Following the successful ‘Nursing bra testing’ in 2003 and 2005 and due to requests from various companies to test their products, TIPS Ltd are proud to launch their ‘TIPS Awards’.

Follow the links below to find out about the awards

Baby wipes

Alongside breastfeeding, baby skincare is my other passion and it was only right that this should become the subject of my first ‘TIPS Awards’.
Following publication of articles on neonatal (the first 28 days of life) skincare I am often asked what baby wipes to recommend to new parents. It is not my place to endorse any particular brand so I wanted to come up with a fair and independent way of reviewing what was available. I would then be able to publish a list of those that comply with the latest best-practice advice. The recent Postnatal Care Guidelines (NICE 2006) now advise parents that: “cleansing agents, lotions and medicated wipes are not recommended for bathing babies”. This is core to the advice I give and all companies included in the test must advocate the use of plain water for at least the first month of life and if possible include this information online or on their packaging. The avoidance of alcohol and any potentially harmful preservatives was also paramount along with the obvious durability and effectiveness of the wipes for the purpose of cleaning and protecting baby’s delicate skin.

Testing criteria

The following criteria have also been taken into consideration when testing each wipe:

size - too small and you may need to use more, too large and they will be wasteful so it is important each wipe is ideal for its given use.

design of packaging - is the pack easy to open? is it easy to get the wipes out? is it easy to re-seal? can the pack be used in a tub and are refills available?

information on product - does the manufacturer include a full list of ingredients online and on the pack? does the manufacturer give advice on using water only in marketing literature or online?

feel and texture - are the wipes soft or harsh?

scent - is this pleasant, okay or unpleasant?

disposal - are the wipes flushable or biodegradable? can they be used with septic tanks? how environmentally friendly are they?

durability - are the wipes strong enough not to break up when being used?

effectiveness - do the wipes clean a dirty nappy with ease or do are many wipes needed to clean the area? Are the wipes suitable for hands and face too?

cost per nappy change - this was calculated on the basis of two wipes per change and based on the RRP of the product

availability - online, by mail order and on the high street.

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Testing results

Jackson Reece wipes
RRP: £1.99 for 72 wipes
Supplied by:www.jacksonreece.com
Overall score: 88%
Tested March 2008
Price per change (2 wipes): 5.5p
Jackson Reece’s new soothing herbal baby wipes are the gentlest and most environmentally friendly baby wipes available on the market today. It is refreshing to know that each stage of the development process has been carefully and responsibly overseen by the dedicated team at Jackson Reece. Production has been moved to the UK (ensuring an excellent carbon footprint) new biodegradable cloth has been sourced, eco-friendly packaging introduced and the mildest ingredients possible have been used for these new wipes. This attention to detail not only gives these baby wipes the greenest credentials possible but also sets a new standard for others to follow.
The only concern raised by testers related to the over generous dispensing of wipes and the potential for the re-sealable lid to lose its stickiness. However they were unanimous in their praise for the new design. Here are just some of the testers’ comment:

• 'the wipes feel very soft and strong’ with ‘no reaction even on the most sensitive skin’
• 'it has been an absolute delight and eye opener to use such a well thought out product that appeals to those of us who demand better performing products for our babies and the environment’
• 'it appears that I now have a wipe I can trust’
• ‘it is the only company I have come across who actively recommends the use of plain water during the first month of life’.

The original Jackson Reece wipes were awarded ‘Best of the best’ in the very first TIPS trial. At the time, testers expressed concerns about the packaging (which was not degradable) the cloth (which was not biodegradable) and the fact that the wipes were manufactured in the Far East. These issues have all been addressed and for this reason I am delighted to award this new design an additional TIPS ‘Editors choice’ award in recognition of this exciting and innovative design in baby wipe.

Awards - Best of the best and Editor’s choice
retrotested March 08
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Second – Beaming Baby Organic wipes
RRP: £2.99 for 72 wipes
Supplied by www.beamingbaby.co.uk
Overall score: 88 per cent
Tested: between 22 and 25 November 2006
Cost per nappy change: 8.3 pence
The lotion in these wipes contains 95% organic ingredients. They contain aloe vera and orange blossom to provide gentle skin cleansing. They are completely flushable, biodegradable, chlorine free and can be used in septic tanks. The information online and on pack is excellent and the range includes baby lotion, shampoo body wash and bubble bath. This is a top quality product that is safe, effective and good value for money.
This is why I have awarded this wipe the Best eco-friendly
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Editor’s choice - Nature babycare eco-soft baby wipes
RRP: £2.49 for 70 wipes
www.naty.com
Overall score: 84 per cent
Tested September 2007
Cost per nappy change: 7.1p
These wipes fulfil expectations on strength, effectiveness and softness while also being flushable, biodegradable, chlorine free and environmentally friendly. Manufactured by the Swedish company Nature babycare the baby wipes are only one of a range of eco-friendly products including nappies, toddler pants, bibs, breast pads (see our Editor’s choice in the Breast pads section) sanitary pads and nappy bags. This company is a refreshing addition to the baby market with a novel approach to marketing that involves ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendation through an ‘Ambassador’ programme. The full range is now widely available in UK supermarkets and further information is available on their international website.

