What You Need to Know About Huggies Baby Wipes
Written by Irina Webb
I believe in a company’s reputation, but I believe in reading the ingredients of its products more. That is why I always study product ingredients, even of my favorite brands that I have been using for years. Also, I know that one “safe” product does not necessarily mean that all the products by the same brand are safe. In this expert Huggies wipes review, we will look into two out of five kinds of Huggies baby wipes rated in our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book. You will see why Huggies® Special Delivery Wipes are rated much better than Huggies® Natural Care Refreshing Wipes. In addition, you will get answers to some common questions about safe baby wipes in the Q&A section.
In this post:
- Positive Changes in Huggies Baby Wipes
- Compare Huggies Wipes Ingredients
- Ingredients Rated Under 3
- Huggies Baby Wipes Ingredients Rated 3
- Ingredients Rated Higher than 3
- Conclusion about the Huggies wipes
- Questions and Answers
- What are the cleanest baby wipes?
- Which baby wipes are the best?
- What baby wipes to use for newborns?
- Is there anything toxic in baby wipes?
- Why do baby wipes expire?
What You Need to Know About Huggies Baby Wipes
Positive Changes in Huggies Baby Wipes
To begin, since 2013, the year I started deciphering baby wipes ingredients, Huggies wipes have undergone some major positive alterations.
For instance, in 2014, they got rid of such problematic preservatives as methylparaben and methylisothiazolinone. Then, in 2017, they removed phenoxyethanol from their formula. To clarify, phenoxyethanol in baby wipes is a tricky preservative that has both benefits and side effects. Learn more about it in our blog post Phenoxyethanol in Skin Care.
Although we cannot deem Huggies absolutely non-toxic baby wipes yet, they are taking steps in the right direction. Clearly, these changes have happened due to our collective consumer power. So, let’s keep reading the ingredients and asking questions of manufacturers. This is exactly what the I Read Labels For You team does to bring safer products to your attention. Namely, we survey the product industry, study the manufacturing processes, research ingredients, and contact manufacturers with questions. If necessary, we also try the products out to evaluate their performance.
While Huggies® Special Delivery Wipes are rated much better than Huggies® Natural Care Refreshing Wipes, they are not the safest among the five kinds of Huggies baby wipes. There is a safer kind, in our opinion. Likewise, Huggies® Natural Care Refreshing Wipes are not the worst among them, either: there are worse ones, in our opinion. Find out which wipes are rated better and worse (and why) and which ones we consider the safest baby wipes in our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book.
Compare Huggies Wipes Ingredients
As of January 2023, the ingredients in Huggies Special Delivery and Natural Care Refreshing baby wipes are as follows (source):
| Huggies® Natural Care Refreshing Wipes | Huggies® Special Delivery Wipes |
| Polypropylene, wood pulp (cloth material) Water Caprylyl Glycol Sodium Benzoate Coco-Betaine Polysorbate 20 Butoxy PEG-4 PG-Amodimethicone Malic Acid Sodium Citrate Tocopheryl Acetate Glycerin Fragrance Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract | Polypropylene, wood pulp (cloth material) Water Caprylyl Glycol Sodium Benzoate Coco-Betaine Polysorbate 20 Butoxy PEG-4 PG-Amodimethicone Citric Acid |
As you can see, the ingredient list for Natural Care Refreshing wipes is longer than that for Special delivery wipes. In addition to the shared ingredients (in bold), Natural Care Refreshing wipes have some extra ones. Read on to find out how we rated Huggies baby wipes ingredients in our Baby Wipes Rating List and why.
Specifically, in our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book, we use a rating scale from 0 to 10. Thus, the ingredients that are, in our opinion, the safest receive the lowest value of 0 (e.g., certified organic extracts). And the ingredients that are, in our opinion, the most toxic receive the highest value of 10 (e.g., benzalkonium chloride).
Below is the breakdown of the Huggies wipes ingredients with assigned values and the reasons for the values.
