Huggies Pure Baby Wipes (Huggies Baby Wipes)

Member Name: krazykat2005

Product:	Huggies Baby Wipes
Date:	17/04/06 (1914 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fragrance and alcohol - free, no 'unnecessary' additives, often on a BOGOF offer, gentle on baby's b

Disadvantages: Strange smell, sometimes leave bobbly bits on baby's bottom, difficult to dispense without special t

Like it or not, cleaning your baby's bottom is an essential part of caring for them. Wipes are definitely the preferred product for doing this, and there are certainly lots of different kinds developed specially for babies on the market today. It is also possible to use cotton wool and plain water for this, and even an occasional damp flannel. To avoid any nappy rash try to ensure that after cleaning them that they are completely dry, even in the folds of their legs (I use a muslin square to dry everything off) and use a barrier cream to cover any chaffing or redness.

-- PRODUCT DESCRIPTION --

The claim is that using Huggies Pure wipes is just like cleaning your baby's bottom with cotton wool and water. The wipes are free from fragrance, alcohol and any 'unnecessary' additives.

The actual wipes themselves appear to be more quilted than your usual wipe, with cute teddy bears and paw prints embossed all over them. Instead of being separate wipes they are all joined up with perforations on each edge. You are advised on the packet that they are not the type of wipe that you can flush down the toilet.

They are available in 'extra value' packs of 144 wipes, in a double pack containing two lots of the 144 wipe packs (or 288 wipes in total) or in a 3-in-1 kit, which also includes a large pop-open tub for home use and a smaller travel-sized tub for use when out and about.

Other wipes available from the same company are the Huggies Baby Wipes plus Aloe Vera and Vitamin E.

-- PRICE --

The pack of 144 wipes usually retails at about £3.28 (from Asda and Tesco) up to about £3.69 (Boots). There are quite frequent BOGOF offers on this product, which means you get 288 wipes for the price of 144.

The double pack containing 288 wipes usually retails from about £5.50 to about six pounds. I haven't seen them about as much though and have never seen them on special offer.

The 3-in-1 pack comes in at about the same price as the 144 packs, the difference being that you only get 108 wipes along with your two storage tubs.

-- PACKAGING --

The extra value packets of either 108 wipes (which come as part of the 3-in-1 set) or 144 wipes come in a relatively simple blue plastic packet (the Aloe Vera and Vitamin E wipes come in a green packet). There is a perforated strip along the top to open them and a plastic zipper to reseal them.

When you buy the double pack you get two packs of 144 wipes in a clear plastic bag with a useful handle.

You get two plastic tubs in the 3-in-1 pack, a large one for home use and a small one for use while out and about. The larger one is about 10cm tall and holds just over a hundred wipes. You put the wipes in and then pull the top one through a softer plastic dispenser lid which keeps the rest of the wipes moist even if forget to put the top down. The smaller tub holds about thirty wipes at a squeeze.

-- WHAT I THOUGHT --

I started using these when Ollie got a bad case of nappy rash. Other wipes made his bum red and sore-looking, and as these were advertised as being 'just like using cotton wool and water' I thought I would give them a try.

On opening my first pack I was a bit concerned by the 'chemical' smell that wafted out. Having a look on the pack I found that the supposedly 'pure' wipes contained a few scary sounding ingredients such as potassium laureth sulphate. Not quite as pure as plain water and cotton wool I am afraid.

I quite liked how easy it was to open the wipes, and how easy it was to reseal them using the plastic zip, although found it a bit difficult separating wipes off at the same time as removing a nappy and trying to hold Ollie's feet out of the 'nice surprise' that he had left for me to clean up. This problem was solved when I bought the 3-in-1 pack which contained a nice tub to keep my wipes in with a specially designed dispenser which makes it possible to get wipes one-handed. I have to say that I have several of the travel-size tubs dotted around the house as you quite often get them free as an incentive to buy packs of Huggies nappies. I am going to have to start throwing them out soon if I get any more. Incidentally, these wipe also go into the Pampers dispenser, which works just as well as the Huggies tub.

The dispenser tubs are easy to fill up, but I do have an issue with opening them as you usually need both hands to do this which can be an issue when trying to keep a wriggly baby on the changing table. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, I have discovered that the wipes also fit in the Pampers dispenser tub, which I actually prefer as it has a one-touch button to open the lid and get the wipes out. I keep my Huggies tub downstairs where I can change Ollie on the floor and the Pampers one (which I got free in a Bounty pack) upstairs by the changing table.

The wipes themselves have a different texture to most wipes I have come across - a bit like a cross between some thick, quilted toilet paper and cotton wool - definitely thicker than your average wipe (why on earth am I hearing Yogi bear in my head?). If you rub one between your fingers you do tend to get bobbly bits that come of (just like toilet paper) and unfortunately sometimes the same goes for when you clean baby's bottom, although this is not a huge problem for me.

I usually find one wipe does a wet bottom unless the nappy has leaked those awful 'crystals' that you sometimes get… then I would advise you to either bath baby or use a top and tail bowl with a flannel. Depending on the amount and consistency of the poop he does you can find yourself needing between one (for the more solid kind) and five (for the runny, explosive kind) wipes. I probably go through about two 144 packs a month, so you're looking at under a fiver for the months supply if you can get them on the BOGOF offer (I stock up on a few packs whenever I have the money).

I have found these wipes mild enough to use on my face, even to remove eye makeup, and feel comfortable using them to wipe Ollie's face with if he has been sick (or is wearing half of his milk feed). I quite bravely tested to see whether they had a nasty taste but wiping my mouth then licking my lips and you will be pleased to know that I couldn't taste anything 'chemical-y' at all. They are also mild enough to use on Ollie's bottom when there is sore or broken skin.

I have seen some people mention that they find these wipes too wet, but I have never had a problem with this as long as I make sure Ollie's bottom is thoroughly dried before putting his nappy on.

I regularly buy the 144 wipe packs on the buy one get one free offer in Boots. I get triple points on all Huggies products because I am a member of the Advantage Card Parenting Club, and as the difference in price isn't very much wherever you buy them I am not really losing out on any money by getting them here. I find them good value for money as they don't make my baby's bottom sore and they last for quite a while.

-- CONCLUSION --

I have tried a few brands and found these to be the best of the bunch for my baby's bottom. Although they are not quite as pure as cotton wool and water, and although they can occasionally leave 'bobbly' bits behind these are definitely the wipes that I would recommend to anyone who asked me. A well deserved four out of five!

Summary: Best brand for baby's bottom!