Wet wipes material is the priority we usually see on the label when buying, especially for babies. Although there are many types of wet wipes made from different materials on the market, it isn’t still being determined that all of those materials are safe for health when used. Therefore, the following article has summarized the primary materials in wet wipes, and some of them shouldn’t be used to ensure safety for the health of you and your family.
Read more: 10 Best Wet Wipes With Good Price for Baby & Adult Health
1. What raw materials are wet wipes made of?
Wet wipes are widely used in daily life such as baby hygiene, cleaning objects, makeup removal,… But few people know clearly what materials and ingredients are actually made up of wet wipes. Therefore, we have compiled all the information below, let’s explore:
- Spunlace nonwoven fabric: This fabric is usually chemically, mechanically, thermally, or solvent treated. It is mainly manufactured from 3 types of fibers, which are synthetic plastic fibers (polyester/polypropylene fibers), natural fibers (cotton/hemp yarn,…), and man-made fiber (viscose/ rayon fibers).
- Ingredients: a mixture of ingredients such as water, preservatives, surfactants, fragrance, and pH adjusters. They are combined together to form specific properties: baby wet wipes, makeup remover wet wipes, and disinfecting wet wipes,…
- Laminated Packaging Foil: it is usually laminated by two or three materials such as PET, PE, OPP, BOPP, CPP,…
- Resealable stickers: self-adhesive stickers are used to open and close for multiple wet wipe uses.
- Plastic Lid/Cap: is used to protect wet wipes from water loss.
- Cap label: to display brand and product information.
- Hot melt glue: glue the lid cover on wet wipes pouches.
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2. What is the price of each raw material?
Raw materials used to manufacture wet wipes can vary in price depending on the suppliers and the needed quantity. However, below is a list of typical prices for wet wipes materials:
- Non-woven fabric for wet wipes costs around $1.4/kg ~ $4/kg.
- Wet wipes wrapper is priced from $3/kg to $4.5/kg, sometimes even $4.8/kg ~ $5/kg.
- Wet wipes ingredients are sold mainly in the form of a ready-made concentrate, which customers can buy to mix with purified water during the production of wet wipes. It can cost around $6/kg sometimes up to $15/kg.
- A resealable sticker or lid label for wet wipes can range from $0.003/piece to $0.013/piece depending on size.
- Flip caps for wet wipes can range from $0.018/piece to $0.045/pc depending on size and weight.
- Hot melt glue usually costs from 3.8$/kg to 5.8$/kg.
If you need to know the exact price of wet wipes materials to calculate the cost of a unit of wet wipes, contact DHTI immediately for more details through the information below.
Find out more: Wet wipes manufacturing cost | Price of each machine
3. What’s the most commonly used Spunlace nonwoven blend ratio for wet wipes in the market?
The mixing ratio of nonwovens depends on the intended use of the wet wipes, the purchasing power of consumers, and the market penetration of the product. Below, we’ve put together some recommendations:
- For baby wet wipes is 20% viscose + 80% polyester or 30% viscose + 70% polyester.
- For sanitary wet wipes/disinfection wet wipes is 20% viscose + 80% polyester.
- For makeup remover wet wipes is 30% viscose + 70% polyester.
Learn more about: Private label wipes manufacturer – “Make your own wet wipes” solution
4. What are the most wet wipes ingredients?
4.1. Water
Water is the main ingredient in wet wipes accounting for more than 90% with the main function of dissolving other ingredients, keeping moisture and assisting in cleaning. The water in the wet wipes must be pure water, which has been free of impurities and harmful bacteria. Currently, manufacturers often use modern filtration technologies to filter out impurities, metals, bacteria such as RO (reverse osmosis), EDI (Electrodeionization),…
4.2. Preservatives
Another major wet wipes material is preservatives, which are added to prevent and remove dirt fungi and harmful microorganisms, thereby extending shelf life and quality. However, not all preservatives are safe and non-toxic. Many studies show that some preservatives can be harmful to health and irritate the skin, especially the sensitive skin of babies.
Therefore, customers need to be aware to avoid buying wet wipes containing harmful preservatives. At the same time, wet wipe manufacturers need to be extra vigilant in choosing mild preservatives that can reduce sensitivity or potential irritation on human skin while preventing product contamination.
Below is a list of preservatives approved for use by the European Union (EU). Manufacturers can refer to the selection of preservatives used in wet wipes to ensure their safety:
- Sodium Benzoate
- Phenoxyethanol
- 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1.3-Diol
- Chlorphenesin
- Benzalkonium chloride
Some preservatives are still controversial about their antibacterial effects and their safety to human health, including:
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
- Paraben
Read more: Wet wipes production: 6 steps Complete Wet Wipes of DHTI
4.3. Surfactants
Surfactants are molecules in the formulation with a cleansing effect. The role of surfactants is to lower the surface tension of water and make it easier to remove dirt or grease from the skin. However, if the concentration of surfactant is too high – exceeding 1%, it can be dangerous to the skin. Here are some common surfactants used in wet wipes
- Coco-glucoside
- PEG-40 . Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Polysorbate 20
4.4. PH adjusters
PH adjusters are used in wet wipes to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. The PH level is between 4.5 – 5.5 which is close to healthy skin. Commonly used PH adjusters include Citric Acid or Sodium Citrate.
4.5. Humectants
Humectants are usually used such as propylene glycol and glycerine to moisturize the skin. Humectants are commonly found in skin care products such as makeup removers, hand wipes, or baby wet wipes.
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4.6. Fragrance
Fragrances are added in order to make a pleasant scent. They can also help remove body odor or mask the unwanted scent of other ingredients. However, fragrance is also considered an allergen so fragrance-free wet wipes have become popular with consumers in recent years.
Fragrances are extracted from safe ingredients that can be added including Aloe Vera, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Chamomilla Recutita and Vitamin E derivatives.
Hopefully through the above article you have learned more information about wet wipes material as well as the ingredients that should be avoided when buying wet wipes to ensure safety when using, especially for babies. If you have any further questions, please contact us for advice.
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