Ingredients Rated Under 3
| Baby wipes ingredient | Rating | Reason for the rating |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract,Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract | 1 | – good skin conditioners – If they were organic, they would be rated 0. |
| Caprylyl Glycol | 1 | – helps make Huggies wipes moist – has mild antimicrobial properties, therefore functions as part of the preservation system – enhances skin penetration |
| Citric Acid | 1 | – used in tiny quantities to adjust Huggies baby wipes acidity |
| Coco-Betaine | 1 | – cleansing agent – not associated with irritation or allergic contact dermatitis (read about the cocamidopropyl betaine that is often confused with coco-betaine in our blog post about cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine) |
| Glycerin | 1 | – good skin conditioner – prevents baby wipes from drying out |
| Malic Acid | 0 | – occurs naturally in many sour or acidic foods – used in tiny quantities to adjust acidity – In our opinion, skin irritation concern is valid only when higher concentrations are used. |
| Sodium Citrate | 1 | – used in tiny quantities to adjust acidity – makes Huggies wipes more in line with the skin’s natural pH |
| Water | 0 | – arouses no concerns as long as there are preservatives in the formulation |
Huggies Baby Wipes Ingredients Rated 3
| Baby wipes ingredient | Rating | Reason for the rating |
| Sodium Benzoate | 3 | – common preservative in food – listed among allergens on the American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series because it may increase the risk of an allergic reaction if used in concentrations of 5% and higher – We don’t know how much sodium benzoate is used in the Huggies wipes. Please, stop using them if any irritation occurs. |
| Tocopheryl Acetate | 3 | – acetic acid and tocopherol (vitamin E) compound – has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – can be either extracted from vegetable oils or produced synthetically – synthetic production involves methylhydroquinone creating a potential for hydroquinone contamination (learn more about hidden ingredients in baby wipes and hidden ingredients in cosmetics) – It would be nice to know which production process was used for this ingredient in Huggies baby wipes. |
Ingredients Rated Higher than 3
| Baby wipes ingredient | Rating | Reason for the rating |
| Butoxy PEG-4 PG-Amodimethicone | 5 | – emollient that helps the wipe glide – ethoxylated ingredient with contamination concern with carcinogenic ethylene oxide |
| Fragrance | 8 | – combination of undisclosed chemicals, including styrene, diethyl phthalate, and butylphenyl methylpropional (lilial) that can be associated with allergic contact dermatitis, reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, and cancer – Thus, we highly recommend avoiding fragrance, even natural fragrance, in all products, especially in baby products. If you like Huggies wipes, choose those without fragrance, e.g., Huggies Special Delivery baby wipes. – Our Baby Wipes Rating List can help you select unscented baby wipes or those scented with essential oils. |
| Polysorbate 20 | 5 | – emulsifier that keeps ingredients from separating – ethoxylated ingredient with contamination concern with carcinogenic ethylene oxide (learn how to spot potentially contaminated ingredients in our blog post Hidden Ingredients in Best Baby Wipes) |
| Polypropylene, wood pulp (cloth material) | 7 | – First, polypropylene is an unbiodegradable type of plastic with a recycle code 5, made from crude oil, natural gas, and coal. Its specific ingredients are undisclosed. Importantly, according to this study, most plastic products release estrogenic chemicals, i.e., hormone disruptors. – Second, as for wood pulp, the manufacturing process turning it into a soft fabric involves chemical solvents. – Bottom line, we are not happy with the materials used for the Huggies baby wipes cloth. |
Conclusion about the Huggies wipes
In sum, this expert baby wipes review has focused on two out of five kinds of Huggies baby wipes rated in the Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book. Upon analyzing their ingredients, you have been able to see why Huggies® Special Delivery Wipes are rated much better than Huggies® Natural Care Refreshing Wipes.
Specifically, Huggies® Special Delivery Wipes have fewer ingredients and have no fragrance, which is a big plus. Personally, I would avoid fragrance, even natural fragrance, in all products, especially in baby products. Our Baby Wipes Rating List can help you easily select unscented baby wipes or those scented with essential oils.
