Used to be that only babies’ behinds were cleaned up with wet wipes. But in recent years, the popularity of similar products for adults has surged—they're part of the $1.4 billion and growing “personal wipes” category of hygiene products, according to a market research report. You’ve seen them on drugstore shelves, and maybe you even use them. But while adult wipes are clearly good for business, we were curious: Are their any health benefits to using them instead of toilet paper?
Basically, no. “There is no medical advantage to cleaning up with baby wipes for adults as opposed to toilet paper,” says Holly Phillips, M.D., a women’s health specialist in New York City and a medical contributor to CBS News. “It comes down to what makes you feel clean and fresh.” Still, keep in mind that some wipes might be pre-moistened with aloe, vitamin E, alcohol, and other gentle- or harmless-sounding additives that might actually irritate sensitive skin and leave your bum stinging and inflamed. “Play it safe by going for an unscented, unmedicated, chemical-free brand of wipe,” says Phillips.
More important than what you wipe with (remember, until toilet paper was invented in the 19th century, people used newspaper, clay, leaves, and even corncobs, which couldn’t have felt good) is how you wipe. You’ve heard a million times to do it from front to back to prevent the germs present in feces from getting near your urethra and causing a urinary tract infection—but it’s still smart advice, says Phillips. You also want to wipe firmly but not press or rub hard, which can lead to small abrasions in your anal area. And don’t leave the bathroom until you’re all cleaned off if you can help it. Leaving a little poop behind can lead to itching and irritation—not to mention a surprise on your thong.
