Ever checked the ingredients on your baby wipes? Yeah, I hadn’t either. The Cosmetics Database gives you a complete list and a hazard rating of the different brands of wipes. For instance:
Pampers Clean and Go Wipes Contain
Water, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic Triglyceride, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate, Citric Acid, Fragrance
Clean and Go Wipes are given a 5 for hazard (out of 10) and warnings include possible allergies, immunotoxicity and organ system toxicity. No thanks!
Huggies Cucumber and Green Tea Wipes
Ingredients: Water, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, DMDM Hydantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Malic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Fragrance
These wipes have a hazard rating of 7 and ingredients have been linked to cancer, immunotoxicity, allergies, developmental problems, reproductive toxicity, organ dysfunction, endocrine disruption and cellular changes.
I used these wipes for years, figuring that if they were made for a newborn’s skin, they must be safe. Apparently not!
Are There Safe Alternatives?
My discovery of what was in baby wipes led to a search for healthier alternatives. I found out that there are natural alternatives, including wipes made from bamboo, but they are expensive! I stumbled on some recipes for homemade baby wipes, but they suggested using baby oil (mineral oil) and baby lotion- check those out on Cosmetics Database too.
I figured that if you could make your own with those ingredients, you could make a healthy version too! If the very idea of DIY makes you want to stop reading, there are some better brands of baby wipes out there like this one.
Homemade Baby Wipes Recipe
After much trial and error (mainly error), I finally have a great recipe for baby wipes that after using it on two kids for several weeks, has shown no irritation. A side benefit to my wipe making experiment is that homemade wipes are a lot cheaper. When I buy ingredients in bulk, the wipes end up costing less than one cent each, saving us almost $200 a year with two in diapers. Healthier and cheaper- I’ll take it!
Homemade Baby Wipe Ingredients
- 1 roll of heavy duty paper towels (Note: I use Bounty for wipes. I don’t use them in my kitchen, but cheap paper towels do not work for wipes… I’ve tried)
- Rubbermaid #6 or #8 container- (Old wipes containers, plastic shoe box containers, old plastic coffee containers or empty gallon plastic ice cream buckets also work. )
- 1 3/4 cups boiled water (or distilled)-cooled but still warm – (can just use regular water if you use them in less than a week like we do)
- 1 Tablespoon of pure aloe vera– check the ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of pure Witch Hazel Extract
- 1 teaspoon of Liquid castile Soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s)
- 10 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract or 2 capsules of Vitamin E (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of Olive or Almond Oil (optional)
- Essential Oils of choice (optional- I use 6 drops each of orange and lavender)
How to Make Homemade Natural Baby Wipes
- Cut the roll of paper towels in half using a sharp knife
- If using a plastic shoe box or old wipe container, accordion fold the wipes into the container. If using a Rubbermaid #6 container (I highly recommend), place the wipes, cut side down in container.
- In bowl or quart size jar mix the water, aloe, witch hazel, castile soap, GSE/Vitamin E and oil and stir.
- Add essential oils if desired and stir.
- Pour over paper towels in container and let absorb- this takes about 5-10 minutes.
- Flip the container over to make sure wipes are well soaked.
- If using Rubbermaid container, pull the cardboard roll out from the inside This should also pull the innermost wipe out and start them for you. Depending on the brand of paper towels you use, you might have to experiment with the amount of water to get the right amount.
- Use as you would regular wipes, and smile, knowing you are not causing your beautiful child any future health problems!
- Note: If your child has extremely sensitive skin, you may need to leave out the essential oils or use calendula or chamomile.
Reusable Homemade Wipes
If you like the disposable wipes you make, you can make reusable ones also. Just cut up old receiving blankets and t-shirts into 8×8 squares. fold them into old wipes containers and pour the same mixture (above) onto them or spray on each wipe with a spray bottle before using. These are an even cheaper option, and I am working on using these all the time.
This has been one of my most fun homemade discoveries. These wipes are definitely kid approved. Every time I change the baby, the older two hover around the wipes to smell them, and usually try to steal one, which they use to clean things. (Guess I’ve instilled this a little too well). We inadvertently discovered that these wipes also clean tile, counters, leather, and flooring well, but they leave residue on stainless steel.
I now make a lavender or tea tree version to use for all purpose disinfecting when we’re traveling and reusable make up removing wipes for me (stay tuned for that recipe).
Please try making your own wipes. It really takes very little time and is a great alternative to store bought wipes.
Willing to try it? Maybe you already make your own… please tell me about it below!
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Hello! Thanks for the awesome recipe! I’m really excited to try it out! Once question, do you use aloe vera juice or gel?
Gel
I’m late to the party, but just wondering – you say 2 vitamin e capsules – we have vitamin e OIL – would you just use 10 drops as you would grapefruit extract? Thanks!
