If you’re looking for an easy way to clean your dog’s eyes, ears and other messy body parts like private parts (as most dog owners are) then I’m here to help you pick the safest wet wipes. Wet wipes for dogs make for quick clean up, especially if you’re on the go!
Here are just a few of the main reasons why I use baby wipes on a regular basis. In fact, I have them handy for daily use and don’t like to be without them.
Uses for Baby Wipes for Dogs:
- clean eyes and tear stains
- clean dog’s ears
- clean dog’s ear canal
- clean dog’s coat (dog’s fur)
- clean dog’s mouth
- clean dog’s paws
- clean dog’s butt
- clean dog’s other sensitive areas
- clean pet’s skin
- clean dog’s face and mouth
- clean dog toys
- clean dog food and water bowls
I personally love using baby wipes, but many can contain harsh chemicals — even some that cause serious health consequences like cancer. These harmful ingredients should be avoided at all costs.
There are baby wipes on the market that contain highly toxic chemicals and there there are safe baby wipes for dogs. I’ll help you know which wipes are the best to buy and which you should avoid.
I started using baby wipes for just about everything when I was a teen, showing horses. They are so handy! Today I use them on the dogs (and horses, still), to clean the house and even keep a bag of them in my car.
These days there are many great brands on the market that are safe for you to use on your dogs.
One thing that’s important to note is that I don’t buy or use pet wipes that are sold specifically for pets. I like to avoid ALL pet products sold at the pet store. Here are four reasons why.
- Pet product ingredients and claims are not regulated (generally speaking)
- Pet specific products are more expensive
- Safety standards of pet products don’t meet my personal standards for my dogs
- Safe, all-natural, organic pet product alternatives are hard to find
Below we’ll talk about the harmful chemicals that can be found in some brands of baby wipes. It’s a good idea to avoid these for your dog and yourself. Remember that as a person uses baby wipes on dogs the chemicals are also being absorbed but their human skin.
Possible Side Effects of the Below Chemicals:
- skin irritations (especially in dogs with sensitive skin)
- skin issues (such as rashes and severe irritation or dry skin )
- cancers
- respiratory issues
- allergic reaction
- genetic defects
Here are the chemicals in baby wipes to avoid when buying baby wipes for dogs.
Parabens
Parabens are used as a preservative to help these products last longer, and they can easily penetrate the skin.
Chemicals in This Family:
- Butylparaben
- Ethylparaben
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
According to information published on NBIC: “Parabens are preservatives used in a variety of personal care, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food products. Studies have confirmed the ubiquitous presence of parabens, with levels detected in wastewater, rivers, soil and house dust. Parabens have also been detected in human tissues and bodily fluids, but it is the discovery of these chemical compounds in the breast tissue of patients… It is hypothesized that the estrogenic properties of parabens may play a role in breast cancer development.”
According to the Breast Cancer Organization, parabens can turn up the growth on hormone-receptor-positive types of breast cancer and numerous studies have revealed intact paraben molecules inside breast cancers and other tissues.
Studies have shown that as much as 90% of grocery store products contain measurable parabens which can lead to a cumulative effect in the body over time. While it’s almost impossible to avoid them completely, do so when you can.
Phthalates
Phthalates are added to plastics to make them soft. Dogs and humans are usually exposed to them indirectly by coming on contact with materials that have been made with phthalates because they don’t strongly bind to the products.
Examples of phthalates:
- DiNP (found in many child and dog toys, and childcare products)
- MEHP (added to PVC plastics)
- BBP, DBP, MiBP (found in products like nail polish)
- MEP (found in things like fragrances)
These chemicals have shown to have the ability to block androgens which can wreak havoc on the hormones of both dogs and humans, especially males. In males, phthalates have been linked to early onset puberty, reproductive system problems, reproductive system defects, lower testosterone levels and lower sperm counts.
Young dogs and children under the age of 3 are at increased risk of suffering from the effects of phthalates.
