How to Choose Safe Baby Wipes

Choosing baby wipes shouldn’t feel overwhelming—but for many parents, it does.

You’re standing in the aisle, reading labels that say “gentle,” “natural,” or “clean,” and still wondering if you’re making the right choice for your baby’s skin. That uncertainty is normal. Baby wipes are used multiple times a day, and small ingredient differences can matter—especially for sensitive skin.

The good news is that you don’t need to memorize chemistry or chase perfection. You just need a clear framework for evaluating baby wipes based on ingredients, materials, and realistic safety priorities.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to choose safe baby wipes with confidence—what to pay attention to, what’s often misunderstood, and how to make calm, informed decisions without stress or fear.

Are Hello Bello Wipes Non-Toxic?

Hello Bello has built a strong reputation as a cleaner, affordable alternative to conventional brands. So, is Hello Bello non-toxic?

The honest answer: Hello Bello wipes are significantly better than many mainstream options—but they’re not the absolute safest available.

Here’s what you need to know.

In my Baby Wipes Rating List, Hello Bello wipes ingredients are rated between 0 and 10 on a toxicity scale where 10 is most toxic. There is no fragrance, which is excellent. However, their cloth is made from viscose rated 5 out of 10. For comparison, organic cotton gets a 0, while polypropylene plastic gets a 9.

Among more than 70 rated baby wipes, Hello Bello falls in the safer range but doesn’t top the list.

If you want to compare Hello Bello wipes vs. Honest wipes, or Millie Moon, or Rico, or other popular brands, check my Baby Wipes Rating List.

How To Choose Baby Wipes?

When choosing safe baby wipes, the following safety criteria will help.

First, avoid fragrance completely. If you see “fragrance,” “parfum,” or even “natural fragrance” on the ingredient label, put the wipes back. Typically, fragrance hides undisclosed chemicals including allergens and hormone disruptors. Find out in my blog post on natural fragrance why the best infant wipes should be even “natural” fragrance-free.

Second, reject wipes with ethoxylated ingredients like “PEG-” (e.g., PEG-75), “polysorbate” (e.g., Polysorbate 20), or ending in “-eth” (e.g., Laureth-7). These can contain trace carcinogens (ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane) from manufacturing. Learn more in my blog post on polysorbates.

Third, make sure the wipes contain preservatives. All wet wipes must have preservatives to prevent dangerous bacteria and mold. Look for milder options, not “preservative-free” claims.

Last, check the cloth material. Organic cotton is safest. Viscose is middle-ground. Polypropylene is concerning because it is a type of plastic, and plastic is associated with leaching hormone disruptors. ingredients and the cloth.  Then, we multiplied the sum by the highest value of a non-cloth ingredient (in this case “3”).  As a result, we got a final rating of 48 for Hello Bello wipes. 

What Material Are Baby Wipes Made Of?

The cloth material matters as much as the liquid ingredients because it touches your baby’s skin multiple times a day repeatedly.

Most conventional baby wipes use polypropylene for the wipe cloth. Polypropylene is plastic made from crude oil, natural gas, and coal (source). Research suggests plastic products can release hormone-disrupting chemicals (source). That is why don’t consider it a safe option.

Next, viscose (rayon) comes from wood pulp but requires chemical solvents for processing (source). That’s why I rate it 5 out of 10. Solvents are actually some of the so-called Hidden Ingredients in Baby Wipes.

The best material for the safest wipes for newborns is organic cotton. It has no plastic concerns, no harsh processing. However, organic cotton wipes are not that easy to find on the market today. So, if you choose something other than plastic, it will already be a safer option.

Are Baby Wipes Antibacterial?

No, standard baby wipes are not antibacterial—and this is actually good news.

To clarify, antibacterial ingredients carry health risks. For example, one such ingredient – benzalkonium chloride —  decreased fertility in both male and female mice when used to disinfect their cages (source). It’s also linked to allergic reactions and irritation (source).

So, is benzalkonium chloride safe for babies? I don’t believe so. I consider benzalkonium chloride in baby wipes one of the least safe ingredients and rate it 10 out of 10, even when used in trace amounts. Learn more in my post on WaterWipes Baby Wipes.

