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61 Comments

  1. I see this was updated in 2020 and it’s now 2022 and I just used a Kirkland baby wipe on my face and it was burning! So I look at my ingredients and it is sooooo not the same now. Just thought I would let you know since there is definitely not aloe or any of the other soothing ingredients listed on my package of signature Kirkland baby wipes.

    1. Hi, April! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels for You and for reading product ingredients! Indeed, the ingredients for KS fragrance-free baby wipes today (2022) differ from those discussed in the blog post (2020). While we are in a continuous process of updating our blog posts, some need to wait a little longer for their turn to be updated. :)) However, we update our Baby Wipes Rating List E-book annually, and the ingredients for KS Baby Wipes Fragrance-Free in the e-book correspond to those on their website. Hence, their rating is updated accordingly. Consider turning to our Baby Wipes Rating List e-book for help with purchasing the safest (in our opinion) product: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/ebooks/baby-wipes/

  2. Have you recently checked it the Costco wipes. They are now fragrance free. Or at least that is what the box says. If you can, please check them out. I’d love to know your thoughts on them now.

  3. Hi. Thank you so much for your website and research. I just discovered it recently and wish I would have found it before. I have 2 year old twin boys and have been using the buggies natural care wipes and am so sad to read that I might have been poisoning my babies. We wipe their hands every time before they eat. I would love to make wipes, but it’s just not in my bandwidth trying to keep these 2 alive. I’m a tiny bit confused by all of the wipes posts and was wondering if there is any wipe that comes in bulk (the large refill bags) that you can recommend as we go through so many? Thank you!

  4. Hi Irina,
    I have a question about certain baby wipes I just recently came across. The name is WaterWipes. The ingredients read water and grapefruit extract. And nothing else at all!!! Created by a concerned father whose child was super sensitive to anything on the market. Have you heard of this brand and if yes – what are your thoughts and opinion? Thank you in advance.

  5. My review for the baby wipes
    I got these from my in law. My baby broke out from them burning her bottom. I used them on my bottom and they burned like h*** My sister even used them, she had the same experience. I only use them for my hands to clean.

  6. Tnis is sooo true i bought Kirkland wipes and when I used it on my son to wipe his mouth just seconds, rashes appeared on his face…. i thought its bec of the food he just ate… then tonight i used the wipes to wipe his face and arms, he got rashes on his entire face and arms where i used d wipes! thanks for this article!

  7. Hi Irina, I first wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and research on baby wipes. You’re a tremendous help! And I really appreciated you answering my questions a while back on Whole Foods 365 “chlorine free” Baby Wipes. (By the way, I’ve tried – and love! – the Honest baby wipes, but the price just isn’t working in our budget right now with our two youngest in diapers. So I’ve mostly gone back to the Whole Foods 365 wipes, which I always buy in bulk. I know they’re not the best option, especially as they pose the formaldehyde risk, but it’s the best we can do right now and we’ve been happy with them for the most part…until now.) I recently noticed that Whole Foods has changed both the packaging and the formula for their wipes — and even the actual wipe itself (it’s smaller! and maybe a tad thinner, too? or “dryer” feeling, at least…there seems to be less liquid in each wipe)…but the price is still the same. 🙁 So you’re paying the same price for a pack of wipes (or a box of refill packs), but getting less for your money. Also, with the new smaller (and less moist) wipes, I’m finding that I don’t get as much “mileage” out of each one so we’re going through each pack faster than the old ones.

    All of this is disappointing, of course, but what I’m most concerned about is the change in ingredients. The new list is as follows: “Aqua (purified water), aloe barbadensis (aloe vera leaf) extract, contains less than 1% of the following: sodium cocyl hydrolyzed soy protein (cleanser), oryza sativa (rice) extract, glycerin (moisturizing cleanser), tocopherol (vitamin E), dehydroacetic acid, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol (preservative), dimethicone copolyol (foam reducer), citric acid (pH balancer)” What do you think about the new Ingredients list? And “soy protein?” In a baby wipe??? (Soy’s in everything now…and my oldest has a soy food allergy. I can’t believe we’ve found a way to put soy in baby wipes!) Anyway, I’m hoping that the changes are positive since it’s such a different list/formula compared to the old wipes…but I’m a little nervous to ask!

    Thank you again so much for your help!

