Magic handkerchiefs... or not? Let's talk about wet wipes. Wet wipes - benefits and harms What are wet wipes for?

01.05.2024 -

Attention: Wet baby wipes are called baby hygiene products. This item is a small piece of material impregnated with a special composition.

Wet wipes for newborns can be used for baby hygiene. They are convenient to use in places where it is difficult to wash a child, for example, while traveling or being away from home. You can also use wet wipes to clean your baby's hands or face.

Despite the fact that this product is very convenient to use, it cannot replace washing with water and baby soap. Wipes are not intended for daily cleaning of a child when changing a diaper..

The skin of newborns is very vulnerable and any contact with the environment can provoke an allergic reaction. Products for children should contain as few artificial and chemical substances as possible. Wipes for babies should not contain ethyl alcohol in their impregnation.

As a rule, manufacturers of baby wet wipes use the following substances to impregnate them:

The composition of the impregnation of wipes for the care of newborns is less aggressive than products intended for adults, therefore it is not recommended to use your own usual hygiene products to cleanse the baby.

Requirements

Products for the care of newborns must have a hypoallergenic composition, do not contain components that can harm the baby’s delicate skin, therefore, when purchasing baby wipes, you should pay attention to the quality of their material, impregnation, and the number of pieces in the package.

Material for the manufacture of children's hygiene products

The basis of wet wipes is non-woven fabric; most often manufacturers make products from spunbond, spunlace, airlaid, thermal bond, chemical bond. Any of these materials has a pleasant, delicate texture; napkins made from them are soft.

Important: Due to the high content of cotton fibers, these hygiene products absorb and retain moisture well.

Safe components in the impregnation composition

You should pay special attention to the composition of the impregnation for baby wet wipes.. Some manufacturers, in order to store their products for a longer period, impregnate them with substances that can cause an allergic reaction.

The impregnation composition of hygiene products that is safe for babies usually includes water, cream ingredients, vitamin compounds, extracts of various medicinal plants, citric acid, glycerin, moisturizing agents, and plant oils.

What substances should not be there?

All children's hygiene products undergo numerous clinical tests and have various certificates. But despite this, some ingredients in the impregnation should be avoided and products that contain them should not be purchased.

It is highly undesirable to use baby wipes that contain the following components:

Propylene glycol, Polyethylene glycol. These substances are a mixture of petrochemical products that have a high ability to absorb moisture. It is believed that these components can cause a large number of side effects.
Phenoxyethanol. This component is of synthetic origin and often causes allergic reactions.
Disodium EDTA. In impregnations for napkins, it is included as a softener for a component such as water. May cause irritation to the baby's skin.
Ceteareth. It is an emulsifier and surfactant, of semi-synthetic origin, it is obtained from fatty acids and ethylene oxide.

Pediatricians consider the above substances to be too aggressive for delicate children's skin; the use of hygiene products containing them in the impregnation composition can provoke the appearance of hives, redness, and allergic rashes.

Size and quantity per package

Most baby wipes have a standard size of about 10 by 15 centimeters. But, cheaper products can offer smaller and rather thin napkins, which will be inconvenient to carry out hygiene procedures.

A pack of baby wipes can contain from 15 to 70-80 pieces. You can also find packages containing 100 or more napkins on sale.

Best Manufacturers - Safety Rating

Today, young parents may be faced with the problem of choosing the right hygiene products for newborns, since many manufacturers are involved in their production. It is very important to choose from a wide range of products the product that is safest and will not pose a threat to children’s health.

If it’s difficult to make a choice on your own, you can seek help from a consultant at a children’s goods store or ask the opinion of a pediatrician. Most experts recommend that young parents pay attention to the following brands of baby wipes.

Huggies Elite Soft

The good thing about products from this manufacturer is that their quality matches the price. The impregnation composition of this hygienic product does not contain alcohol, fragrances or parabens.

The wipes also do not leave sticky marks on the baby’s skin, are soaked in clean water, contain vitamin E, and are absolutely hypoallergenic. The texture of this product is multi-layered, thanks to which skin cleansing occurs better and faster. Haggis napkins are made from natural materials.

The package contains 64 pieces, the price of one pack is approximately 109-170 rubles.

Johnson's Baby (Johnsons Baby)

The products of this manufacturer have occupied one of the leading positions on the children's goods market for many years, so parents trust them. Johnson's Baby wet wipes for little ones do not contain alcohol or soap..

