Silke Jasso
Baby wipes. Sometimes baby wipes are our best friends. They clean everything really easily, are light enough to carry everywhere, and sometimes, disinfect germs from certain areas that we didn’t even know needed cleaning. But, according to recent studies, baby wipes are actually not the safest option when it comes to your child’s hygiene. Despite us using it on anything we can, for example, a child’s face, hands, and well, all over the booty. But according to science, it is actually not the brightest idea to do so.
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Why? Well, Wet wipes can be dangerous for your child’s health since they contain an ingredient called methylisothiazolinone. Yes, say that three times fast, I dare you. All jokes aside, this ingredient contributes to allergic reactions and rashes that cause a number of skin issues that can easily be avoided, such as soars and rashes that can turn into serious infections.
Dr. Mary Wu Chang, a professor at the University of Connecticut in the Department of Dermatology and Pediatrics (medicine), researched on various children’s and was shocked by the threatening results. Of the six cases she conducted, Chang found the one 8-year-old girl had rashes on her bottom, as well as on her mouth, believing it was caused by the usage of wet wipes. When Chang asked the mother if she had used the wipes, she confirmed her assumption.
Her assumptions were that these wipes contain so many chemicals that irritate the skin that is already damaged by sitting in urine, feces, or any chemical hiding in a diaper that had an inclusive surface on it. Throughout the years, Chang was able to conduct several studies with children, focusing on the products, which indeed showed that the children were having allergies when it came to using them on their bodies. All cases showed that they were allergic to the chemical preservatives, found in common popular brands including Pampers, Cottonelle, Johnson & Johnson, and Huggies.
The best thing to do when using a wipe is to always check the ingredients before you use them on your baby’s skin. If you see the chemical methylisothiazolinone, you may want to stop using them overall. Nobody wants a toddler who has sores all over their mouth. You can always opt for organic ones, which can be found on Amazon, which sometimes are produced using all-natural products that won’t irritate the skin.
Baby wipes can cause some kids to develop itchy, scaly, red rashes, a new study shows http://t.co/UoYFKE8Zxu pic.twitter.com/aWQxyd1mZ6
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 13, 2014
Still don’t trust store-bought ones? Don’t worry, you can also create your own DIY wipes that are even more safe to use since you know what is going into them. This allows you to put in all-natural ingredients in them that are safe to use on sensitive skin. I mean, I know wipes are really really convenient, heck I use them for everything, but is the risk worth it? Yeah, no, chemicals in your body don’t sound fun at all.
So, want to make some homemade Baby Wipes to avoid any chemicals harming you or your child? We’ve got you covered! Here is what you’ll need (click the links to purchase them):
Ingredients
- 1 roll of soft paper towels cloth-like
- 2 cups of water
- 2 Tbsp of liquid baby bath soap or shampoo
- 1 Tbsp baby oil
- 8 cup square container
- 1 Tbsp of essential oil (This one isn’t really necessary, but I find that lavender oil really gives it a fresh smell, so it’s worth a shot. This one is my favorite!)
Instructions
- Cut the paper towel roll in half with a knife
- Place one of the halves in the square container
- Boil 2 cups of water
- Add liquid bath soap and baby oil to the boiled water (and essential oil if you decide to use it)
- Pour mixture over paper towels
- Pull out the cardboard core of the paper towel roll ( It should come out easily once it’s wet)
- Place lid on the container
- Keep the lid securely on the container until ready to use
- When grabbing a wipe, start by pulling them from the center of the roll, and then replace lid after each use
There you have it, your own baby wipes! They should stay wet and fresh for up to a week if the lid is put on correctly. If you haven’t used all of the whips and they begin to dry out, all you need to do is add some more boiled water and boom, you’re set.
There’s your DIY for the day…homemade over store-bought, any day!
This article was originally published on February 21, 2019.