In Depth Information on the Dangers of Phthalates
Formaldehyde
Chemical Safety: Corrosive, Acute Toxic, Irritant, Health Hazard
Formaldehyde is a highly toxic, flammable gas that is readily absorbed by the lungs, intestines, and skin. It has been linked to cancers of the nasopharynx and nasal sinuses as well as leukemia. When exposed to the skin, formaldehyde has been shown to interact with molecules in the cell membranes as well as body tissues and fluids (things like DNA and proteins).
Although many companies have removed formaldehyde from their formulations in recent years, it can still be found in products so keep an eye out for it.
H301: Toxic if swallowed [Danger Acute toxicity, oral]
H311: Toxic in contact with skin [Danger Acute toxicity, dermal]
H314: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage [Danger Skin corrosion/irritation]
H317: May cause an allergic skin reaction [Warning Sensitization, Skin]
H331: Toxic if inhaled [Danger Acute toxicity, inhalation]
H341: Suspected of causing genetic defects [Warning Germ cell mutagenicity]
H350: May cause cancer [Danger Carcinogenicity]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Triclosan
Chemical Safety: Irritant, Environmental Hazard
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers triclosan to be a likely endocrine disruptor, showing decreases in some thyroid hormone levels in animal studies. It’s also been found that triclosan, though it does kill some bacteria/germs, could be contributing to the rise of super bacteria. This is due to its overuse in so many products. Because of this, triclosan was recently banned from being included in many antibacterial soaps.
This is an example of why you don’t want bacteria-killing chemicals unnecessarily coming in contact with your dog. Killing good bacteria causes many health problems.
H315: Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation]
H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]
H400: Very toxic to aquatic life [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard]
H410: Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Phenoxyethanol
Chemical Safety: Irritant
Phenoxyethanol has generally been deemed safe to use in cosmetic and baby products in concentrations of one percent or less to reduce the chance of overexposure.
Typically, side effects are relatively mild:
- irritation of the skin
- rashes
- eczema
- hives
- other allergic reactions
However, in infants, (and likewise, likely young dogs) phenoxyethanol has been shown to cause damage to the central nervous system with enough exposure through something like baby wipes.
H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]
H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Ethylene Oxide
Chemical Safety: Flammable, Acute Toxic, Irritant, Health Hazard
There are many reputable sources that warn of cancer when exposed to ethylene oxide. Which cancers are associated with exposure to ethylene oxide?
According to Cancer.gov “Lymphoma and leukemia are the cancers most frequently reported to be associated with occupational exposure to ethylene oxide. Stomach and breast cancers may also be associated with ethylene oxide exposure.”
Although ethylene oxide isn’t a direct ingredient that you’ll find in baby wipes, ethylene oxide is a chemical commonly used in the process of ethoxylation. This process often leaves chemicals in the final product. The FDA has listed chemicals resulting from the process of ethoxylation as potential human carcinogens. Exposure to test animals during research produced liver, peritoneal gland, nasal and mammary gland tumors. It also left test animals with liver and kidney damage.
These harmful chemicals are considered a “contaminate.” This means that companies don’t have to disclose the presence of such chemicals. The Environmental Working Group’s database lists over 200 baby products that could include such chemicals.
Your best chance to avoid ethylene oxide will be through avoiding potentially contaminated ingredients such as SLES, polyoxynolethylene, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, and other chemicals that end in “-oxynol” or “-eth.”
H220: Extremely flammable gas [Danger Flammable gases]
H315: Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation]
H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]
H331: Toxic if inhaled [Danger Acute toxicity, inhalation]
H335: May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation]
H340: May cause genetic defects [Danger Germ cell mutagenicity]
H350: May cause cancer [Danger Carcinogenicity]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
SLS and SLES are both commonly found in things like shampoos, soaps and other cleaning products. They are used to help break up oil, grease, dirt and grime.
Alone they don’t cause much harm other than a slight irritation to the eyes if, for instance, you get shampoo in your eyes. The danger with SLS and SLES is that they can be contaminated during the ethoxylation process. This contamination happens in the form of 1,4-Dioxane. The Environmental Working Group (a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping consumers live their healthiest life) found 1,4-Dioxane in 57% of all baby soaps tested. The connection is that SLES is a common ingredient of baby soaps.