    1. By the way, I looked up each of the ingredients on EWG’s Skin Deep website and most appear to be okay…although the soy protein one didn’t come up when I searched it. (I’m guessing that it’s a pretty benign ingredient in a baby wipe…) Benzyl alcohol might be irritating to the skin for some babies, possibly, but so far I don’t think it’s bothering my baby’s or my toddler’s skin. Time will tell, though…(We just started using the “new” 365 wipes a few days ago.) At least they got rid of the sodium hydroxymethylglycinate from the old formula — I’m hoping that this means the “new” version is formaldehyde free! (?)

      Thanks again for your passion and hard work on researching safe products for our babies!

      1. Hi Carrie: I apologize for not being able to get back to you right away. I hate to say it but I think even after the reformulation 365 wipes are still worse than Kirkland. The main problem is benzoic acid that is an endocrine disruptor. With endocrine disruptors even tiny amounts potentially can be very harmful. I hope it helps.

  8. NOVEMBER 2014 – KIRKLAND BABY WIPES – CAUSED SERIOUS SKIN REACTION TO MY DAUGHTER
    I am based in the UK.
    About a month ago, when we ran out of my 1 year old daughter’s Johnsons baby wipes , my husband bought the Kirkland brand.
    Soon after we started using the new wipes, my daughter had a really bad skin reaction (rashes, raw skin, etc.).
    Not realising it was caused by the Kirkland wipes and being very concerned, I took my daughter to the doctor several times. Various creams (Canesten, Sudocream, etc) were prescribed – needless to say none of them worked.
    We however noticed that when she went to nursery (where different wipes were used), her skin improved slightly during the week. However at the weekend when she was at home, it got worse!
    My husband decided to revert to the Johnson Baby wipes. Within the last 48 hours, the rashes, etc more or less disappeared! I then went on the internet and saw your blog.
    Looking at the Kirkland Baby wipes it has PEG-75 Lanolin, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol amongst other ingredients.)
    I notice you mentioned that Propylene Glycol has been removed. But it is still very much in the wipes sold here in the UK.
    I am returning the rest of the box to Costco today for a refund.
    As a warning to other parents, please stay clear of the Costco/ Kirkland brand of baby wipes until the offending ingredients have been removed.
    Bernadine

  9. Good Job! Now if you can convince Costco to get rid of that “new unscented smell” on their baby wipes, (new formulation smells like stale beer, and it lingers on and on), then I will start buying them again.

    1. My top recommendation is to use cloth wipes. Among disposable wipes my top choices are wipes by Honest Co. and Jackson Reese wipes (see a short post about them here). If you’d like to have more options and know what wipes to buy when you are in a store, I put together a list of wipes rated in the order from least toxic to most toxic. This list comes in a wallet size. You can purchase and print it for $3.99 here. Thanks!

  10. They changed formula again.After using them for years without any problem(kids,my personal hygiene, makup remover) I have got serious rush on my face and private parts.

  11. This is great, love the article on baby wipes, please send me emails with more great info!!! Thank you.

  12. When a product contains methanol or ethanol, it is labelled as contains alcohol. Propylene glycol is not an alcohol. It contains OH groups which are also present in alcohols. But a product containing propylene glycol will still be alcohol free.

  13. I was at the store reading labels trying to find out what Propylene Glycol was. As it sounded like an alcohol to me. When I looked it up I happened upon ur article. Very informative. Ty.

  14. Just wanted to say thank you for all the reasearch I didn’t have to do because you did! I too wash my baby’s poopy bottom in the sink. For pee-pee bottoms, I use warm water and soap on old, softer, cut up cotton t- shirts. (Usually Johnson’s but I will be switching to castile soap now.) Mostly because I don’t like using all those chemicals on her but also because we’re tryiing to do zero waste and wipes are just one more thing to throw out. But when we go out or are traveling, I’m always trying to find compostable wipes or at least ones made of bamboo. As always Kirkland products are a good deal, a bit cheaper and I always kick myself for passing them up but they never use the word compostable. Not just biodegradable but ones that will compost. I’ll be headed over to the honest site. (They are outrageously expensive on Amazon.) Thanks for the save! Cheers!

  15. Happy Sunday! I found this post while doing research for a post I’m writing on my blog about using baby wipes on dogs. Thank you for this great information. I pulled a quote from the blog and linked it back to this post. I anticipate the post to go live in the first couple weeks of May.