The product does not cause allergic reactions, contains the “no more tears” formula, moisturizing components, which are 97% purified water. Fibers from natural materials are used for production.

One package contains 64 wipes. A pack of this product costs about 155 rubles.

Sun and moon

Wet baby wipes “Sun and Moon” from the “Gentle Touch” series are made of natural soft and breathable materials, absolutely safe and hypoallergenic. The impregnation contains no alcohol, parabens and silicones, paraffin and mineral oils, thanks to which they optimally preserve the natural balance of the skin.

The package contains 100 wipes. The price of one pack is approximately 113 rubles.

Lovular

The manufacturer of these hygiene products for newborns is the UK. Lovular napkins are made from natural materials and processed using “hot wind” technology, which provides them with an almost sterile state.

The impregnation contains purified water, olive and castor oil, glycerol, citric acid, and moisturizing components. A pack of 64 napkins costs approximately 90-100 rubles.

Pampers Sensitive

Everything that is created on earth from artificial objects was created by a person who thought a lot about his creation. But it often happens that this person did not think through or did not think through everything. By missing some important details, his creation may ultimately result in a disaster, as is the case, for example, with plastic bottles. A similar situation occurs with wet wipes...

Wet wipes have become so popular that many people start to panic if they are not on sale at the nearest kiosk. But are they good for the environment? In fact, these disposable wipes spread bacteria, clog city drains and clog the stomachs of hungry animals. Avoid them at all costs!

“Disposable wet wipes are the biggest evil of 2015,” says The Guardian. These wipes are essentially an instant soapy scourer that requires no rinsing, is designed to sanitize, and is simply thrown away after use. They became extremely popular - too popular, in fact.

Parents carry baby wipes in their strollers and use them whenever needed. Nursing staff and classroom teachers frequently wipe down surfaces with antibacterial wipes. Travelers stock up on wipes to wash their hands on the road.

They're everywhere, with wet wipes sales reaching £500 million a year in the UK alone.

And these small and so widely used super-convenient wipes create huge problems.

4 reasons why you should stop using wet wipes.

1. Ecological chaos

Just because wet wipes are technically "disposable" doesn't mean they magically disintegrate; instead, they simply disappear somewhere else, out of our sight, where they continue to wreak havoc on the environment.

Wet wipes contain plastic fibers that are not biodegradable. For example, when tissues end up in the ocean, they are eaten by sea creatures such as turtles, who mistake them for jellyfish and eventually die. (The same thing happens with plastic bags.)

“Wild animals often eat the plastic that fills their stomachs and eventually starve to death,” says Charlotte Coombs from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Wipes are washing off beaches around the world. MCS estimates that there were approximately 35 wipes per kilometer of beach in the UK in 2014 - up 50% on 2013.

2. Clogged toilets and sewers

Many users mistakenly throw wet wipes down the toilet, thereby clogging and clogging the drain. According to Guardians, residents of a small town in Kent buried 2,000 tons of wet wipes in the sewer.

When the drains are clogged with wet wipes, grease accumulates. In 2013, a piece of congealed fat the size of a bus was found in a London sewer.

3. Toxic chemicals

Wipes can cause rashes in inconvenient places, Reuters reports. The Mayo Clinic report cited the example of one man, a mail carrier, who "had a rash around his anus so painful that he could not walk for months... It turned out that he frequently used wet wipes, some of which contained methylchloroisothiazolinone."

Baby wipes contain preservatives and fragrances that should not come into contact with human skin, particularly the skin of infants and young children. Environmental report claims hidden dangers of antibacterial wipes.

4. Spread of bacteria

When hospital staff use wet wipes to wipe down surfaces, it essentially spreads the bacteria further. Researchers from Cardiff University have discovered that wet wipes give bacteria a second life. Looks like good old soap and water would be a much better alternative.

WET WIPES HARM YOUR SKIN

Researchers were able to find out that the napkins themselves contain a serious threat to the body, which in no case should be ignored. This statement applies to absolutely all napkins, and even those intended for babies, and should be completely safe.

This hygiene product has been studied very carefully by dermatologists. Based on the results, experts insist that wet wipes can be harmful. The reason is cases of serious allergic skin reactions, which have recently become more common. Moreover, medical statistics confirm that doctors from different countries report similar phenomena.

The press revealed data that is truly shocking. Most likely, they should not have become the property of the general public. However, journalists provided this information to the public for review.

