Top 5 Eco Friendly Baby Wipes That Are Biodegradable

A baby lying on a changing mat. Image copyright: Picsea via unsplash.com.

Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Looking for the best eco friendly baby wipes?

For most parents, baby wipes are a genius invention. From grubby bottoms to sudden spillages, it’s hard to deny how useful they are. However, many baby wipes contain plastic resins such as polyester or polypropylene. These take years to break down & contribute to the formation of fatbergs‘.

Fatbergs (a rather off putting blend of the words ‘fat’ and ‘iceberg’) are congealed masses of fat, baby wipes, diapers & other gunk, which accumulate in sewers, sometimes blocking them completely.

Used baby wipes also find their way into the ocean, where, with other plastic pollution, they cause long-term problems to marine life.

And whilst some baby wipes may be labelled as ‘flushable’, this doesn’t mean they break down like toilet tissue. Many contain plastic, which breaks down into smaller particles, polluting the environment & entering wildlife & human food chains.

So whatever the label says, dispose of baby wipes in the bin.

Eco Friendly Baby Wipe Picks:

Top Pick: WaterWipes Biodegradable
Best Dry Wipes: CannyMum Dry Wipes (In US try Winner Wipes)
Best Reusable Cloth Wipes: ImseVimse Organic Cotton Cloths

Why Use Eco Friendly Baby Wipes?

Another problem with many baby wipes is the chemical content. According to this Which Report, which inspected the ingredients list on 14 popular brands of baby wipes, most of them contained chemicals, some of them potential allergens.

And whilst some additives, such as preservatives, are there to inhibit bacteria or mould growth, other ingredients, such as artificial fragrances, aren’t strictly necessary.

A baby’s skin is sensitive, as well as absorbent, so limiting artificial chemicals, fragrances & cleansing agents can help prevent irritation or drying out of baby’s skin, as well as prove safer for baby longer term.

Opting for eco friendly baby wipes generally means they contain less synthetic chemicals, making them gentler on skin & better for the environment.

As a general guide, when shopping for baby wipes, the less ingredients the better.

What Are Biodegradable Baby Wipes Made From?

Biodegradable baby wipes are made from natural materials such as organic cotton, viscose rayon, wood pulp & bamboo. Although not necessarily perfect, (some materials, such as viscose, undergo chemical processing to produce them), these materials do break down quicker that baby wipes that contain plastic resins.

Ultimately, the most eco friendly baby wipe option is probably to use warm water & reusable cotton wipes (either bought or homemade). But if this seems impractical or just isn’t up your street, here are 5 eco friendly baby wipes that are made with sustainability in mind & marketed as biodegradable.

5 Biodegradable Eco Friendly Baby Wipes

1 – WaterWipes Biodegradable Baby Wipes

Did you know some baby wipes contain up to 12 or more ingredients? WaterWipes Biodegradable baby wipes contain just 3 – 99.9% purified water plus a drop of fruit and berry extract.

Hypoallergenic, unscented & free of artificial fragrances, parabens & sulfates, these eco friendly baby wipes feature a soft textured surface for added cleaning power on messy hands & bottoms.

Accepted by the National Eczema Association of America, Dermatologically Approved by the Skin Health Alliance and registered by the Vegan Society. It’s recommended you use the wipes within a month, as they don’t contain the same preservatives as many other brands.

SHOP WaterWipes

2 – Jackson Reece Baby Wipes

99% of the ingredients in Jackson Reece eco friendly baby wipes are derived from renewable vegetable or plant extracts. Made from sustainably sourced wood pulp, purified & de-ionised water, plant & vegetable extracts and food grade preservatives, the wipes are biodegradable & plastic free.

There’s no fragrance in the natural version & wipes are free of alcohol, parabens, lanolin, phthalates, phenoxyethanol or benzoates & other common chemicals. You can check the full ingredient list here.

Jackson Reece baby wipes have won lots of baby awards and the packaging is recyclable.

SHOP JACKSON REECE

3 – Mum & You Biodegradable Baby Wipes

These biodegradable baby wipes from Mum & You are 99.4% water & plastic free. Ingredients are 95.5% naturally derived (there are a couple of synthetically derived ingredients that help keep the wipes fresh & aid gentle cleansing).

Fragrance free, the wipes are gentle on skin & a pack of wipes should work as good as new for up to 3 months once opened.

Leaping Bunny approved, the wipes are Vegan certified, plus there’s a commitment to using PEFC certified sustainable fibers. Mum & You wipes are also Green Seal Certified, which shows a product has reduced environmental impacts in one or more stages of it’s product life cycle.

SHOP MUM & YOU

4 – CannyMum Bamboo Dry Wipes

If you live in the UK, CannyMum Bamboo Wipes get the thumbs up from British mums.

You can either use these baby wipes dry or add water to turn them into wet wipes. The dry sheets can also double as cleansing or make up remover wipes.

Made from sustainable & biodegradable 100% bamboo fibre, these soft, eco friendly baby wipes don’t contain any added chemicals & are dye, fragrance, chlorine, preservative & sulphate free.

SHOP CannyMum

5 – ImseVimse Organic Cotton Reusable Baby Wipes

If you’d prefer to avoid disposable baby wipes altogether, reusable cloth baby wipes are a practical eco friendly baby wipe alternative.

These washable, organic cotton cloths from ImseVimse are both environmentally friendly & inexpensive to use if you consider how much you could spend on disposable eco wipes.

The cloth baby wipes are soft & delicate enough to let you wipe tiny folds on baby’s skin and, as a natural fabric, are also biodegradable. Cloths are 9 x 9 inches & come in packs of 12.

