Being a wise parent, you would always want the best baby-care products for your toddler. You’ll be conscious of the contents and effectiveness of the product you use. In today’s era, parents of newborns are looking for something quick and non-harmful. With the growing awareness about the environment, consumers are concerned whether the products that are used by them are biodegradable or not. However, such requirements are usually unattended. Brands are involved in tall claims and false advertisements. Products like baby wipes – which have a heavy demand – are falsely marketed to consumers.

1. A Look into Chemical Composition of Baby Wipes:

Ideally, a parent should always look for lesser number of chemicals in the product they use on their baby. Lesser chemicals imply lesser hazards. In addition, baby wipes available in the market usually contain additional fragrances. Perfumes and fragrance-inducing chemicals are extremely harmful to your baby’s skin. 

As per research conducted by Reuters, most of the baby wipes available in the market might lead to rashes on a toddler’s skin. This report talks about a chemical known as MCI (methylchloroisothiazolinone). This chemical is known to be toxic to the skin. However, you will find brands telling you that their product doesn’t involve any such chemical. A parent must know what is being applied to their toddler’s skin. Most of the parents are oblivious of the harmful agents of the baby wipes that they use. Such chemicals lead to rashes and dryness – we must know about them. 

2. Then what should one expect from baby wipes?

Amid the presence of such false advertisements and harmful products, parents might get confused about what they should be mindful of while choosing baby wipes. Ideally, baby wipes must fulfill the following bare minimums:

• Baby wipes must not contain alcohol and other harmful chemicals like MCI, parabens, or triclosan.  
• They should be anti-microbial if being used upon absolute newborns.
• Baby wipes should be devoid of any type of fragrance-adding chemical.
• There are alternatives in the market that are water-based. Using them is non-harmful and also good for the skin.
• The wipes that you choose should have a moisturizing agent so that wiping doesn’t lead to dryness.
• The product that you use must not add to environmental waste.

3. Limitations of baby wipes

The sanitizing products generally available in the market are limited to a few uses. For instance, the baby wipes that we commonly use can only be applied to the skin of your newborn. However, there are various multi-purpose baby wipes available in the market. Such wipes can be used on your toddler’s skin and also the items that they are exposed to. Items like utensils, toys, and breast pumps are usually wiped with general sanitizing wipes. Such wipes leave a chemical residue on the object, and these chemicals are then exposed to babies. Hence, it would be wise to choose a multi-purpose wipe that can be used on your babies and the object they touch.

4. Wise parenting

There is cut-throat competition amongst the babycare brands. Every brand claims to be ethical and non-harmful. However, a wise parent would know what is good for their toddler and the environment. If one is mindful of the facts mentioned above, it would certainly be easy for them to choose an effective product. An ideal baby wipe not only serves the purpose but is also devoid of any harmful side effects. Knowing what you need is crucial both for you and your baby.

Manish Mishra

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