    Kimberly

  16. Great info! I just wanted to add that actually you can buy the honest company’s wipes at nordstrom!!

  17. Thank-you so much for this info. My baby did develop a rash when she was around 3 months old. I had no idea what caused it and it took over a month to clear up. Kirkland and Pampers are the two wipe brands we use but I will now be looking into Honest Co.

  18. hi, just wondering…while i know it is not always possible, what about rinsing the wipes before using them? i do this often and figure i have “diluted” them significantly. (hopefully not more at the expense of the environment than their disposal!)
    btw, thanks for your time!

  19. hi, just wondering…while i know it is not always possible, what about rinsing the wipes before using them? i do this often and figure i have “diluted” them significantly. (hopefully not more at the expense of the environment than their disposal!)

  20. Great article! Nice to see people asking questions before they make a purchase.
    I actually work with a company that makes a great Eco friendly, money saving, chemical free alternative. I’d love to share with you, and even mail you some samples.
    I don’t want to appear as if I’m spamming your page though by adding my website and product info. If it’s ok with you though I’ll post some info. If not I understand.
    I just want people to know that there is a green alternative that won’t break the bank.

    1. Hi Jessie, please email me privately with your company’s information. And I will take a look at the ingredients. It is always good to know of safe alternatives. Thanks!

  21. Hi Irina, this is a great article! I’ve been using Kirkland’s baby wipes for over 2mo now and I found it great. However the ingredient I found on the packet is different to what you stated here. The wipes is made in USA but imported by Costco Australia. Here is the ingredient:
    Aqua, propylene glycol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, tocopheryl acetate, peg-75 lanolin, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, citric acid, disdium phospate, disodium edta, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, polysorbate 20, ethylene brassylate.
    As I know nothing about all those chemical, I would love to hear your opinion on those ingredients. Thanks!

    1. Hi did you get a reply regarding this information. I have just stopped using my Kirkland wipes because of this article.

  22. I mostly use Honest wipes but buy Earth’s Best also. Have you looked into the Earth’s Best wipes, are they OK?

    1. Hi Dawn,
      thank you for asking the question. I could not locate Earth Best baby wipes’ ingredients on their website. I called them and requested the ingredients. When I receive the email and I will let you know what I think about the wipes. Thanks!

  23. I have been using Pamper’s wipes for myself for years…..just so I can clean up after myself. Now what do I do?

    Great article…..thank you for your research

    1. Ellie, thank you for your nice comment! I am glad that you found my post useful. I believe the old-fashioned way – washable rags and castile soap (I highly recommend Dr. Bronner’s soap “>) is the healthiest and greenest alternative. Thank you for asking!

  24. We’ve used Earth’s Best, as they were on sale. Those and Honest Co seem like the best, based on the ingredients. The only downside is that they can foam up a bit, a minor downside compared to what you find in conventional wipes.

  25. Thank you, Irina, for your research and this valuable information. Would you recommend Aleva Naturals Bamboo Wipes or Attitude Eco-Baby Wipes?

    1. Hi Anh! Thank you for reading my post and asking the question. From the first look at these baby wipes, I can tell you that they are a step up from the Kirkland Signature baby wipes. However, a few concerns jumped at me. In Aleva Naturals baby wipes I am the most concerned about Cocamidopropyl Betaine that may be contaminated with carcinogenic Nitrosamines (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/701520/COCAMIDOPROPYL_BETAINE/). And even if it is not contaminated, I am not in favor of this ingredient because it was nominated Allergen of the Year by the dermatitis society (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18627690). As for Attitude baby wipes, my biggest concerns are Benzyl Alcohol that has been associated with contact allergy (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700697/BENZYL_ALCOHOL/) and Sodium Benzoate that in combination with Citric Acid may form carcinogenic Benzene (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/726354/BENZENE/). I am not saying that the contaminants are present in these baby wipes. If you are still interested in them, you should contact the companies and ask them what they do to prevent the contamination from happening. By the way, I do personalized research for the subscribers to my blog. You are more than welcome to subscribe. No spam I promise. Only helpful free information once a week. Best, Irina

      1. Thank you, Irina! With the information you have provided, I have decided to go with Honest wipes. I have also subscribed to your blog. Can’t wait for your weekly updates! Thank you again!