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
Chemical Safety: Corrosive, Acute Toxic, Irritant, Environmental Hazard
This chemical is a biocide (a substance that destroys living things) used as a preservative in many personal care products to stop the growth of bacteria.
Animal studies of Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) found that higher concentrations and/or lengthened exposure caused major health issues. These included inflamed lungs, swollen intestines and eventual death. In-vitro tests on brain cells have shown it to be neurotoxic.
You should do your best to avoid all types of biocides. Because biocides are designed to destroy living things the also means good things like healthy bacteria on your dog’s skin.
H301: Toxic if swallowed [Danger Acute toxicity, oral]
H311: Toxic in contact with skin [Danger Acute toxicity, dermal]
H314: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage [Danger Skin corrosion/irritation]
H317: May cause an allergic skin reaction [Warning Sensitization, Skin]
H318: Causes serious eye damage [Danger Serious eye damage/eye irritation]
H330: Fatal if inhaled [Danger Acute toxicity, inhalation]
H400: Very toxic to aquatic life [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard]
H410: Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (IPBC)
Chemical Safety: Corrosive, Acute Toxic, Irritant, Health Hazard, Environmental Hazard
Classified as a fungicide, IPBC is a preservative that is used in many personal care products to increase shelf life. According to the International Journal of Toxicology (IJT), Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate is a known skin irritant that can easily penetrate the skin and trigger allergic responses.
IPBC is especially toxic when inhaled and it has been banned for use in products intended for children under three years old in New Zealand.
H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]
H317: May cause an allergic skin reaction [Warning Sensitization, Skin]
H318: Causes serious eye damage [Danger Serious eye damage/eye irritation]
H331: Toxic if inhaled [Danger Acute toxicity, inhalation]
H372: Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure [Danger Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure]
H400: Very toxic to aquatic life [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard]
H410: Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Bronopol and DMDM Hydantoin
Chemical Safety: Irritant, Health Hazard
This is another pair of preservatives. Bronopol and DMDM Hydantoin are bactericides that can be found in a lot of different personal care products. These bactericides are skin, eye, and respiratory irritants, and potent ones at that.
While there is no strong evidence that Bronopol and DMDM Hydantoin are carcinogens for dogs or humans or that there is any organ system toxicity, we do know that Bronopol and DMDM Hydantoin are highly toxic to aquatic life when waste is released into rivers and oceans.
These chemicals have been found to release formaldehyde which is a very harmful chemical. Formaldehyde is listed on Proposition 65 because it can cause cancers such as leukemia and cancers of the nose, throat and sinuses.
H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]
H315: Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation]
H317: May cause an allergic skin reaction [Warning Sensitization, Skin]
H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]
H334: May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled [Danger Sensitization, respiratory]
H335: May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation]
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
Baby Wipes for Dogs Conclusion
My hope is that reading this article about these common chemicals in baby wipes has been eye-opening and will not only help you make better decisions for your dogs, but for yourself as well. Although it is unlikely that there will be large amounts of these chemicals inside a single baby wipe it’s always best to avoid these chemicals, when possible, with all the products that you use for your dogs and yourself. Unnecessary exposure –especially over a prolonged period of time—can certainly build up and cause these negative affects that are listed above. Plus, it’s always nice to support companies that are producing safe products.
Some safe ingredients to look for in wet wipes are:
- aloe vera
- vitamin E oil
- green tea
- essential oils
Natural ingredients are far more safe for dog skin and human skin. Whether you’re using wet wipes for dogs in emergency situations, as a quick cleanup every now and then or as a part of a daily cleaning routine, you want the wet wipes you use for your dogs to be safe. Even in small amounts, the above chemicals can be dangerous.
Here are my favorite go-to baby wipes for dogs.
Great post Whitney. When I researched baby wipes a few years ago, I searched to see if there was any such thing as dry wipes. By that I mean, wipes which have no liquid added .. there are some on the marketplace..then you can add your own liquid, such as colloidal silver
That’s a great alternative!