When you’re a parent, it can be hard to keep your household clean. That’s why many parents rely on baby wipes to get the job done. Baby wipes are easy to use and convenient—they don’t take up much room in the diaper bag or purse, which is great for travel (and regular errands). But what if these handy little disposable cloths pose a threat to your child’s health?
Baby wipes can be used to clean the face and hands, but only if they are free of alcohol, parabens, and fragrances.
Baby wipes are not recommended for cleaning the face. If you wish to use a baby wipe on your baby’s hands, make sure it is free of alcohol, parabens and fragrances. Baby wipes should be free of soap and fragrance as well.
- Alcohol: This can cause dryness in the skin which can lead to irritation.
- Parabens: These are harmful to developing brains and nervous systems in babies from exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They have been linked with cancer in adults at high exposure levels over long periods of time; there is no evidence that paraben exposure causes cancer or other health problems in children, but experts recommend that we avoid unnecessary risk by avoiding them altogether (14).
- Fragrance: The word “fragrance” is used as shorthand for hundreds of different chemicals that are added to consumer products like cosmetics and cleaning supplies—including perfumes but also additives like phthalates (15) or synthetic musks (16). Phthalates have been associated with breast cancer development while musk compounds have been shown to damage DNA strands (17). Fragrances may also trigger allergic reactions such as asthma attacks that could lead an infant needing emergency treatment if not properly treated immediately upon discovery by caregivers who recognize this symptom early enough
Clorox wipes and Lysol wipes should not be used on the skin.
Alcohol is used as an active ingredient in many disinfectant wipes because it’s effective at killing germs. However, alcohol can have negative effects on a baby’s skin if too much is absorbed into the body through the skin.
In addition to drying out skin, some ingredients in wipes can cause irritation and rashes on your baby’s delicate and sensitive skin.
Alcohol in wipes can dry out a baby’s sensitive skin.
Alcohol can dry out the skin, making it more prone to irritation and chapping. For example, in one study on mice exposed to alcohol wipes, researchers found that the animals experienced increased skin redness and irritation following exposure.
Another study from 2016 looked specifically at how these types of wipes affect babies’ skin. Researchers found that when used on infants’ faces, these products were associated with allergic reactions such as eczema flare-ups and rashes among a majority of babies tested—even those who did not have issues with such products in previous years.
Using disinfectant wipes on a baby is not recommended because they are harsh for baby’s delicate skin.
Disinfectant wipes are not safe for babies. They can dry out a baby’s sensitive skin and cause irritation, which is why it’s recommended that you use alcohol-free baby wipes to clean your little one’s hands and face.
Conclusion
We recommend that you use baby wipes for cleaning your baby’s hands and face. They are gentle enough to use on your baby’s skin and should not cause irritation or dryness. If you want to clean something else in the house, there are many other types of wipe available that do not contain alcohol, parabens or fragrances which will make them safe for use on all surfaces including your little one’s delicate skin!