In particular, it was reported that wet wipes were associated with more than eleven percent of serious skin reactions that were reported during the past year in three hundred and fifty patients. This topic has been studied many times in the past, but it should be noted that at that time the figures were lower. So, in 2012 the figure was eight and a half percent, and in 2011 there were even fewer reactions, only three and a half percent.

Doctors also raised concerns about the fact that the statistics also include those products that are intended for infants. After all, we are accustomed to thinking that they should a priori undergo a more thorough check so as not to become a source of harm. This information, unknown to anyone for a long time, was announced by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Allergists and dermatologists in the United States conducted a study on the safety of wet wipes that are used to care for the skin of children. To test sanitary napkins, the composition of their impregnation was studied. It turned out that chemicals - fragrances, preservatives and others - are harmful to a child’s delicate skin.

American pediatricians strongly recommend that parents eliminate or significantly limit the use of wet wipes to care not only for the skin of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, but also for school-age children, as well as adults prone to allergic reactions.

Chemicals for sensitive skin turn out to be powerful irritants, and very often doctors mistake irritation, contact dermatitis, and allergic rashes for psoriasis, impetigo, eczema, unaware of the real cause of skin reactions that are caused by wet wipes.

Scientists from the University of Connecticut have established a connection between dermatitis on the face, buttocks, and arms of children with methylisothiazoline.

This preservative is included in the impregnation of wet wipes with an antibacterial effect. It was noticed that after stopping the use of such wipes, skin manifestations in babies went away on their own within a week.

Pediatricians recommend replacing the use of wet wipes with regular, simple, standard water procedures. And use modern wet wipes only in extreme cases, when there is no other way to care for your skin (travel, trips, walks) by choosing high-quality, non-antibacterial wipes.

Even in these cases, a regular, dry, soft cloth moistened with plain water will be more effective and safe than dubious antibacterial wet wipes soaked in harmful substances. If irritation, redness, or rash occurs, use of these wipes should be discontinued.

Bacteria, fragrances, preservatives - what else is dangerous about baby wipes?

What to look for in the composition? What substances in wet wipes can be harmful? Product-test.ru expert Elsa Akhtyamova will answer these questions:

“Not all components included in baby wipes may be safe for the baby’s health. For example, alcohols (such as ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol). In the composition you can see it under the names: alcohol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol. If it is found in the baby wipes that you are planning to buy, then it is better to put this pack aside. In high concentrations, alcohols are known to be very drying and irritating to the skin, and can also damage the skin barrier. In addition, children very often experience irritation and diaper rash; wipes with alcohol will severely burn the skin.

Phthalates, phthalic acid - used to ensure that the napkin is as soft and elastic as possible. In tests on mice, phthalates accumulated in the liver and other organs and tissues, and also led to disruption of hormone production in the body. It has not yet been proven that they actually cause harm to humans, but it is still recommended to avoid these substances in children’s hygiene.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), otherwise known as sodium lauryl sulfate, is recognized as one of the most irritating detergents found in cosmetics and is often included in sanitary napkins. It can cause dryness, irritation, itching, and also increase the penetration of other substances. Many cosmetic companies are already abandoning its use, replacing it with softer betaines and other active ingredients.

Of course, it is advisable to avoid potentially allergenic fragrances such as limonen, linalol, menthol, mint, grapefruit oil, hexyl cinnamal, lemon, butylphenyl methylpropional, etc. It is better to give preference to unscented hygiene products, especially if the baby is prone to allergic reactions "

Now, we hope you understand that imaginary convenience and comfort can cause great harm to your skin and the skin of your children. After all, we somehow lived without these chemical wipes, and were healthier!

We talk about harmful substances in wet wipes for children.

Baby wet wipes are a modern and convenient solution for parents. They not only quickly cleanse the baby’s skin, but also help fight irritation due to the softening components in the composition. However, pediatricians and child care specialists advise saving wet wipes for special occasions to avoid allergic reactions. And sometimes, due to unscrupulous manufacturers, they can even be dangerous to the baby’s health.

Thus, in the USA, dangerous bacteria Burkholderia cepacia were found in baby wipes. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website has published information on the recall of 10 brands of baby wipes from Nutek Disposables. The company received complaints about the smell and color of wet wipes, so Nutek conducted a microbiological analysis of its products. He showed that the napkins contained the bacteria Burkholderia cepacia. The bacteria do not pose a great danger to healthy people. However, people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis, may be more susceptible to infections with Burkholderia cepacia, and the bacterium can be even more dangerous for young children, since their skin barriers are especially permeable.

