WaterWipes contain just two ingredients: purified water (99.9% of the formula) and a drop of grapefruit seed extract, which acts as a natural skin conditioner. That’s the entire liquid formula. But the wipe itself, the cloth you’re holding, has its own composition worth understanding.
The Two-Ingredient Formula
The water in WaterWipes isn’t tap water. It goes through a seven-stage purification process designed to remove impurities so the water itself can clean skin without needing soaps or surfactants. The result is a wipe with no fragrance, no alcohol, no preservatives, and no added detergents.
The only other ingredient is grapefruit seed extract, present in a tiny amount. It serves as a natural skin conditioner rather than a cleaning agent. The formula maintains a neutral pH range, which helps preserve the skin’s natural barrier. This minimal approach is why the brand holds an Allergy Friendly Product Award from Allergy UK, categorized as unlikely to cause a reaction and suitable for skin sensitivity.
What the Cloth Is Made Of
The liquid formula gets most of the attention, but the fabric matters too. Many conventional baby wipes are made from polyester (PET) or polypropylene, which are plastics. These materials aren’t biodegradable and break down into microplastics over time, working their way into water, food, and the environment.
WaterWipes has moved toward plant-based fibers for their wipe cloth. Plant-derived wipe fabrics typically use materials like viscose, lyocell, or modal, all made from wood pulp or other plant sources. These are a significant step up from plastic-based wipes in terms of environmental impact. If you’re checking any wipe label, those fiber names are the ones to look for as alternatives to polyester and polypropylene.
How This Compares to Regular Baby Wipes
A standard baby wipe ingredient list can be surprisingly long. Most contain surfactants (cleaning agents similar to mild soap), preservatives to prevent bacterial growth in the package, and sometimes fragrance or moisturizing lotions. Some include ingredients like phenoxyethanol, polysorbates, or citric acid. None of these are necessarily harmful in the amounts used, but they do increase the chance of irritation on very sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
WaterWipes skip all of that. The trade-off is shelf life and cleaning power. A wipe with preservatives stays fresh longer after opening, and surfactants do make it easier to lift stubborn messes. WaterWipes rely on their purified water to do the cleaning, which works well for routine diaper changes but may require a few extra wipes for bigger jobs.
Biodegradability in Practice
Plant-based wipe materials do break down, but “biodegradable” doesn’t mean instant. Research from Cardiff University tested cellulose-based wipes (the type of plant fiber used in biodegradable wipes) in real river conditions and found that most persisted after five weeks, even with early signs of decay. Wipes made with more natural cellulose degraded at roughly 6.7% per day, while those with more processed (regenerated) cellulose broke down at about 3.1% per day. That’s far better than plastic-based wipes, which essentially never biodegrade, but it means you still shouldn’t flush them.
Recent Changes to the Product
As of 2025, WaterWipes is rolling out a reformulated version globally. The core formula remains the same two ingredients, but the cloth itself has been redesigned to be twice as thick, stronger, and softer than the previous version. This addresses one of the most common complaints about minimal-ingredient wipes: that they can feel thin or tear during use. The updated version aims to keep the same gentle formula while improving the physical durability of the wipe fabric.
Who They’re Designed For
The product was originally created when the founder’s newborn developed diaper rash and he couldn’t find a wipe gentle enough for her skin. That origin story tracks with how most people discover the brand: parents of newborns, babies with eczema, or adults with contact sensitivities looking for a wipe that won’t trigger a reaction. The National Eczema Association lists WaterWipes as an accepted product for sensitive skin. If your baby has no skin sensitivities, standard baby wipes are perfectly fine. But for reactive skin, a two-ingredient formula eliminates most of the usual suspects.