153
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #208,409 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★☆☆☆
Loved these initially, but the wipes developed mold
I bought a single pack of these Derma H2O WaterWipes via Amazon Prime to try them out, and I loved LOVED them, at first. Scent-free, chemical preservative-free, good-sized, simple, recognizable ingredients... there is so much to recommend these. And they were exactly what I was hoping to find. But, unfortunately, these wipes developed mold spots toward the bottom of the packet, well before I could use them all. I'm not sure how long I was using them where microbe overgrowth might have been an issue (before the mold was visible to my naked eye), but I'm not comfortable using them again, until they figure out how to preserve these properly and make sure the container they're housed in is as air-tight as possible. As it was, they became freckled in mold spots over all the remaining wipes. And I had been using them daily since I opened the pack.
In looking into it, it seems that GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract), the "natural" preservative they use to prevent mold/microbe growth on these wipes, must be used in a very strong concentration -- likely stronger than is recommended for regular repeated direct skin contact -- in order to be effective. Since these wipes are basically water and that's it (and water is extremely hard to preserve over time), that's probably the reason for this mold issue. Perhaps if the packets sealed better, they'd stay good longer, I don't know.
Because others are using these regularly for infants, I wanted to post my review, downer that it is. ...I really wish I could have just written a 5-star review, as I think we need to have a truly natural wipes option with minimal (and safe!) ingredients, but I guess this iteration just isn't it. As they exist now, these are potentially a health concern.
November 2012 · Health and Household