What's Inside Every Pack
Seven ingredients. You can read every one of them out loud.
We started Stork & Sun because we were tired of squinting at wipe packs in the diaper aisle and understanding none of it. So we kept the list short, printed every ingredient on the pack, and wrote this page to explain each one the way we would explain it to a sixth grader: what it is, what it does in the wipe, and what the scientists who review these ingredients have concluded about them.
Here is the entire list. There is nothing else in the pack.
- 1Ultra-purified water — 99.6%
- 2Propylene glycol
- 3Methylparaben
- 4Benzalkonium chloride
- 5Phenoxyethanol
- 6Ethylhexylglycerin
- 7Coconut oil
We did not grade our own homework.
For every ingredient below you will see a “What the experts say” box. Those are not our words. They are the published conclusions of the independent panels whose whole job is to review the safety of cosmetic ingredients, and we link the actual documents so you can read them yourself.
A panel of physicians and scientists that has reviewed the safety of cosmetic ingredients since 1976. It describes itself as independent from the cosmetics industry, and it publishes its findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
The European Union’s expert committee. It reviews the science on each ingredient and advises the EU on the maximum amount allowed in cosmetics — including products for babies.
The U.S. agency that regulates cosmetics and food. Several of our ingredients are also used in food, and the FDA publishes its position on parabens directly.
Ultra-purified water
What it is
Water, but cleaner than what comes out of your tap. Tap water carries minerals and tiny bits of whatever was in the pipes. We filter and purify ours so every pack is the same and nothing tags along that we did not choose.
What it does in the wipe
Almost all of the cleaning. Water is what lifts the mess off their skin and off the highchair tray. Everything else on this list is there to keep the water clean, keep it on the wipe, or help it work a little better.
Where else you find it
Everywhere. Purified water is the same idea as the bottled water aisle and the water you use to mix formula.
The catch
Water is also what mold and bacteria love most. A wipe that is 99.6% water cannot sit in a warm diaper bag for weeks unprotected — which is the reason ingredients 3 through 6 exist.
Propylene glycol
Say it: PRO-puh-leen GLY-call
What it is
A clear, slightly sweet liquid that is very good at holding on to water. It is made in a factory, but it is one of the most common ingredients in food, medicine and skincare — it is in cake mix, salad dressing, ice cream and many liquid medicines.
What it does in the wipe
It keeps the wipe moist all the way to the last one in the pack, and it helps the water and the coconut oil stay mixed so every wipe is the same. Without it, the top wipes would dry out and the bottom ones would be soggy.
What the experts say
The FDA lists propylene glycol as “generally recognized as safe” for use in food. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel reviewed it in 2012 and concluded it is “safe as used in cosmetic formulations when formulated to be nonirritating.”
Sources: FDA, 21 CFR 184.1666 · CIR Expert Panel, Int. J. Toxicology, 2012. The “nonirritating” part is why it is a tiny slice of a wipe that is 99.6% water.Methylparaben
Say it: METH-il-PAIR-uh-ben
What it is
A preservative that keeps mold and bacteria from growing. Parabens are a family of preservatives that have been used in food, medicine and skincare since the 1920s, and methylparaben is the smallest, mildest, most-studied member of that family. Tiny amounts of it even occur naturally in blueberries.
What it does in the wipe
It is the mold guard. A pack that is almost all water, opened and closed twenty times a day in a warm diaper bag, is exactly where mold wants to live. Methylparaben keeps it out.
Where else you find it
Food (in Europe it is food additive E218), liquid medicines, and most lotions and creams.
What about the headlines?
The worries you may have read about center on the bigger, longer-chain parabens at higher doses. The EU reviewed methylparaben specifically, kept it approved at its long-standing limit of 0.4%. We use 0.05–0.08% — about one-fifth to one-eighth of that limit — and our entire preservative team, all four ingredients added together, is under 0.2%.
What the experts say
FDA: “At this time, we do not have information showing that parabens as they are used in cosmetics have an effect on human health.” The EU’s SCCS reviewed the paraben family in 2011 and found that methylparaben and ethylparaben are “not subject of concern.”
