Johnsons Baby Wipes

When the non-smiling end of your baby emits a drmatic noise and an equally dramatic smell, you may pale in terror. You may reach for baby wipes and arm yourself as you advance on the dire contents of the latest nappy. The problem with some wipes is that they don't all make cleaning easier and some can irritate little bottms, making nappy rash worse.

I've worked my way round a lot of brands in the last few months - between the freebies and the random shopping. You are going to get through a lot of these, especially in the first few weeks, so getting the right ones is really important.

Wipes need to be strong enough not to fall apart when you try and use them, soft enough not to abrade the little botty, fragrant enough to mask the grim poo smell, and in an ideal world, soothing to the sore skin that babies often get. Own brand wipes tend to be rough and abrasive, and most wipes don't do anything to moisturise skin.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Johnson's baby wipes are the best I've found so far.

Like most wipes, they come in a plastic bag like covering with a hole in. Said hole is covered by a resealable strip which might or might not re seal. Getting the wipes out is tricky - and I've yet to find a brand where they come out easily and singly. I think that's just an inevitable problem. Pull out your wipe. It's a decent size, but for a really grubby bum you will probably need three or four. The first thing you will notice is that it feels pleasant to the touch - not as wet as some, not at all abrasive. My skin is delicate and I feel much more comfortable handling these than I do most brands. The next thing to strike you will be the smell. I've been using the new Aloe and willowherb variety, the fragrance is fresh, clean, really nice. Apply to grubby bottom. Poo comes away easily and in a few minutes you can have your baby poo free and pleasnatly fragrant.

The big selling point for me is how skin friendly these wipes are. They don't irritate little one's bottom at all. According to the packaging, they do have moisturising properties, and having used them I heartily agree, it does work and baby feels a lot mroe comfortable. My baby seems to prefer these to every other brand I've inflicted on him thus far. They are gentle, they are kind, and evidently being cleaned up with them feels ok to him.

The only downside is that they are a good deal more expensive than some brands - in many places as much as a pound dearer than own brands, and sometimes for fewer wipes. In the early days, when you get through a packet every few days, this price difference really hits you in the wallet, but believe me it is worth it, because hell hath no furry like a small child with a sore bum.