Huggies And Pampers Disposable Diapers Ingredients Review

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Huggies And Pampers Ingredients review

Are Huggies And Pampers disposable diapers safe?

When I had my daughter, my first choice for a diaper was Huggies. I just thought diapers are either Huggies or Pampers. When your baby wakes up every 1.5 ~ 2 hrs and when you are sleep deprived, non toxic diaper is not the first thing you think about. I got the Huggies and just had to survive. It wasn’t until later, I started to notice non toxic diapers and started to research about them. Babies use diapers all day and every day. I don’t want to put bad chemicals against my baby’s skin 24 hrs a day. Some of the chemicals in the diapers are also irritants that cause diaper rash. Some chemicals are carcinogens. So are Huggies and Pampers disposable diapers safe? They are used by so many babies. What’s in the Huggies and Pamper’s disposable diapers?  Let’s look at their ingredients and find out if they are safe.

 

 

Huggies

Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers (Nano through Size 6)

 

Huggies Disposable Diapers Ingredients

Top Sheet (Inner Lining): Polypropylene and polyethylene

Absorbent Padding: Superabsorbent (sodium polyacrylate), wood fluff pulp, polypropylene, polyester, and polyethylene

Back sheet (Outer Lining) : Polypropylene and polyethylene printed with colorants

Waistband, inside flap, and leg elastics: Polyurethane, polypropylene, and polyethylene

Fastening system: Polypropylene, synthetic rubber elastic

Adhesive & Color changing dye

(Huggies Diapers And Swimpants Ingredients)

 

Polypropylene And Polyethylene

As you can see in the ingredients, Huggies use polypropylene and polyethylene as a top sheet and back sheet. Most of the disposable diapers use polypropylene as a top sheet or back sheet material. Polypropylene is one of the safer plastic. However, University of Texas study published in Environmental Health Perspectives concluded that almost all plastic products release estrogenic chemicals. The study said baby bottles and other products advertised as bisphenol A (BPA) free, release chemicals having estrogenic activity (EA). Another study found that polypropylene plasticware leached at least two chemicals called quaternary ammonium biocides and oleamide. Even though I couldn’t find a study directly stating disposable diaper release chemicals, polypropylene and also polyethylene are still a plastic and has potential to leach chemicals .

*If you want to find diapers do not use polypropylene and polyethylene, consider Naty by Nature Nappies  or Honest Baby Diapers.  Naty and Honest disposable diapers use plant-based PLA in their backsheet. (However, their top sheet is polypropylene and polyethylene.) Andy Pandy Eco Friendly Premium Bamboo Diapers  use non woven bamboo fibers. (no use of pesticides)

 

 

 

Chlorine And Dioxins

One of the main concerns of diapers is that they are bleached with chlorine. When diapers are bleached with chlorine, that means there are dioxins. Dioxins are formed when chlorine is present. Dioxins are the most potent carcinogens. Dioxins can cause skin lesions and altered liver functioning. They can also damage reproductive functions, nervous system, immune system and endocrine system. They can also cause cancer. (Dioxins and Their Effects On Human Health)

Huggies use elemental chlorine-free bleaching (ECF). Elemental chlorine-free bleaching doesn’t mean it is completely chlorine free. It still forms dioxins but at much lower levels. This process uses chlorine dioxide rather than pure chlorine, reducing toxicity.  Although chlorine is not completely free, elemental chlorine-free bleaching (ECF) is safer than conventional bleaching.  (Dioxin formation in pulp and paper mills of India)

*If you want to go for diapers that are truly chlorine-free, go for diapers with totally chlorine free (TCF) wood pulp. The companies that use totally chlorine free wood pulp includes

 

Super Absorbent Polymer (Sodium Polyacrylate)

Almost all disposable diapers contain Super Absorbent Polymer (aka Sodium Polyacrylate). Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) absorbs liquid and traps it in the diaper. That’s how disposable diapers keeps liquid stay in the diaper. Although SAP is non toxic and hasn’t been proved that it is harmful, it can get contaminated with acrylic acid during manufacturing process. Acrylic acid can irritate baby’s skin, eyes and the respiratory tract if it leaks through the lining and is in direct contact with baby. Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) is also not biodegradable.

Huggies disposable diapers also use Super Absorbent Polymer in their core of the diapers.

*If you want to go for diapers that do not use Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) or use less amount of SAP, consider following diapers.

 

Fragrance And Phthalates

Huggies Diapers are fragrance and lotion free.

 

Dye

Diapers usually have colors, patterns or designs. Some dyes can contain heavy metals and cause allergic reactions in babies. In the Diaper Dye Dermatitis study, dyes on diapers often caused the diaper rash in babies. In the study, rashes only occurred in the places where the skin was in direct contact with the dyed part of the diaper. Symptoms improved significantly with the use of dye-free diapers.

Huggies disposable diapers are printed with colorants. Colorants can be either dyes or pigments. Dyes or pigments can contain heavy metals, irritate baby’s skin and cause diaper rash.

