Guide to Baby Wipes in Japan – Types, Brands and Where to Buy

Guide to Baby Wipes in Japan

As with diapers, there is a large variety of baby wipes available on the Japanese market. According to a survey by Unicharm, a leading producer of sanitary items and the manufacturer of Moony and Mamy Poko diapers, the top three qualities that Japanese mothers consider when purchasing baby wipes are:

Will not cause any redness or irritation
Soft on baby’s skin
Cleans up any mess

The skin of babies and toddlers is delicate and can become easily irritated. As you will be using wipes multiple times throughout the day for an extended period of time, other factors you may want to consider are the thickness of the wipes, the water content, and moisturizing ingredients.

Choosing the Right Baby Wipes

Thick (厚手) sheets tend to cost a bit more than thin (薄手) sheets, but the tradeoff is that one or two sheets may be just enough for cleaning up. This is a very eco-friendly option as it reduces your waste as well.

Non-flushable (流せない or トイレには流せません) and flushable (流せる orトイレに流せる) wipes can be found in stores and online. Non-flushable wipes are the most common type available on the market.

When your child begins potty training you may wish to switch to flushable types, which can be packaged like non-flushable wipes or made of cotton. A downside to cotton wipes is that you will have to wet the wipes with water yourself, but you can rest assured knowing that there are no unnecessary additives touching your baby’s skin. Cotton wipes may be a great alternative for children who are prone to diaper rash.

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Reading the labels

Baby wipes manufacturers take the delicacy of a baby’s skin in mind; therefore it should not be difficult to find wipes with a high water content. The water content may be listed on
the label in one of the following ways:

水 – water
純粋99% – 99% purified water
水99% – 99% water
純水使用 – made with purified water

Baby wipes may also contain moisturizing agents:

アロエベラ液 – aloe vera extract
酢酸コフェロール – tocopheryl acetate, also known as vitamin E acetate
もも葉エキス配合 – peach leaf extract
ヒアルロン酸ナトリウム – sodium hyaluronate

For sensitive skin, you may want to look for baby wipes that are:

無添加 – additive-free
弱酸性 – mild acidity
無香料 – no fragrance
ノンアルコール – non-alcohol

Be on the lookout for wipes that are free of

PG – propylene glycol
パラベン – paraben
アルコール – alcohol
鉱物油 – mineral oil
合成着色料 – artificial colors
合成香料 – synthetic fragrances

Alternatively, you may see a label stating:
○○、○○、○○は不使用 – These wipes do not contain ○○, ○○, or ○○
Example: PG、鉱物油、パラベン、アルコール、合成着色料、合成香料は不使用
These wipes do not contain propylene glycol, mineral oil, paraben, alcohol, artificial colors, or synthetic fragrances.

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Baby Wipe Brands

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Baby wipe manufacturers are often the same as the diaper manufacturers; therefore you can expect to find on the market wipes branded with the Pampers, Merries, Moony, or GOO.N label.

For where to purchase baby wipes, you may refer to our diaper guide for a list of online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

The top brands on the Japanese market rated by moms are listed below.

Akachan Honpo
You may recognize Akachan Honpo as a retailer of baby goods and clothing, but they also have their own brand of baby wipes which are highly recommended. Their wipes contain 0.3% antiseptic and disinfectant and can be used on the body as well as hands and feet.

GOO.N
GOO.N wipes are thin but use 99% water, allowing for an effortless cleanup on baby’s bottom and hands. Paraben and alcohol free.

Kirkland
Japanese moms love the extra large size of Kirkland wipes which are thick and require only one or two wipes for clean up. However, Kirkland wipes seem to be drier than other brands. They are hypoallergenic, made with aloe and chamomile and contain no chlorine, alcohol, dyes, parabens, or phthalates.

LEC
LEC are often recommended for their cost performance. Their high
water (99.9% purified water) content makes diaper change and cleanup a breeze. Contains hyaluronic acid and are free of parabens, alcohol, fragrance, and propylene glycol.

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Merries
Merries’ non-flushable wipes are marketed towards newborns. The wipes are thick and have a special woven inner especially designed for cleaning up newborn stool without leaving any mess. Fragrance and alcohol free.

Moony
Moony’s wipes are packaged as “made from materials as soft as cashmere.” They can be used on the hands and face and are paraben, fragrance and alcohol free. Made with 99% purified water.

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Nishimatsuya
Like Pigeon and Akachan Honpo, Nishimatsuya is also known for their items targeted towards babies, toddlers, and children. Nishimatsuya’s wipes are soft and mild, made of 99.5% water, and are alcohol and fragrance free. They also contain peach leaf extract as a moisturizing agent.

Pampers
Pampers wipes are thick and are one of the largest size on the market. Its woven texture is great for sensitive skin. In addition, they are mild,
dermatologist-tested, perfume-free, and hypoallergenic.

Pigeon
A leading manufacturer of baby goods, Pigeon’s wipes are thicker than those on the market and wider as well. They can be used from the newborn stage and can be used on the face, and body as well. Hypoallergenic, made with 99% pure water, free of additives, artificial colors, fragrances, PG (propylene glycol), and parabens.

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Where to Buy Wipes

STORES

Baby wipes in smaller packaging can be found in drugstores, department store baby & kids` floors as well some supermarkets.
Costco is a wonderful option for those seeking to buy in bulk.
Brick and mortar stores like Akachan Honpo, Nishimuraya and Babies ‘R Us/Toys `R Us have a variety of wipes in both travel, home and bulk sizes.

ONLINE with Discounts
As baby wipes are an indispensable part of life with an infant it is best to purchase baby wipes in bulk.

If you have an Amazon account, consider signing up for Amazon Family ー baby wipes can be purchased for 15 percent off retail price with free shipping.

Rakuten members can sign up for Mama Wari, which offers frequent point rebates and various bonus point campaigns.

If you have a question please leave in our comments section below.

P.S. Visit our Top Recommended Baby Posts

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