Baby Wipes

There's nothing cuter than a baby's bottom. That is, unless you're a new parent cleaning up after a diaper explosion.

Fortunately, baby wipes help make the cleanup fast and easy. Just a few swipes with one or two premoistened wipes, and you can restore your child's backside to its original state.

How to choose Baby Wipes

Wipes are sold in a variety of different sizes and containers, so you can have them on hand in almost any situation. To save money, consider a one-time purchase of wipes in a plastic tub; when it's empty, restock the tub with wipe refills.

If the wipe you choose irritates your baby's bottom, switch to another kind. Wipes labeled hypoallergenic, or alcohol- or fragrance-free, may contain fewer harsh chemicals. The ideal wipe is one that cleans, moisturizes and protects your baby's skin with a minimum of irritation. Here's a guide to some of the ingredients that help wipes do just that:

Cleansers

Sudsy cleansers dissolve dirt and oil and drag them away. Disodium cocoamphodiacetae is a cleanser often used in wipes.

Protectants

Oily, fat-like protectants form a protective layer that softens and moisturizes skin, and eases the pain associated with dryness. Common protectants in wipes include silicon oil, mineral oil, fatty acids (stearic, plasmatic, oleic, and lanolin acids), fatty alcohols (cetyl, stearyl, and lauryl alcohols), and plant oils (sunflower and corn). Some protectants, like petrolatum and lanolin, repel moisture—and that keeps your baby drier.

Moisturizers

Moisturizers help skin feel soft and relieve dryness. Unlike protectants, which protect skin by trapping water in it, moisturizers draw moisture from the air onto skin or hair. Moisturizers found in wipes include aloe vera, propylene glycol, and PEG-60 (polyethylene glycol).

Other ingredients

Fragrance is common in wipes, although many brands are fragrance-free. Some chemicals in wipes act as preservatives; others, such as potassium sorbate, fight germs. The sheet materials that make up wipes range from natural wood pulp to synthetic plastic polymers such as polypropylene and polyethylene.

How to use Baby Wipes

Use a wipe during every diaper change, but use them gently and sparingly. Other tips:

Make sure to clean the little creases and folds. But wipe the genitals gently: Never scrub them.
Always wipe away from genitals toward the anus.
If you use a wipe to clean the anus, throw it out right away. Use a clean wipe to continue.