)
BabyGanics Face, Hand, and Baby Wipes
If you are a regular reader of mine, you know I often categorize BabyGanics as Sneaky Stuff. Their wipes, however, are actually not bad, with sodium benzoate being the only ingredient I don’t love–but not enough to concern me. However, because these wipes are made of plastic (polyester) they are detrimental to the environment–and from a company that has “ganic” in it’s name, this feels decidedly Sneaky!
Bloom Baby Unscented Wipes
These wipes aren’t affiliated with Bloom Baby, the company that makes chairs. They contain phenoxyethanol so at most they’d be considered Okay Stuff. They appear to be made of a plant based material but there is no way to contact them to confirm. Between that and seemingly having stolen the other Bloom Baby’s name, we are leaving them in Sneaky Stuff until we get a response from them!
Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes
Fortunately, Huggies finally ditched the parabens and methylisothiazolionone (that’s thanks to you guys as consumers!).
Because these wipes still contain fragrance and PEG chemicals, they remain in the Sneaky Stuff. Additionally, they are made of mostly plastic.
Mustela Baby Cleansing Wipes
I am confused by the EWG verification of this brand. Some of the versions have full-on fragrance, but even the unscented is made of mostly polyester. Using a plastic to make a disposable wipe is just not necessary when there are so many good plant-based material options available!
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