Note that although Huggies® Special Delivery Wipes have a better rating, they are not the safest among the five kinds of Huggies baby wipes rated in our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book. There is a safer kind, in our opinion. Similarly, Huggies® Natural Care Refreshing Wipes are not the worst among the rated ones, either: there are worse ones, in our opinion.
All in all, Huggies wipes are moving in the right direction, but there is still some ground to cover. They are definitely not the safest baby wipes, in our opinion. Namely, it would be great if they removed fragrance and ethoxylated ingredients from their formulation. The good news is that non-toxic baby wipes without these potentially harmful ingredients do exist. And you can find them in our unprecedented Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book!
Questions and Answers
This is a bonus section in which we have addressed some common questions about baby wipes and their safety.
What are the cleanest baby wipes?
Overall, baby wipes have gotten cleaner since I started deciphering their ingredients in 2013. At that time, many baby wipes had formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Then, manufacturers switched to phenoxyethanol. As of 2023, there are no baby wipes in our Baby Wipes Rating List with formaldehyde releasers. Additionally, just like Huggies baby wipes, some have gotten rid of phenoxyethanol as well.
To identify the cleanest baby wipes, we look at their ingredients to spot potentially harmful ones, such as harsh preservatives, fragrance, and ethoxylated ingredients. If there is at least one ingredient out of the mentioned ones, these are not the cleanest baby wipes, in our opinion.
In addition, we look at the fabric of the cloth used for the baby wipes. For instance, Huggies wipes are made from polypropylene and wood pulp, which, in our opinion, is not the best choice of materials. Indeed, polypropylene is a type of plastic which, according to this study, may release hormone disruptors. And as for wood pulp, to become a soft fabric, it must go through processing that involves chemical solvents.
Thus, in our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book, the wipes we consider the cleanest baby wipes are made from organic cotton. Plus, the safety rating of each ingredient ranges between 0 and 2 (on a scale of 0-10, with 10 as the most toxic). Hence, the final rating of the product is very low. This is great because according to our ranking methodology, the lower the rating, the cleaner the product.
Which baby wipes are the best?
In our opinion, several factors can define baby wipes as the “best,” including price, thickness of the cloth, cloth material, performance etc. However, we believe that the first criterion is safety. In other words, it is a good idea to choose the best baby wipes out of the safest ones.
How can you choose the safest baby wipes? By comparing the ingredients of several products and selecting the one with fewer potentially harmful ingredients. For instance, when we compared two kinds of Huggies baby wipes, we could see that one kind of Huggies wipes was safer than the other.
Surely, it is time-consuming, overwhelming, and at times confusing to do this kind of research. That is why we have done it for you! We have compiled a list of more than 60 baby wipes and ranked their safety based on the available scientific data on their ingredients. All you need to do now is look at the safest baby wipes options in our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book and choose the best baby wipes for your needs.
What baby wipes to use for newborns?
Given baby wipes are made for babies, allegedly, they all can be used for newborns. However, there are several important factors to consider.
First, baby skin is sensitive and may react to potentially harmful chemicals, such as harsh preservatives, fragrance, and ethoxylated ingredients. So, we would advise to stay away from the baby wipes that contain any of those ingredients. For example, Huggies baby wipes that have fragrance – Natural Care Refreshing – are off the list of baby wipes for newborns, in our opinion. And Huggies wipes without fragrance – Special Delivery – may be considered but still have ethoxylated ingredients in them.
Second, even the wipes with seemingly innocent and even beneficial ingredients may not work for your baby. In our experience, people have had allergic reactions even to avocado oil and chamomile. Therefore, it is important to look at the list of ingredients to spot those that may trigger a reaction in your baby.
True, it is laborious and overpowering, especially for new parents. To help you get around this task, we have created the Baby Wipes Rating List. In this rating list, you will see a breakdown of the ingredients of more than 60 baby wipes in one file. You don’t have to jump from one website to another trying to compare the ingredients of multiple products. With all the baby wipes and their ranked-by-safety ingredients in front of you, you will be able to choose the safest baby wipes for your newborn in no time.
