In review- WATERWIPES

Owing to being a member of the excellent British Mummy Bloggers site (I recommend joining up at www.britishmummybloggers.ning.com), I often get asked if the madhouse would like to try new products. And being the thrifty cheapskate I am, its win win for me!

The latest product I was lucky enough to try was Water Wipes by DermaH2O. The wipes are made from 99.9% purified water as well as 0.1% grapefruit seed extract, and promise to be the purest wipes ever. (although the patent is, at the time of this blog post, still pending).

Now, having not one, but two nappy wearing children in the house we go through two packets of wipes at least per week. And we don't just use them for the kids bottoms-they literally get used top to toe on the kids, to clean up spills on the table/floor/walls and also, if I'm being lazy I often scrape my make up off with them. Both kids have sensitive skin, which they've inherited from me (sorry kids), so finding a brand of wipe that doesn't leave them red has been a challenge. (for example, a leading supermarkets offering left Chrissy with a red and spotty bot, and as any parent knows, a child with nappy rash is a miserable child). I have been amazed on using certain wipes to clean my make up off how they can sting the skin.

So the product- The packaging is quite no frills- it does have a flip top plastic dispenser lid, but it can get a bit fiddly to get the wipe out if you have a major nappy explosion!, I would probably recommend removing the inner plastic sheet to make life easier for one hand on baby and one hand in wipes box Mums and Dads.
I don't think that they would immediately jump out at you on the shelf, as its just plain white with a blue text, and they would be competing with more established brands. I like that the packaging is recyclable, as obviously we are all being told off by Central Government, about our need to save the planet, so I think this is great (as I've not come across another brand with recyclable packaging, at least they haven't had it on the front of the packet!).

The wipes are also bio-degradable, another plus for the ecologically minded amongst us.

The wipes themselves look just like any other wipe, and are soft as you'd expect. I thought the great thing was that they were slightly larger than Johnson's or Simple wipes, as sometimes you need something the size of a man size tissue! It also means you need to use less wipes as a whole which is a plus for those of us who go through loads a week.

They also don't have that synthetic smell that I associate with most wipes, which in some can be overpowering, and also were the right side of damp- I have had wipes in the past that by the bottom of the packet have to be nearly wrung out!

On the bottom test, they pass with honours-not a hint of red was spotted on either cheek in the week I used them, and on the make up test they didn't make my eyes water with the sting that usually follows.

They weren't so good at removing pen from walls, but then I would associate that being due to the lack of chemicals in them, which can only be a way of proving their worth as "purest wipe available" (and you can always use a cheap toothpaste for pen on wall removal).

The company promises that once opened the pack will stay fresh for 3 months, something other leading brands cannot promise (how many of you have gone to use wipes in the nappy bag and found the top 3 have dried out?)

The one thing that would put me off from buying them if they were a new product I'd noticed in the supermarket is the price I was quoted for them when they go on sale-£4.49 for 72 wipes. I do think this would put those on a lower budget off, as for one packet of wipes that is not cheap at all, even Johnson's is on the market for £2.56 in my local supermarket, and one can buy at least 4 packets of an own brand wipe for the same price.

Its a shame as they really are a great product, and lessen the guilt of not using the old fashioned cotton wall and water method we are moaned at by health visitors for not using.

I would recommend the product highly, but would ask the company to reconsider on the price, as in these economically challenged times I think they may struggle to gain a consumer fan base.

You can get more info on the product at www.dermaH20.com.

If you'd like me to recommend any products,please drop me a line. I'm also a reviewer for the excellent website Great Toy Guide (www.greattoyguide.co.uk).