      2. Hi,

        I contacted the ATTITUDE company and asked them what they do to prevent the contamination from happening between Sodium Benzoate that in combination with Citric Acid may form carcinogenic Benzene. Here is their reply for anyone interested in those baby wipes:

        Regarding concerns about benzene formation related to sodium or potassium benzoate, our supplier certifies that this ingredient does not contain any Benzene nor does it contain any Benzene during the production process. Any formation or splitting of Benzene during the use is unlikely. Moreover, a US consultant, David Steinberg, told: “the formation of benzene by a reaction between citric acid and sodium benzoate is an urban legend with no basis in reality. It is chemically impossible for a salt (sodium benzoate) to react with an acid (citric or any other) to form a hydrocarbon (benzene).”

        The only scientific articles found related benzene formation talk about ascorbic acid (vitamin C), not citric acid and sodium benzoate. In all of the comments, the formation is only possible under very specific conditions such as extreme pH and/or elevated temperature and/or UV light. ATTITUDE products do not have ascorbic acid, do not have extreme pH, are not stored/used under high temperatures and are not exposed to light.

        Hope this helps! I personnally decided to go with those wipes (when needed)

        Marie

        1. Yes, that confirms my understanding that benzene may formed only when ascorbic acid, not citric acid, is reacted with sodium benzoate. Thank you, Marie, for your research!

  26. I use the Huggies brand of wipes. I’m sure they’re just as bad as the Pampers and Kirkland but wondered if you knew for sure? It’s always so disappointing and discouraging to read about more baby products that have harmful chemicals in them. Convenience is cheap for the pocket book but potentially costly to our health. Thanks for doing the research and putting it out there so us other mommies can make better choices for our kids and the environment!

    1. Thank you, Dana, for the nice words. I will do a post on Huggies baby wipes. Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you do not miss the post. Thanks!

  27. Hi, I had been using the Kirkland Baby Wipes for about a year for my own personal hygiene and to take off my make-up. I had previously used Walmart Teddy’s brand (btw had not reaction to at all) but switched to Kirkland because of the price. Three months ago I started getting very irritated on my tush and went to my doctor who prescribe me a cream (which didn’t help at all). I had upped the use of the wipes to keep extra clean which only made matters worse…still at this point no realising it was the wipes. Then about 2 weeks ago I go blisters on both eye lids and it was then that I put 2 and 2 together and realised it was the wipes. Stopped using them right away and about 5 -6 days later things started clearing up.

  28. This was extremely helpful – thank you! What about Whole Foods “365 Everyday Value Chlorine Free” Baby Wipes? I’ve been buying these for quite a while now, but I just looked at the ingredients and saw sodium hydroxymethylglycinate listed. Should I be concerned about these wipes containing formaldehyde and therefore possibly making them carcinogenic?

    1. Hi, Carrie! I am glad you found my Kirkland Signature Baby Wipes post helpful! Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate is one of the preservatives that is designed to release a small amount of formaldehyde into a product over time. Formaldehyde is a very potent toxin. Please see my post about it at http://www./formaldehyde-primer/ The amount of it is probably too small to adversely impact your baby’s health. However, small amounts here and there may accumulate in a human body over time. To be on a safe side, I would do everything possible to reduce our babies exposure to toxins. Among disposable wipes, I recommend Honest Baby Wipes or making your own cloth wipes.

      1. Should I stop using the kirkland brand baby wipes? I’ve been using them for 2 months now and my baby hadnt had any reactions that I’ve noticed…

  29. Thank you for your research. I’m an old Gramma now, so I just have one pack of wipes that I keep around for the occasional need, but it’s interesting to know that the plain old facecloth and water that I usually reach for is still the best option.

  30. Great research !! Thank you. I have been a BIG user of Kirkland’s baby wipes. They are the only wipes of their size. All the others are tiny squares and hard to use. However, I would have never known about the toxic chemicals without clicking on your article. I was in the process of ordering another supply when I saw your article. Again, thank you for all of your research.

    1. Thank you for your comment! I am glad that you find my research helpful. I hope you will find my other posts as helpful as this one.

  31. I think your blog is great. Very easy to read, understand, and grasp. However, reading this latest article, I haven’t seen anything about prices. Many families are on a tight budget and shy away from what might be a better choice organically because of price. I am interested to read how families can not only buy safe products but do so frugally.

    1. Hi, Kristin, thank you for your compliment and feedback. As I am a stay-at-home mom, I totally understand what it means to be on a tight budget. I always keep a price at the back of my mind and stay away from unreasonably expensive things. Non-toxic products do not have come with hefty price tags. I will try to be more explicit about prices in my upcoming posts. Again, thank you for your feedback!