Is there anything toxic in baby wipes?
Yes, there might be toxic ingredients in baby wipes.
First, look for fragrance, aroma, parfum and/or natural fragrance. All these words refer to a mixture of undisclosed ingredients, many of which are associated with various health issues. The latter include allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, potential effects on the reproductive system, and even hormone disruption. We highly recommend avoiding fragrance, even natural fragrance, in all products, especially in baby products. If you like Huggies baby wipes, choose those without fragrance, e.g., Huggies Special Delivery baby wipes. Our Baby Wipes Rating List can help you select unscented baby wipes or those scented with essential oils.
Second, look for ethoxylated ingredients (such as PEGs, polysorbates, words with “-eth” e.g., Laureth). Unfortunately, both Special Delivery and Natural Care Refreshing Huggies wipes contain ethoxylated ingredients. The main problem with them is that they may have residues of carcinogenic ethylene oxide used in the manufacturing process.
Next, look for benzalkonium chloride. We gave it the highest rating of 10 in our rating list, meaning it’s the most toxic, in our opinion.
And, of course, pay attention to the fabric of the cloth the wipes are made from (avoid plastic, choose organic cotton). The problem is that manufacturers do not always disclose the material for their wipes’ cloth on their website. You will have to contact them individually. Otherwise, purchase our Baby Wipes Rating List E-Book because we have contacted them already and present this information in the book.
Why do baby wipes expire?
This is a legitimate question. Seemingly, if baby wipes have preservatives – which they should – expiration should not be an issue.
Because wet baby wipes contain water, they MUST have preservatives. Otherwise, there is a risk of mold and bacteria contamination. However, the preservatives that are strong and long-lasting come with a whole array of potential health concerns. Therefore, especially for baby products, manufacturers use milder preservatives that have an expiration date. So, when preservatives in baby wipes expire, baby wipes as a product expire, too.
By the way, the preservative used in Huggies baby wipes is sodium benzoate. It is a common preservative in food. However, know that it is listed among allergens on the American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series. If used in concentrations of 5% and higher, it may increase the risk of an allergic reaction. Since we don’t know how much sodium benzoate is used in the Huggies wipes, please be alert and stop using them if any irritation occurs. To clarify, we consider sodium benzoate one of the safest preservatives and use many skincare and makeup products with it.
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Please tell me where these Huggies Natural Care wipes are made.
Hello Karen! Please, check out Huggies Natural Care wipes website to find the information on their manufacturing location.
My wife was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer. Years ago a friend of hers had convinced her that using baby wipes was better than using toilet paper because it “keeps you clean and fresh” longer. She used them for several years. I wonder if there is a connection between the baby wipes and her cancer.
Thank you so much for doing this!!!
Thanks be to God for you two! xo
Hi Irina, how exactly do you use water, natural soap, and organic cotton reusable cloth in place of baby wipes?
Hi Courtney! Thank you for asking. I have done it in two ways. I put my baby in the sink, supported his body with my hand, leaned him against my body, while washing him under running water with soap. I did not even need to use any cloth. Or I put warm water in a little container and wiped him with a cloth dipped in the water. That worked for pee. For poop, I used dipped in water paper towel first so I can toss it away. Does it make sense?
We have been using Whoopsie’s Wipes as cleaning cloths, just dipped in water and a little natural baby wash. Whoopsie’s are dry, all cotton and have NO chemicals. Just dip in water. Can be used all over the body, but especially better to use these on sensitive parts.
Thank you so much for your informative information, i already knew that huggies are toxic sometime, but you clear everything, Thanks again.
Just out of curiosity, have you tried the Baby Looney Tunes Soft & Silky baby wipes? The ingridients show 3 ingredients and are supposed to be hypoallergenic. Can you comment on these, are they safe to use?
Could you send me a link to the ingredients? Thanks!
Thank you so much! Now I understand why my hands have been reacting strangely, and mainly my right hand…