Third – Naturebotts wipes
RRP: £2.90 for 72 wipes
Supplied by www.naturebotts.co.uk
Overall score: 80 per cent
Tested: between 20 and 25 November 2006
Cost per nappy change: 8.04 pence
Recently launched in the UK by Naturebotts, this excellent natural wipe provides a safe, strong, biodegradable, effective alternative to conventional brands of baby wipe. They are a great all-rounder with a fresh pleasant scent. This company specialises in eco-friendly disposable nappies made by Moltex OKO, chlorine free organic cotton wool, eco-friendly alternatives to feminine hygiene and safe skincare products.
In recognition of the above, this wipe has been awarded
Highly commended
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Fourth – Tushies wipes
RRP: £3.19 (refill packs) for 80 wipes
Supplied by www.greenbaby.co.uk
Overall score: 84 per cent
Tested: between 21 and 25 November 2006
Cost per nappy change: 7.96 pence
These wipes originate from America by the makers of the Tushies brand gel-free disposable nappies. They are available scented, unscented, in a plastic tub and refills are available. They provide a safe, strong, biodegradable, effective alternative to conventional brands of baby wipes.
In recognition of the above, this wipe has been awarded
Highly commended
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Fifth – Ocean Pure spray
RRP: £5.99 per can
Supplied by www.oceanpure.co.uk
Overall score: 72 per cent
Tested: between 18 October and 25 November 2006
Cost per nappy change: 10 pence
This unique product has been designed to provide a safe alternative to baby wipes containing pure seawater and purified water. The fine spray from the Airosol ® can contains no harmful propellants and can be used at any angle to deliver a fine mist that is sterile and environmentally friendly. The mild astringent properties of the sea water gently cleanse the skin and even appear to help with dry skin conditions. Testers either sprayed it directly onto skin, onto cotton wool or washable wipes (also available from Ocean Pure) or used it in conjunction with conventional wipes for really dirty nappies. Testers were initially sceptical about this product due to the high price but all agreed that the can lasted well and was actually very good value for money. What became evident were the many other uses for this ingenious product. One mother took it away on holiday and kept it in the fridge so she could spray it to cool down her baby in the heat. It was also extremely useful for cleaning mucky hands and faces after finger painting and ice creams. One mother did find it gave her young baby a fright when it was sprayed on her bottom but this would be easy to avoid by spraying directly onto a wipe or cotton wool. Ocean Pure turned out to be a surprising success and I am delighted to award it the Best innovative product in this category.
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Sixth – Organic Wash wipes
RRP: £0.75 each
Supplied by www.greenbaby.co.uk
Overall score: 72 per cent
Tested: between 18 and 25 November 2006
Cost per nappy change: not applicable
Cloth wipes are the original eco-friendly baby wipes and these are the softest and safest available. Made from 100% unbleached organic cotton flannelette, they are big enough to deal with the messiest nappies though testers were more likely to use them on hands and faces. At 75p each they may seem expensive but because they are washable this soon becomes more cost effective. They can also be used on newborn skin due to the ultra soft feel. If you are really into doing things without any impact on the environment then this is the way to go.
Award: Commended
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Seventh – Tendercare wipes
RRP: £2.99 for 50 wipes
Supplied by tushies@www.greenbaby.co.uk
Overall score: 48 per cent
Tested: between 12 and 25 November 2006
Cost per nappy change: 11.96 pence
These wipes are also by the makers of Tushies and are the fully flushable and biodegradable. They can be used in septic tanks and this is the main reason why you might want to choose this brand. Sadly testers did not universally like these. The wipes were hard to get out of the packet, the scent was not favourable, they were not soft enough for delicate skin and they tended to break up easily making them difficult to use on dirty nappies. They did work well for wet nappies and for sticky hands and would be ideal for adults to use rather than for babies (to be fair these wipes are not marketed as baby wipes). Environmentally they are excellent and there is a niche in the market for this product. A soft and stronger design would help make these a more favourable contender in the future. Award: Commended
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Without exception I would like to applaud the response from every Company who kindly sent me samples to test. Such efficient communication made my job easy and I would like to thank all parties involved.

© Sharon Trotter 2006
www.tipslimited.com

Scoring system for the baby wipes tests

Size: too small = 0; good = 1;
ideal = 2

Design: ok = 1; good = 2;
very good = 3

Packaging: recyclable = 1; degradable = 1

Information on pack and online : poor = 0; good = 1; very good = 2

Feel and texture: ok = 1;
good = 2; very good = 3

Scent: poor = 0; good = 1;
very good = 2

Flushable: no = 0; yes = 1

Biodegradable: no = 0; yes = 1

Durability: friable = 0;
ok = 1; easy to use= 2

Effectiveness: poor = 0; good = 1; very good= 2

Cost per nappy change:
>12 pence = 1;
7 - 12 pence = 2;
< 7 pence = 3

Carbon footprint : made outside the UK = 0; made in the UK = 2

Overall score calculation: percentage based on a maximum score of 25