Nitropropane in Baby Wipes? You’ve GOT to be Kidding Me.

It was my mom who asked me, You dont get the Kirkland baby wipes from Costco, do you? I do. I love that I get them in bulk and the ones I get say theyre unscented, ultrasoft, AND hypoallergenic, as well as alcohol- and chlorine-free. But my mom tells me that she saw that propane or something similar was the ingredient in those wipes. I told her, Propane? I dont think so thats weird.

I secretly wondered if shed gone off the deep end. I mean, what company would put propane in a wipe meant for babys bottom?

So I check. And guess what I see under Ingredients on our wipes (that we just bought a new case of, by the way)?

2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Off to Google, of course. First I looked up Nitropropane. The first result? A hot rod website. Wow. Not promising.

Next I looked up the whole ingredient including the confusing numbers. Here is what Ive been able to find so far

Source: Wikipedia

Bronopol (INN) is a highly active antimicrobial chemical compound whose chemical formula is 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol.

The use of Bronopol in personal care products (cosmetics, toiletries) has declined since the late 1980s due to the recognized potential for nitrosamine formation.

Although fairly ubiquitous in our diet and the environment, and even produced within the stomach from various foodstuffs, many nitrosamines are known or suspect carcinogens and therefore should be avoided in manufactured goods.

Source:Cosmeticsdatabase.com

Screenshot

Cosmetics Database continues with specifics of these findings including references. It also says that use of this ingredient in Canada is restricted in cosmetics.

More Sources:

PesticideInfo.org

Seriously.

I understand that its antimicrobial, blah blah blah. But this is just our babies BOTTOMS here. Were cleaning up poop and pee, not something hazardous. Sure it may SMELL hazardous sometimes (lol), but it doesnt require chemicals to keep everything clean. This really, really bothers me. I mean, do we feel we need chemicals for our bottoms? No, everyone uses nothing but toilet paper. I mean, how clean is that?

Awhile ago I made my own baby wipes using paper towels, olive oil, and essential oils. I got lazy and started using wipes again but Im going back to making my own baby wipes. This is just ridiculous.

Further Reading

Toxins in your baby wipes? (Article lists alternative brands without this ingredient)
Four Steps to Selecting Safe Baby Care Products

So what do you think about this? Do you check your labels thoroughly?

I was totally taken in by the fact they were telling me what the product didnt have in it. It looked great at first glance! I feel a little cheated. You know, Im not a complete green and organic girl although I would like to be more health-conscious, but I expect the ingredients in my babys products to be safe. Is that too much to ask?