Sources: FDA, Parabens in Cosmetics · SCCS, Opinion on Parabens (SCCS/1348/10), 2011Benzalkonium chloride
Say it: ben-zal-KOH-nee-um KLOR-ide
What it is
A germ-fighter that has been used in eye drops, nasal sprays, alcohol-free hand sanitizers and hospitals for decades. It is a soap-like molecule that pops the outer wall of bacteria so they cannot grow.
What it does in the wipe
It keeps bacteria from growing in the wet pack between uses, and it works as a team with phenoxyethanol, so each one can be used at a very low level.
Where else you find it
Eye drops, nasal sprays, throat lozenges, hand sanitizers and most surface-cleaning wipes.
The honest note
At the much higher strengths used in hospital disinfectants, it can irritate skin. Baby wipes use a small fraction of that, and the expert reviews below are about those small amounts.
What the experts say
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel first reviewed benzalkonium chloride in 1989 and re-checked it in 2008, concluding that at concentrations up to 0.1% it is “safe as a cosmetic ingredient as presently used.” The EU allows it as a preservative up to that same 0.1%. Stork & Sun uses 0.03–0.05% — half of that limit or less.
Sources: CIR Expert Panel, Final Report on Benzalkonium Chloride (J. Am. Coll. Toxicol., 1989; reaffirmed Int. J. Toxicology, 2008) · EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009, Annex V (allowed preservatives)Phenoxyethanol
Say it: fen-OX-ee-ETH-uh-nall
What it is
A preservative that keeps bacteria out. It is a clear liquid with a faint rose-like smell, it occurs naturally in trace amounts in green tea, and it is one of the most widely used preservatives in baby wipes and skincare in the world.
What it does in the wipe
It stops bacteria from setting up in the pack, especially the kinds that thrive in water. It does that job at a very low level, which is why almost every wipe brand uses it.
Where else you find it
Lotions, sunscreens, shampoos, and nearly every baby wipe on the shelf.
The baby-specific review
In 2012 France’s medicines agency asked for an extra look at babies under three, because babies get more wipe exposure than adults. The EU’s SCCS did the math with that higher exposure included and still concluded 1.0% is safe. We use 0.02–0.04% — 25 to 50 times below that limit.
What the experts say
The SCCS, 2016: “The SCCS considers 2-phenoxyethanol safe for use as a preservative with a maximum concentration of 1.0%.” The opinion adds that the safety margin for children also covers the under-three age group that might be more exposed than adults.
Source: SCCS, Opinion on Phenoxyethanol (SCCS/1575/16), 2016Ethylhexylglycerin
Say it: ETH-il-HEX-il-GLISS-er-in
What it is
A skin-softening ingredient made from glycerin — the same moisturizer in hand lotion — with a small change that also makes it a preservative booster. Long name, simple job.
What it does in the wipe
Two jobs. It conditions their skin so the wipe leaves it soft, and it makes phenoxyethanol and methylparaben work better, so we can use less of each.
Where else you find it
Lotions, deodorants, sunscreens and other baby wipes.
The honest note
A small number of people are sensitive to it, the same way a small number of people are sensitive to coconut, wool or lanolin. That is true of nearly every skincare ingredient, and it is why the amount is small.
What the experts say
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel assessed ethylhexylglycerin and its family (alkyl glyceryl ethers) in 2011 and concluded they are “safe in the present practices of use and concentration.” The same report notes it is mainly a skin-conditioning agent that improves the performance of preservatives such as phenoxyethanol.
Source: CIR Expert Panel, Safety Assessment of Alkyl Glyceryl Ethers, 2011Coconut oil
What it is
Oil pressed from coconuts. The same thing in the jar in your kitchen cabinet.
What it does in the wipe
A little goes a long way. It leaves a light, soft feel on their skin instead of a squeaky, dried-out one, and it helps the wipe glide instead of drag.
Where else you find it
Cooking, baking, lip balm, hair masks.
What the experts say
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel reviewed coconut oil and related ingredients in 2011 and concluded they are “safe as cosmetic ingredients in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment.”
