Diaper wipes often contain various chemicals and not all chemicals are harmful (even water is a chemical!). It can be difficult for even the most careful parent to translate ingredient lists, particularly when they use scientific and technical names to characterize the contents.

While many moms and dads will appreciate that premium baby wipes should avoid potential toxins or chemicals that have the potential to cause irritation, we know that differentiating between naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals is not always straightforward. Not all synthetic chemicals are harmful, and some can be very beneficial.

Today, we'll look at the ingredients excluded from The Wipe, our premium baby wipe product engineered to impeccable skin safety standards, and clarify what each component you might see on a pack of baby wipes really means.

Why Are There Chemicals in Baby Wipes?

We normally associate 'chemicals' with potentially harmful substances. However, it's important to explain that some chemicals are skin-friendly and approved for use in baby care products, even for infants and babies with sensitive skin.

Many parents are also concerned about whether baby wipes have soap because petrochemicals, preservatives, and fragrances used in many soaps can potentially be harsh on younger babies and children with sensitive skin.The ideal is to use purified water, neutral aqueous solutions, and food-grade preservatives.

Next, we’ll run through a couple of chemicals that The Wipe by Coterie is free of:

Phthalates

Fragrances in cosmetic and skin care products are often recognized as potential allergens for infants and adults with sensitive skin. While the details of what some fragrances contain are routinely excluded from the ingredients list, other manufacturers may choose to disclose these.

Some chemical mixtures used for fragrance can potentially lead to dermatitis, allergic skin responses, and even respiratory problems in certain people, particularly those including diethyl phthalate. Phthalates can be shown as assorted acronyms, including ‘DMP,’ ‘DEP,’ ‘BBP,’ ‘DNOP,’ and ‘DBP.’

Parabens

Parabens are synthetically manufactured preservatives, and as with many of the chemicals in this list, are used within lots of products, including deodorants, moisturizers, shaving creams, and hair care–as well as in baby wipes and shampoos.

While parabens can help stop mold and bacteria from forming, we choose to exclude them from The Wipe and use mild, food-grade preservatives instead.

If you want to avoid parabens, look for any word on the ingredient list that ends in 'paraben,' such as butylparaben, propylparaben, and isopropylparaben.