For most nappy changes, a good baby wipe is all you need: a soft, pre-moistened cloth that cleans without rinsing. At home, cotton wool and lukewarm water remain the simplest choice of all, and a mild wash helps after a messier change. A well-packed changing bag adds very little to that: wipes in a resealable pack, a small balm or lotion for dry skin, and a pouch that keeps the small things together. Here is how each choice works, and how to clean at every change.
Wipes, Water or Cotton Wool?
Cotton wool and lukewarm water ask nothing of the skin but water, which is why many parents begin with them in the first weeks. The method needs a bowl and a towel, though, so it belongs at home. Wipes carry their own cleansing liquid and work anywhere, and the gentlest are mostly water with a few added ingredients. A no-rinse cleanser sits between the two: poured onto cotton, it cleans without a basin. We look at no-rinse cleansers more closely in Baby Skincare: A Gentle Daily Routine.
When you choose a wipe, read the pack rather than the name. Some are unscented, which suits you if you prefer to keep fragrance away from new skin; others carry a light scent. A resealable lid or flip-top keeps the wipes moist between changes. And check whether the house describes them for the face and hands as well as the nappy area, because one pack that does everything is one less thing to carry.
Baby Wipes for Every Change
Mustela Bebé-Niño Cleansing Water Wipes are unscented and water-based, with a short six-ingredient formula; the house makes them for the face, hands and nappy area, without rinsing, from birth. Klorane Bébé Gentle Cleansing Wipes carry calendula and come in a resealable pack, for the face, hands and nappy area. Byphasse Aloe & Chamomile Baby Wipes pair aloe vera and chamomile extract with glycerin and allantoin, in a generous pack of 90, with a light fragrance. Sebamed Baby Oil Wipes are oil-based cleansing wipes made for the nappy area, with chamomile extract and panthenol at a skin-friendly pH of 5.5, in a pack with a flip-top lid.
- Bebé-Niño Cleansing Water Wipes
- Bébé Gentle Cleansing Wipes
- Aloe & Chamomile Baby Wipes
- Baby Oil Wipes
How to Clean at Each Change
- Wash and dry your hands, and have everything within reach before you begin. Never leave your baby alone on a changing surface.
- Use the clean front of the nappy to lift away the worst, then fold it under.
- Wipe from front to back, with a fresh wipe for each sweep, and remember the creases at the tops of the legs.
- Let the skin dry in the air for a moment, or pat it dry with a soft towel, before the clean nappy goes on.
- Close the pack straight away so the next wipes stay moist.
Pat rather than rub, and keep each change unhurried. If the skin is broken, sore or a rash does not settle, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
A Gentle Wash for Home
After a messier change, or at the end of the day, a little mild wash in lukewarm water cleans more thoroughly than wipes alone. Rinse well and pat the skin dry. Mustela Stelatopia Cleansing Gel is made for babies and children from birth, with sunflower and shea butter, in a pump bottle. A-derma Exomega Control Emollient Cleansing Gel 2 in 1 washes body and hair, with Rhealba oat, for very dry skin, and the house presents it for use from birth. Ducray Dexyane Protective Cleansing Oil is a cleansing oil for the face and body, made for very dry skin, with shea butter, and suitable for babies. For the full bath, see Bath Time for Babies: Gentle Formulas and How to Use Them.
- Stelatopia Cleansing Gel
- Exomega Control Emollient Cleansing Gel 2 in 1 Body Wash
- Dexyane Protective Cleansing Oil Body Wash
A Balm or Lotion for Dry Skin
A balm in the changing bag is not a nappy cream. It is there for dry patches on the arms, legs and body, after a wash or on a cold day out. Choose one the house describes as suitable for babies, and smooth a little over clean, dry skin.
Rilastil Xerolact PB Balm is a lipid-replenishing balm for very dry skin, with shea butter and niacinamide, made for babies, children and adults, in a tube with a flip-top cap. Eucerin AtopiControl Soothing Balm is a water-in-oil balm with shea butter and ceramides, for dry skin, and suitable for babies. Instituto Español Bebe Body Moisturising Lotion is a daily lotion suitable from the first day, with chamomile extract and avocado oil, in a pump bottle. Picu Baby Infantil Baby Lotion is a light everyday lotion with calendula, bisabolol, allantoin and aloe vera, suitable from 0 months.
What Goes in a Changing Bag?
- Baby wipes in a resealable pack, with more than you expect to need.
- Nappies, a changing mat and a spare set of clothes.
- A small balm or lotion for dry skin.
- A bag for used nappies.
- A pouch that keeps the small things together and in sight.
Travel sizes earn their place here. Sebamed Baby Cleansing Wipes come in a pack the house describes as travel-friendly, with chamomile extract and panthenol in a pH-balanced formula, for the nappy area, face and hands. Ziaja Olive Oil Ointment is a 20 ml tube for dry areas such as lips, hands, elbows and knees, for use from 3 months. A-derma Exomega Control Emollient Cream, a rich cream for dry skin with Rhealba oat, suitable from birth, comes in a 50 ml tube. Inca's Minnie Travel Wash Pouch, in wipe-clean coated canvas with a top zip, measures 23 by 15 by 8 cm and stands upright when open.
- Baby Cleansing Wipes Baby Wipes
- Olive Oil Ointment Body Lotion
- Exomega Control Emollient Cream
- Minnie Travel Wash Pouch Cosmetic Bag
In Short
If you are packing a changing bag for the first time, begin with a single pack of wipes that suits your baby's skin and one small tube of balm. Everything else can follow once you know how your days out unfold.