Source: CIR Expert Panel, Int. J. Toxicology, 2011Yes, there are preservatives. They have to be.
Here is the plain truth: a wipe is a wet cloth in a warm plastic pack that gets opened and closed all day. That is a perfect home for mold and bacteria. The only way to sell a wipe with no preservative at all is to sterilize and seal it like a medical product, or to accept that it may go bad in the bag.
We chose a small, well-studied preservative team instead — four ingredients that together are under 0.2% of the wipe — and we print every one of them on the pack. We would rather show you the number than hide the word.
| Preservative | In Stork & Sun | Limit the experts set |
|---|---|---|
| Methylparaben | 0.05–0.08% | 0.4% (EU maximum for one paraben) |
| Benzalkonium chloride | 0.03–0.05% | 0.1% (EU maximum; CIR reviewed safe up to this level) |
| Phenoxyethanol | 0.02–0.04% | 1.0% (EU maximum, reviewed for babies under three) |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | 0.02–0.04% | Reviewed safe as used; no limit needed |
| All four, added together | Under 0.2% | Every one printed on the pack |
The amounts above are the same ranges we publish in the ingredient section of every product page.
The same wipe works on the highchair. Here is why that is not scary.
There is no separate “surface formula.” The wipe you use on their bottom is the wipe you use on the tray, the car seat, the toys and the sticky steering wheel. Water does the wiping. Coconut oil lifts the greasy stuff. The preservatives are there to protect the pack, not to treat your table.
That is the whole point of a short list: it is the same seven ingredients that touch their skin all day, so there is nothing extra on the table, and nothing to look up.
One honest note: Stork & Sun is a cleaning wipe, not a disinfectant. It wipes the mess away; it is not made or marketed to kill germs on surfaces.
8x7 inches. One wipe, one job done.
Every wipe is 8x7 inches — big enough that a diaper change or a highchair tray is usually one wipe, not four. Fewer wipes means less in the trash and less time with a squirming baby on the changing table.
And every pack carries the same seven ingredients, so what you read here is what you get, whether you buy a Single Pack, a 6 Pack or a 16 Pack.
We looked for the bad news, too.
Across the expert reviews linked on this page, none found a reason for concern about these ingredients at the amounts used in wipes and skincare. What does exist, for some of them, are rare reports of skin irritation or allergy at higher concentrations or in sensitive people — and that is true of almost any ingredient, including plant oils and fragrance. It is why we keep the amounts small and the list short.
These reviews are safety assessments at cosmetic use levels; they are not a promise that no one on Earth will ever react to anything. If their skin ever looks red or bothered, stop using the wipes — any brand — and talk to their pediatrician. And if you ever have a question about anything on the pack, email us. We will answer it in plain English, the same way we wrote this page.
Read the pack. Then use it on everything.
Their face, their hands, their bottom, the highchair, the car seat — one wipe, seven ingredients, nothing to look up.
Subscribe & Save: 20% off either pack, every order — the 16 Pack subscription ships free.
Every document quoted on this page, so you can read it yourself:
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review, About the Cosmetic Ingredient Review and How Does CIR Work?
- CIR Expert Panel, Safety Assessment of Propylene Glycol, Tripropylene Glycol, and PPGs as Used in Cosmetics, International Journal of Toxicology, 2012.
- U.S. FDA, 21 CFR 184.1666 — Propylene glycol (substances affirmed as generally recognized as safe).
- U.S. FDA, Parabens in Cosmetics.
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, Opinion on Parabens, SCCS/1348/10, adopted 2010, revised 2011.
- CIR Expert Panel, Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzalkonium Chloride, Journal of the American College of Toxicology, 1989; re-reviewed and reaffirmed, International Journal of Toxicology, 2008 — via the CIR ingredient database.
- European Union, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annex V (list of preservatives allowed in cosmetic products).
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, Opinion on Phenoxyethanol in cosmetic products, SCCS/1575/16, adopted 2016.
- CIR Expert Panel, Safety Assessment of Alkyl Glyceryl Ethers as Used in Cosmetics, 2011.
- CIR Expert Panel, Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil and Related Ingredients, International Journal of Toxicology, 2011.