Diapers and wipes are products that go directly against your baby's most sensitive skin for the first two to three years of their life. Most parents grab whatever is on sale at Target without a second thought — I was determined not to do that.
Here is what I used, what I learned, and the homemade diaper rash cream that I genuinely believe is one of the best ones that exists.
Diapers
These were the diapers I used throughout my daughter's diaper years and I have no regrets. Pampers Pure are free from fragrance, lotion, chlorine bleaching, parabens, and elemental chlorine. They use a cotton-like liner and are widely considered one of the cleaner mainstream diaper options available. This is a better not perfect choice — they are meaningfully cleaner than standard Pampers and significantly more accessible than fully clean brands.
If you want the absolute cleanest option HealthyBaby is the first and only EWG Verified diaper on the market. They use organic cotton and plant based materials and meet the strictest possible ingredient standards. Worth knowing about if budget is not a concern.
Wipes
WaterWipes were my go-to when my daughter was a newborn and at the time they were the most minimal wipe option I could find. They contain 99.9% water and a small amount of grapefruit seed extract which appealed to me as close to wiping with water as you can get in a disposable wipe.
Honest note: some WaterWipes formulations have shown up as high hazard on EWG due to preservatives found in commercial grapefruit seed extract. Their current formula is considered much cleaner and they are still widely recommended in the clean living community. This is another better not perfect choice — they are one of the most minimal wipes on the market even if the EWG rating has been inconsistent across formulations. Always check the current rating at ewg.org/skindeep for the specific version before buying.
Attitude Sensitive Natural Baby Wipes are EWG Verified and are now my top recommendation for the cleanest verified option. They were not available when my daughter was a newborn but they are now and they are available on Amazon.
Pampers Pure Wipes rate low hazard on EWG and are a solid cleaner mainstream option if you want something widely available at any grocery store or Target.
Bottle and Toy Wash
For cleaning baby bottles, pump parts, and toys I used Attitude dish soap and Thieves household cleaner diluted appropriately for toy cleaning. Both are brands I have covered extensively in other posts and both are brands I trusted enough to use on everything my daughter ate from and played with. The dilution ratio for Thieves toy cleaning is listed directly on their website.
Diaper Rash Cream — The Homemade Version That Changed Everything
I made my daughter's diaper rash cream for the first two years of her life and I am not exaggerating when I say nothing on the market came close to it. It worked on diaper rash, it worked on eczema, and it left her skin noticeably better every single time I used it.
The difference between this and a conventional diaper cream was immediately noticeable. You can find the full recipe and step by step instructions at the link below — I highly recommend bookmarking it before your baby arrives.
Full recipe: wellnessmama.com/motherhood/diaper-rash-cream Tag Wellness Mama if you share it — she deserves the credit.
Boudreaux's Butt Paste Natural
When I could not make the homemade version this was my backup. Make sure you are buying the Natural version specifically — the original Boudreaux's formula contains ingredients that would not meet our clean standard. The Natural version uses zinc oxide as the active ingredient with a much cleaner base formula and is available on Amazon.
The Bottom Line
Attitude wipes for the cleanest verified option. Pampers Pure for a practical and significantly cleaner diaper. Attitude or Thieves diluted for bottles and toys. And if you have five minutes and a few simple ingredients make the Wellness Mama diaper rash cream at least once. You will not go back to the tube.
All products linked in my bio. Always verify current EWG ratings at ewg.org/skindeep before purchasing.