What do you need to change a diaper? A flat surface, a clean diaper (duh), and a couple of baby wipes. Sounds simple enough, but as a new parent, you’re going to be changing A LOT of diapers for the next 3(ish) years. To make the most of it, you'll want to equip your family with the best tools for baby's comfort and your ability to connect with him during the diapering routine. (You are going to spend ~20 minutes a day changing diapers - might as well make them count!). One of those tools: the wipe. Spoiler alert: the baby wipe will stay with your family far beyond the diapering years!

From the grocery store to daycare to your friend’s diaper bag, I’m sure you’ve seen many different crinkly packages of pre-moistened sheets to clean up anything and everything. Let’s get to know this handy tool – the humble wipe. 

As with any product for baby, safety is key! The FDA doesn’t regulate wipes, so to protect baby’s sensitive skin, choose wet wipes that are EWG Verified and MADE SAFE certified to ensure the ingredients are safe.  If the product has the verification of the EWG or Made Safe it means their teams of scientists rigorously reviewed the ingredients and processes and deemed the wipes as ultra safe. We have worked hard to create the best all natural wet wipes that are both safe and effective. We are proud to say our wet wipes are both EWG VERIFIED and Made Safe certified.

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WET WIPES: the 4 S’s

So, what should you look for to find the best wet wipes for baby? A great diaper wipe has each of the 4 S’s: soft, sturdy, sustainable, and safe. 

From the material of the wipe itself to the liquid formula that keeps it wet, there are quite a few pieces of the wipe puzzle to consider. Let’s start with material: you know one when you see it, but what can a wet wipe be made of? Cotton, polyester, viscose, plants, bamboo, trees?!  All of the above. Yikes - that’s a lot to navigate.

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Soft and Sturdy

Material matters! At Healthybaby, our wet wipes are 100% plant-based - meaning the cloth part is made out of a variety of sustainably sourced plants and pressed into a luxuriously embossed, non-woven cloth (that means without threads like fabric). This material combination allows us to deliver a wipe that hits all 4 S’s — soft, sturdy, sustainable and safe!

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Sustainable

On the surface, a natural wet wipe might seem the same from brand to brand, but keep an eye out for greenwashing in the wipes world. A truly eco-friendly wet wipe is made without plastic, so it is biodegradable.  Many wipe brands that advertise as eco-friendly are actually selling wipes made of plastic. This type of wipe is not biodegradable. If you want to avoid a plastic-based wipe, opt for plant-based. And if you aren’t sure what your wipes are made of, ask the company who makes them. (Healthybaby wet wipes are both plant-based and biodegradable.)

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Safe

Now that you know all about the ‘cloth’ part of the wipe — let’s talk liquid formula. In the case of our wipes, the non-woven cloth is saturated in a plant-based formula (that means the liquid is derived from plant extracts vs chemical and manmade ones). If vegan products are important to your family, we've got you covered, too. Healthybaby wet wipes are vegan.

Say you’re skimming the ingredients of a pack of wet wipes like ours: “Water, honeysuckle, aloe and hold on... sodium benzoate? What is sodium benzoate?” 

Even the most natural wet wipes have a touch of preservative in their formula to keep them from going moldy or becoming a home for microorganisms or bacteria that thrive in moist environments. The main ingredient in our wet wipes formula is water, so we use the safest, plant-based preservatives nature has to offer: honeysuckle, which has natural preservative properties, and a plant-based preservative, Sodium Benzoate, at safe levels. These two ingredients, along with the correct PH, get us to a gentle, well-preserved baby safe wipe that has passed all tests to fight microorganisms, yeast and mold. It is also hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested. 

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DRY WIPES

Wet wipes are definitely the most popular companion to the diaper, however there is another option that is even safer, softer, and more sustainable than the safest nontoxic wet wipe. Meet the dry baby wipe, the purebred cousin of the wet wipe. 

A dry wipe is actually the purest wipe you can use on baby because (while material varies from brand to brand) our organic cotton dry wipes are simply made of 100% pure organic cotton. That’s all. No formula, no preservatives, no plastic. 

Dry wipes are great for babies with extra sensitive skin and for parents looking for a more eco-friendly wipe option. They are super soft and have nothing added. You can add a dab of filtered water to make your own wet dry wipes, and instantly create a true ‘water wipe’ (without the plastic and preservatives that is!). Dry wipes are as versatile as wet wipes and when paired with filtered water make the purest wet wipes. Give them a try here. 

Now that you are a baby wipe expert, it’s time to stock your changing table, diaper bag, car, and anywhere else you may need an emergency clean-up, which, if you have littles, is pretty much everywhere. We recommend preparing with at least 4 packs of wet wipes per month for routine diaper changes. Stock up, but don’t go crazy: baby wipes expire! Ours last up to two years, but just to be safe, you should always check the packaging for the “best by” date.

Ready to get started with wipes, wet or dry? We’ve got you covered. (We also make the safest, softest, sustainable, and effective disposable diaper, too). Check out our customer reviews, or just trust us 😉 and subscribe now so you’ll never run out of wipes again. 

And if you have more questions, please feel free to reach out to our product experts at support@healthybaby.com. Happy wiping!