Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes
Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in developing disposable baby wet wipes. Wet wipes consist of two main components: nonwoven fabric and liquid. Being more than 90% water, wet wipes are more susceptible to microbial growth than typical personal care products; hence, high...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Cosmetics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/8/3/73 |
| _version_ | 1797519792878387200 |
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| author | Paul Salama Ariel Gliksberg Matan Cohen Inbal Tzafrir Noa Ziklo |
| author_facet | Paul Salama Ariel Gliksberg Matan Cohen Inbal Tzafrir Noa Ziklo |
| author_sort | Paul Salama |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in developing disposable baby wet wipes. Wet wipes consist of two main components: nonwoven fabric and liquid. Being more than 90% water, wet wipes are more susceptible to microbial growth than typical personal care products; hence, high concentrations of preservative compounds are often used to ensure extended protection against contamination. However, there is an obvious tendency to minimize the concentration of irritating actives. Baby wet wipes should contain particularly mild surfactants, well-tolerated preservatives, and a buffer system maintaining the formulation pH at a suitable level for the infant’s skin. Efforts have been centered on removing ingredients with irritation potential, such as phenoxyethanol. In addition, a move towards more natural fabrics is occurring. However, these modifications provoke new challenges in preserving the final products. The nature and composition of the fiber can influence the interactions between the preservative and the wipe, subsequently affecting the performance of the preservative system. In this study, we analyzed the causes of the challenge in preserving wet wipes. We found that fabrics containing natural fibers are the main source of contamination, promoting the generation of biofilms on their surfaces. Moreover, the hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) was utilized to rationalize the physicochemical interactions between the fabric and the preservatives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:47:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d31307d85f434e94b3dec01b437d7ed4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-9284 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:47:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cosmetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-d31307d85f434e94b3dec01b437d7ed42023-11-22T12:34:02ZengMDPI AGCosmetics2079-92842021-08-01837310.3390/cosmetics8030073Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic CausesPaul Salama0Ariel Gliksberg1Matan Cohen2Inbal Tzafrir3Noa Ziklo4Innovation Group, Sharon Laboratories Ltd., Odem St. Industrial Zone Ad-Halom, Ashdod 7898800, IsraelInnovation Group, Sharon Laboratories Ltd., Odem St. Industrial Zone Ad-Halom, Ashdod 7898800, IsraelInnovation Group, Sharon Laboratories Ltd., Odem St. Industrial Zone Ad-Halom, Ashdod 7898800, IsraelInnovation Group, Sharon Laboratories Ltd., Odem St. Industrial Zone Ad-Halom, Ashdod 7898800, IsraelInnovation Group, Sharon Laboratories Ltd., Odem St. Industrial Zone Ad-Halom, Ashdod 7898800, IsraelOver the last two decades, significant advances have been made in developing disposable baby wet wipes. Wet wipes consist of two main components: nonwoven fabric and liquid. Being more than 90% water, wet wipes are more susceptible to microbial growth than typical personal care products; hence, high concentrations of preservative compounds are often used to ensure extended protection against contamination. However, there is an obvious tendency to minimize the concentration of irritating actives. Baby wet wipes should contain particularly mild surfactants, well-tolerated preservatives, and a buffer system maintaining the formulation pH at a suitable level for the infant’s skin. Efforts have been centered on removing ingredients with irritation potential, such as phenoxyethanol. In addition, a move towards more natural fabrics is occurring. However, these modifications provoke new challenges in preserving the final products. The nature and composition of the fiber can influence the interactions between the preservative and the wipe, subsequently affecting the performance of the preservative system. In this study, we analyzed the causes of the challenge in preserving wet wipes. We found that fabrics containing natural fibers are the main source of contamination, promoting the generation of biofilms on their surfaces. Moreover, the hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) was utilized to rationalize the physicochemical interactions between the fabric and the preservatives.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/8/3/73wet wipespreservationbiofilmhydrophilic–lipophilic balance |
| spellingShingle | Paul Salama Ariel Gliksberg Matan Cohen Inbal Tzafrir Noa Ziklo Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes Cosmetics wet wipes preservation biofilm hydrophilic–lipophilic balance |
| title | Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes |
| title_full | Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes |
| title_fullStr | Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes |
| title_short | Why Are Wet Wipes So Difficult to Preserve? Understanding the Intrinsic Causes |
| title_sort | why are wet wipes so difficult to preserve understanding the intrinsic causes |
| topic | wet wipes preservation biofilm hydrophilic–lipophilic balance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/8/3/73 |
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