SHOP ImseVimse

The Best Eco Friendly Baby Wipes: FAQS

Want to know a bit more about baby wipes and what might be in them?

Here are some commonly asked questions.

What Chemicals Are In Baby Wipes?

Some of the chemicals found in many baby wipes include parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, triclosan, Phenoxyethanol, ethylene oxide, 1,4-Dioxane, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES), methylisothiazolinone (MIT), iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC), bronopol, and DMDM Hydantoin.

According to this Which Report, other potentially irritant chemicals to look out for in baby wipes include:

– Polysorbate-20
– Artificial fragrances (or parfums), which may contain phthalates
– Propylene glycol
– Tocopherol acetate

Hidden ingredients of baby wipes may also include dioxane, formaldehyde, chlorine, or BPAs (Bisphenol A). You can check out many of these ingredients at safeconsmetics.org.

Genuine eco friendly baby wipes are likely to be free of most of these chemicals. But keep in mind, even more sustainable baby wipes may contain some artificially derived ingredients in the form of preservatives or gentle cleansing agents.

WaterWipes are often considered to contain the fewest ingredients in commercial baby wipes.

Are There Preservatives In Baby Wipes?

Generally, yes. Preservatives in baby wipes are there for a reason though – to prevent mould and bacterial growth. However, some preservatives are more likely to cause allergic reactions than others and this includes one of the most commonly used preservatives, phenoxyethanol.

Although phenoxyethanol is used in regulated concentrations, exposure has been linked to excema and even respiratory problems.

Other preservatives you may see in ingredients include benzyl alcohol (also associated with allergies) and methylisothiazolinone (MI).

Are Hypoallergenic Baby Wipes Better?

Possibly not. According to this Which Report, terms such as ‘hypoallergenic’ don’t conform to any official external testing procedures and are often little more than marketing terms.

Can I Flush Eco Friendly Baby Wipes Down The Toilet?

Many baby wipes aren’t biodegradable and it’s not environmentally sound to flush them down the toilet (even if the packet says they are ‘flushable’.) Not only can baby wipes get stuck in pipework, they are also increasingly clogging up sewer systems and ending up in the sea or on beaches, where they can take up to 100 years to break down if they contain plastic. So it’s wise to always put used wipes in the bin.

The good news is that many plastic free eco & biodegradable baby wipes break down in as little as 12 weeks. However, it still makes sense to dispose of them safely in the bin (some can also now be composted), as they may still clog up pipework in the meantime.

Is It Safe To Use Baby Wipes Containing Alcohol?

Some baby wipes contain alcohol in forms such as phenyoxyethanol or benzyl alcohol.

Alcohol compounds are commonly used in many everyday products, so it’s nothing new. However, since a baby’s skin is so sensitive, you may want to avoid them, especially if you have a baby who is susceptible to skin irritations/conditions.

What Can I Use Instead Of Baby Wipes?

Baby wipes are a modern invention and they’re pretty useful to have on hand. But if you want to avoid them completely (or just use them for emergencies or when out & about), there’s nothing wrong with warm water and a bit of cotton wool. Cotton wool isn’t the most sustainable of products, but if you buy a certified organic cotton wool, it should have been grown without the use of pesticides & chemicals.

If you’d prefer to avoid cotton wool, you can also buy reusable baby wipes made from natural materials such as cotton, bamboo or hemp. You could even cut up some old flannel into squares.

But you will, of course, need to wash these regularly!

How Do I Make My Own Eco Friendly Baby Wipes?

You can also make your own homemade eco friendly baby wipes. This option means you’re in complete control of what ingredients go into the wipes. Some DIY baby wipe tutorials use paper towels, which are disposable, whilst others use materials such as cotton or sustainable hemp, which you can wash & re-use.

You’ll find a variety of DIY natural baby wipe tutorials on Youtube & Pinterest.

Eco Friendly Baby Wipes – Conclusion

Many big brand baby wipes contain chemicals and preservatives that are known or potential allergens or irritants.

Many baby wet wipes also don’t biodegrade well & can contribute to environmental pollution & ‘fatbergs’.

So when shopping for eco friendly baby wipes, look for options that contain natural ingredients & are labelled as biodegradable. You should find this is safer for baby & the environment.

You Might Also Like:

A rubber bath duck. Photo Credit: Timothy Dykes via unsplash.com.

Comments

Queen
April 6, 2018 at
Nice write up here, what wont we do for our babies eh! I still dont get the reason companies make baby products with some harmful ingredients, really baffles me.
I like the idea of using cotton wool and warm water for a start and then moving unto the wipes.
I also believe the non fragnance ones are alot better.
If you dont mind my asking, is any of the above mentioned organic organic wipes?
Sarah
April 6, 2018 at
Hi Queen, thanks for your comments. Re your question, yes, the Jackson Reece wipes are made from organic, chlorine free, wood pulp. Sarah
Pam
April 18, 2018 at
I loved this read. Many people don’t realise the hidden chemicals lurking in such products.
I have twins and as you can imagine, that is mess city!
Previously I would use warm water and a flannel to take care of them and their chaotic ways, until I realised that even after softening the flannel with warm water, it would leave their skin red (almost raw) which clearly brought them discomfort.
I have since switched to luke-warm water and a swatch of wool, though I will have to give the water wipes a try!
Great post, very informative. Love that I have found this blog.
Sarah
April 18, 2018 at
Thanks for your lovely comments Pam! And good luck with the twins…:)