Beyond chemical concerns, functional medicine practitioners warn against overly sterile environments. Your baby needs exposure to diverse bacteria to develop a strong immune system.

In other words, there is no intention for baby wipes to be sterile or to kill germs. The best baby wipes for infants should clean effectively without attempting to sterilize. If a brand markets “antibacterial” baby wipes, that’s a red flag, not a benefit.

Do Baby Wipes Have Alcohol?

All 74 baby wipes I analyzed in 2026 are alcohol-free in the traditional sense. You won’t find drying alcohol, like ethanol or rubbing alcohol, in them.

However, some contain ingredients with the word “alcohol” in their names that aren’t actually drying:

• cetearyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol are fatty alcohols that soften skin (not drying)
• benzyl alcohol and phenethyl alcohol are aromatic alcohols used as preservatives (not drying)

These don’t cause the itchiness and flaking associated with rubbing alcohol. When parents ask, “Is there alcohol in baby wipes?,” they’re really worried about drying alcohols—and those aren’t normally in standard baby wipes.

Are Baby Wipes Safe For Baby Face?

I strongly recommend against it, even with non-toxic wipes.

Baby skin is extraordinarily sensitive. Even plant-based ingredients like chamomile or aloe can trigger reactions in some babies. Plus, all wipes contain preservatives and using them on your baby’s face risks ingestion.

In 2008, the FDA warned against Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream because preservatives in it allegedly caused infant distress when ingested during nursing—symptoms included shallow breathing, decreased appetite, and vomiting (source).

While using baby wipes for diaper changes is necessary, using them on faces is not. For your baby’s face, use a soft cotton cloth with plain water.

Are Baby Wipes Safe For Cats And Dogs?

No—avoid using baby wipes on pets, even non-toxic varieties.

Animals constantly lick their fur, which means they’ll ingest any ingredients. Pet metabolism differs from human metabolism, especially in cats. Cats lack certain liver enzymes needed to break down many substances, making them vulnerable to toxicity.

In addition, some baby wipes use essential oils for scent. While some essential oils are safe for dogs when properly diluted, their use is nearly impossible for cats. Never use tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) on any animals—it can cause poisoning (source).

For cleaning pets, it is better to use a cotton cloth with plain water or essential oil-free simple wash.

Can You Flush Baby Wipes?

I advocate strongly against flushing all baby wipes.

Even when marketed as “flushable,” wipes may not work safely with your specific plumbing. Factors like pipe age, water pressure, and sewage system type all matter. The term “flushable” is poorly regulated and doesn’t mean the product breaks down as quickly as toilet paper.

If you must flush, stick to one wipe at a time. However, my recommendation is disposing of wipes in the trash to avoid expensive plumbing emergencies as well as water waste.

Are Biodegradable Baby Wipes Safer?

The term “biodegradable” is vague. Indeed, given enough time, most materials will eventually biodegrade.

A better question is whether wipes are compostable, which specifies timeframe and temperature conditions. Learn more in my post Biodegradable Vs Compostable: Which Is Better?.

Compared to plastic-based baby wipes, “compostable” baby wipes are plant-based and in this regard are safer. However, baby wipes safety evaluation includes the liquid formula, too. Therefore, if the wipes are compostable but contain fragrance and/or ethoxylated ingredients, they are not safe.

Final Takeaway: Finding The Best Non-Toxic Baby Wipes

In conclusion, set the goal to find safe enough rather than safest baby wipes for your baby. This mindset will spare you unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Come to terms with what you can and cannot control when it comes to making purchasing decisions.

When shopping for non-toxic wet wipes, look at the ingredient label and the fabric. Avoid wipes with fragrance and ethoxylated ingredients and choose plant-based fabric over plastic.

Also, remember that “antibacterial” claims aren’t benefits, and “alcohol-free” labeling is universal for all wipes. Finally, preservatives are necessary, not scary—the question is which ones are used.

Your shortcut to choosing safe baby wipes is my Baby Wipes Rating List assessing safety of more than 70 wipes. It will help you select the best wipes for your child. No guesswork, no endless research—just clear ratings based on ingredients and materials.

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