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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Hi Queen, thanks for your comments. Re your question, yes, the Jackson Reece wipes are made from organic, chlorine free, wood pulp. Sarah
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.
Thanks for your lovely comments Pam! And good luck with the twins…:)