*If you want to go for diapers that do not use dye or use dye pigments that do not contain heavy metals, consider the following diapers.

 

 

Pampers Disposable Diapers

Pampers Swaddles Disposable Diapers (Size 1 to 6)

 

Pampers Disposable Diapers Ingredients

Top Sheet (Inner Lining) : Pampers top sheet is made of polypropylene and has a thin layer of mild lotion.

Absorbent Core: non woven made of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PET) fibers, wood pulp, super-absorbent gel in the core

Backsheet (Outer lining) : made of a polyethylene film

Colors: use pigments for colors, not dyes, because they say some dyes can cause allergy.

Fragrance: The perfumes are used at a very low level in each diaper

(What’s In Pamper’s Diaper?) (Pampers Use of Wood Pulp)

 

Polypropylene And Polyethylene

Pampers’s top sheet is made of polypropylene.  Also, its back sheet is made of polyethylene film. There is a thin layer of lotion to help protect the skin from wetness. However, these lotions often include petrolatum. Petrolatum has the same substance as Vaseline and it could be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When petrolatum gets refined incompletely, it could potentially get contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) which are carcinogens. Petroleum-based lotions can also be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. 1,4 dioxane is a possible human carcinogen. (French study claims Pampers nappies contain carcinogens linked to cancers of the skin, lungs, bladder, liver and stomach)

*If you want to go for diapers that do not have lotions on their inner lining, consider the following diapers.

 

Chlorine And Dioxins

Pampers disposable diapers uses an elemental chlorine-free process to purify the fibers in diapers. Again, this doesn’t mean no chlorine was used. It uses chlorine dioxide instead of pure chlorine, making the diaper less toxic. It still forms dioxins but at much less amount.

*If you want to go for diapers that are truly chlorine-free, go for diapers with totally chlorine free (TCF) wood pulp. The companies that use totally chlorine free wood pulp includes

 

Super Absorbent Polymer (Sodium Polyacrylate)

Pampers disposable diapers use non wovens made of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PET) fibers, wood pulp and super-absorbent gel for their diapers’ core.

Diapers listed below do not use sodium polyacrylate or use much less amount in their core part of the diapers.

 

Fragrance And Phthalates

Pampers manufacturer says the fragrance is used at a very low level in each diaper. Fragrance uses numerous synthetic chemicals and some of them are petroleum based.  In addition, manufacturers don’t have to disclose fragrance ingredients since they are considered to be a ‘trade secret’. One of the fragrance ingredients is phthalate. Phthalate is  endocrine disruptors and possible human carcinogens. Diapers with fragrance emits phthalate into the air and baby can breathe in the toxic fumes. Phthalate can also get absorbed through skin contact.

*If you want to go for diapers that do not use fragrance and phthalates, consider the following diapers.

 

Dye

Pampers says they do not use dyes on their disposable diapers because some dyes can cause allergic reactions. Instead, they use pigments for colors. Some pigments can be also toxic, however, Pampers say the pigments they use are non-allergenic and skin safe.

If you want to go for diapers that do not use dye, dye containing heavy metals, or even pigments, consider the following diapers.

 

 

Final Thoughts

If I have to pick between the Huggies and Pampers disposable diapers, I would pick Huggies diapers. Their ingredients seems to be a little better. However, they both contain materials that can be harmful.

Huggies and Pampers disposable diapers both use polypropylene and polyethylene for their top sheet and back sheet. Although polypropylene and polyethylene are typical top sheet or back sheet materials for diapers, they are still plastic and have concerns of leaching chemicals. Also they both have super absorbent polymer (SAP) in the core of their diapers along with wood pulp and synthetic fibers. SAP hasn’t been proven that it is harmful but it does have a contamination concern of acrylic acid which can irritate baby’s skin. Pampers disposable diapers contain lotion on their inner lining  and also have fragrance in their diapers. Fragrance can contain harmful phthalates and lotion can be also contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 1,4 dioxane which are carcinogens.  In addition, they both contain dyes and pigments that can irritate baby’s skin. Their disposable diapers use elemental chlorine-free bleaching (ECF) which is a lot less toxic than bleaching with pure chlorine. However, they are not totally chlorine free so they will still have dioxins in their diapers but at much less amount.

There are several disposable diapers that use much better and safer ingredients. Therefore, if you want to choose safe disposable diapers for your baby, go for non toxic disposable diapers.

 

If you want to find out which disposable diapers are safe in detail, please read my previous post, ‘Non Toxic Disposable Diapers – Which Disposable Diapers Are Safe?

If you want to read my reviews on non toxic diapers, Naty and Honest diapers, please read my post ‘Naty and Honest Diaper Review – Naty VS Honest Diapers‘.

 

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Author

  • go_new_mommy

    Isabelle has been an entrepreneur for last 16 years in retail and educational industry. She is also a mom. She is a mom entrepreneur who is always trying to find a better, easier way to run her business. She also tries to provide organic and non-toxic living environment for her child. She likes to research for the most non-toxic products or safe alternatives and share them with parents. In addition, she is against animal testing and supports cruelty-free products.

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