Yep, just about ten drops should work great.
Hello,
Is it possible to share which brand of vitamin E oil you use? I am looking into buying some but get confused by all the different types. (70,000 iu, 20,000 iu). Which is best?
Thank you
This may be coming to you a little late, but I’ve heard that the higher the I.U., the better. Somewhere I read that you want to look for Undilutedand 28,000+ I.U. Hope that at least helps someone. 🙂
Hey, great idea for the homemade baby wipes. My babies have longed since grown-up but we use the personal wipes. We will soon be switching! I do, however, have an idea for anyone using the homemade cloth version……..Have a ladies lingerie net handy to wash the clothes in.
When I had my first child, 10 years ago, a friend of mine sent me a similar home baby wipes kit, but it just had some lovely gentle soap (it was cake soap, so she had grated it for easier dissolving) and almond oil. And I think you add hot water to dissolve soap. That simple recipe worked just great. Cutting the Bounty paper towels was the hardest part. And now (with new baby on the way) I have to find that special tupperware container that’s the right size. Last I looked, the store had every size BUT that one. May look on line for that if necessary.
As a worse case senerio….you can make your wipes in a large zip lock bag. I made a different version of wipes and send them to daycare in just a ziplock bag. That way they don’t take up as much room and the water is all absorbed, so it doesn’t leak
A used plastic coffee container like what Folgers comes in works great too!
Use the sharpest knife you can find.. It’s a little less messy and shake or blow the loose off.. Keep all knives sharpest.. They work best and are less likely to cut the wrong things (fingers etc….
If your okay using plastic a foldgers coffee can works great .red can black lid and I just cut an x in lid to pull the wipes out.
Try using a 32 oz cylinder container like the the kind that you get when you order a large Won Ton soup to go at the Chinese Restauraunt.
You could completely get rid of the essential oils all together since they are mostly there for smell anyway. One of our dogs had an allergy, and we found that coconut oil was really soothing to the skin too. That might be tough since yours would be walking around with oily paws, but you could try putting a tiny bit of coconut oil on his paws after you wash them off. It would actually be healthy for him if he licked it… What kind of food is he eating? Some people have success in reversing allergies in dogs by changing them to a raw meat diet..
After looking into it, I will not use Tea Tree Oil on my dog again.
Also just a bit of info, there was a report that says Lavender Oil can cause gynecomastia which is breast enlargement in boys that are pre-puberty. Google it under the New England Journal of Medicine.
Hello! I love your recipes, I first found your website through this baby wipes one. I don’t have a baby but I use baby wipes on my dogs feet after going outside everyday. He has a grass allergy so wiping his feet helps him from itching so much. I was wondering if you personally would alter this formula to be safer for dogs anyway? I know that formulas made for dogs need less essential oils and so on (especially when he chews his itchy feet!). Otherwise, I have been using your recipe minus the GSE, although I just ordered some and I think it will help yeast growth (dog allergy) on my doggy. Oh yeah, I use lavender and tea tree oil, but use half (6 lavender, 3 tea tree). Thanks!
I made a similar recipe for wipes, but it just called for coconut oil and water. I loved them for the week that I got to use them and then they started to smell a little rancid. It sounds like adding in the aloe vera (do you use gel or juice?) and witch hazel will solve those problems and I know that those are both ingredients that are good for acne/skin issues. Not sure if I will add in other ingredients or go more purest this first go-round. Thanks for sharing and please do let me know about the aloe vera!
Hi! I love this recipe! Few questions: does it matter if i use extra virgin olive oil? Is jojoba oil safe to use on baby instead? do I use aloe Vera gel or juice?
Also, if I want to make all purpose disinfecting wipes do I use the same exact ingredients but use tea tree oil? Do I still use olive oil or can I omit that?
Thanks!
The witch hazel – is that the same witch hazel you can get at the drugstore? Or is it some special kind?
I’m sure the drugstore version is the best?
Most Witch Hazel I’ve found at drugstores contains alcohol. This one does not.
I read the ingredients online and it actually does contains 14% Alcohol.
“Unlike commercial Witch Hazel extracts which contain more alcohol than actual Witch Hazel, and having only been distilled once; the line we offer leads in both quality and potency. Enjoy this true Witch Hazel extract which has been double distilled in only a 14% alcohol base.
Contains 86% Witch Hazel Extract and 14% grain alcohol.
Choose from 3 different sizes.”
I bought one on Amazon.com that does not contain alcohol, Its from the homestead company.
I just found this. my friend actually just uses a spray bottle with water and cut up a bath towel to reuse the wipes. do you suppose that cleans just as well? just water?
Water works well too… and for cloth diapering, a lot of people prefer it. I just like this version because it smells good, and the aloe helps prevent diaper rash.