Baby wipes are considered to be a cosmetic product, as they are applied to the skin and contain a lotion with a list of cosmetic ingredients. Any cosmetic product with a shelf life that contains water needs to use an effective preservative to prevent bacteria and mould. An infestation of bugs due to an ineffective preservative is a major health hazard.
As suggested, the most important consideration is the efficacy (effectiveness) of the actual preservative. It needs to do its job well in eliminating the potential for a buildup of bacteria and mould. Of secondary consideration is whether it is non-toxic and not doing any harm to a young baby. As we’ve talked about in previous articles, baby skin is very absorbent due to it being thinner than adult skin. A young baby coming into constant contact with an irritating, toxic ingredient is going to see rash and potentially more harmful outcomes over the longer term as the chemical gets absorbed into the bloodstream.
A glance at the big names in the world of baby wipes and one can see their priority is usually in using an effective preservative, while less consideration is given to the toxicity of the preservative for baby skin. Joonya’s aim has to always choose the best ingredients on both measures. This is why we have chosen to use Silver Dihydrogen Citrate – a patented preservative for use in cosmetics that is both effective and non-toxic. It scores a perfect 1 on the EWG Skin Deep database.
There is a certain other wipes brand that many of our customers have used in the past that contains just water and “a drop of Grapefruit Seed Extract”. The use of Grapefruit Seed Extract as a preservative is indeed a risk in our opinion, as while the name sounds pure and natural, there are some question marks over this ingredient. The EWG score for Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract is 3, which is certainly not in the ‘green zone’ most people prefer to see (a score of either 1 or 2). Further research highlights other concerns which you can more about in this article by Hebe Botanicals.
Some other common preservatives used are Phenoxyethanol (EWG score 4), Sodium Benzoate (EWG score 3) and Potassium Sorbate (EWG score 3). When we set out to design the perfect baby wipe, we knew it had to contain a preservative we were comfortable using on our own children. Silver Dihydrogen Citrate ticked all our boxes. We encourage our customers to do their own research, if just so you know we are on your side. As their protectors, our babies need us to make the right decisions for their health and well-being.