Nutek has also received numerous complaints from customers about rashes, irritation, infections, digestive problems and breathing problems. However, it has not yet been determined whether these symptoms are related specifically to the use of wet wipes, and the investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, on October 3, 2014, Nutek voluntarily stopped supplying baby wipes manufactured at the company.

By the way, this is not the first time that Burkholderia cepacia bacteria were found in wet wipes. In 2011, similar problems were discovered with Rockline wipes. Also during the inspection, FDA employees identified sanitary violations during production; mold, dead cockroaches and even razor blades were found in the products.

However, not only bacteria can harm a child’s health. We previously wrote that the new generation preservative methylisothiazoline, designed to protect against bacterial infections, can cause skin problems in babies. Dermatologists believe that a possible cause of these reactions is high concentrations of methylisothiazoline, which occurs if the chemical is left on the skin for too long. Wounds, cracks and other damage can also play a role, allowing the preservative to penetrate deeper through the epidermal layer.

This once again proves that you need to carefully look at the composition of baby wipes before purchasing. What to look for in the composition? What substances in wet wipes can be harmful? The site expert Elsa Akhtyamova will answer these questions:

Choosing quality wipes with safe ingredients will help prevent rashes, allergies and skin inflammation, so be careful. Also on our website you can get acquainted with

At home.

As a rule, they are used to dry hands when there is no soap nearby. Baby wipes are also used to wipe babies when you are on a walk or in transport.

However, there are many other ways to use wet wipes. There's definitely something in this collection for you n here for yourself:

1. Dust

Since household wet wipes can cope b free from static electricity, you can safely wipe both electronics and blinds with them.

2. Coffee stains

As soon as you spill coffee on your clothes, immediately blot the stain with a baby wipe. Since it contains a small amount of soap, the stain will go away quickly.

3. Old books

If you don't really like the smell of old books, wipe them with wet wipes. So that the book smells good for a long time A , you can place a wet wipe inside the cover.

4. Fresh linens

After washing and drying bed linen, fold it carefully and place wet wipes between the folds.

5. Camping gear

Place some wet wipes in your backpack: between your boots, in your sleeping bag, tent, etc.

6. Sports bag

Sweaty clothes smell bad after a workout, especially when they've been in your bag for a while. Place wet wipes in your gym bag and they will not only absorb unpleasant odors, but also enrich I t a pleasant smell to the bag.

7. Freshening up your shoes

If your feet sweat in your shoes, the smell inside the shoes will be unpleasant. When you get home, place wet wipes in your shoes.

8. Add shine to leather shoes

The soft, oily impregnation of wet baby wipes not only cleans leather shoes, but also makes them shine. This is especially true in the off-season when it often rains.

9. Getting rid of trash can smell

When it's hot, the trash can smells special. but unpleasant. To avoid this, place wet wipes inside. They will absorb unpleasant odors.

10. Getting rid of the smell of burnt food

The smell of burnt food s can be very strong, so wet wipes will come to the rescue again. Place one napkin on the bottom of a saucepan, baking sheet or frying pan. And if you pour water on top and let it soak into the napkin overnight, then in the morning the dishes will be easier to wash.

11. Clean the item after deodorant

White stains from deodorant are very unpleasant. They cannot be wiped off with your hands, so wet wipes will come to the rescue.

12. Clean the keyboard

You can use wet wipes to clean not only the top of the keys, but also the debris and dirt on the sides and between them.

13. Getting rid of fur

We love our pets, but their fur sometimes causes inconvenience. Using a damp cloth can gently remove hair from the floor, as well as remove clumps of old fur from your pet to refresh its skin. To avoid irritation, it is better to use unscented wipes.

14. Faucet and shower

Water stains on chrome faucets and showers can also be wiped off using wet wipes, then wipe them with a dry cloth.

15. Insects on the car

You can use wet wipes to get rid of insects stuck to the car glass and/or radiator grille.

16. Soap foam

Soap suds stain the tiles or shower door. Try cleaning them with wet wipes, and you can wipe them with a used napkin - just dip it in water and rinse off any remaining soap.

17. Static electricity

Tired of static electricity on your clothes and hair? Gently wipe clothing and/or hair with a damp laundry cloth. In the same way you can get rid of the static action of the comb.