The desire for a simple, efficient and convenient way to cleanse or treat the skin has continued to bolster the use of wipes in the personal care category. These days consumers can enjoy the ease-of-use of wipes for pretty much any task—from removing makeup and applying sunscreen to freshening up the underarm and other areas of the body. And, wipes makers continue to be optimistic about this market, as growth has been strong, especially in categories like moist toilet tissue (MTT).

Sonali Jagadev, research analyst—Beauty & Fashion, Euromonitor International, says overall, the personal care wipes market in North America has remained resilient, benefiting from enduring consumer demand for cleaning efficacy, convenience and added benefits such as skin health.

According to Euromonitor, baby wipes, the largest category within personal wipes, posted healthy growth in 2023, benefitting from the mix of heightened awareness for hygiene, broad product accessibility and availability, and recognition of product usage versatility beyond baby care. Meanwhile, moist toilet wipes recorded the highest current value and volume growth in 2023. General purpose wipes witnessed a low-single digit growth in current value terms in 2023, recovering from declines in the two previous years. However, the growth is mostly price-driven, Jagadev points out. Another category, cosmetic wipes, grew at a steady rate last year, while intimate wipes suffered demand softening in 2023 due in large to high unit prices and less consumer awareness of this niche category.

Meanwhile, in Europe, the personal care category is still growing, and it’s growing significantly, according to Marta Jabłonska-Kubow, product marketing manager of Ecowipes. “Because of the demographic situation (at least on the European market), the most growing categories are switching from baby care wipes to moist toilet paper for adults, body care wipes and incontinence wipes.”

Wet wipes manufacturer Nice-Pak is also reporting strong growth for certain segments of the category. Citing the latest Circana data, Alec Frisch, chief commercial officer of Nice-Pak, says the personal care wet wipes category is seeing tremendous growth, specifically within the $690 million moist toilet tissue category.

“The facial segment of the category showed the opposite growth as makeup removal took a hit during the pandemic. We are seeing a rebound in that category, but we are yet to get back to pre-pandemic levels,” he adds.

Kleen Test Products (KTP), another wipes manufacturer, is also seeing the personal care wipes market continue to grow as consumers discover the convenience and portability of wipes. “Growth is also being fueled by innovation in the category as manufacturers and brands look to address very specific consumer needs or, on the other end of the spectrum, create more multi-purpose wipe products,” says Ann Halstead, director of marketing, Kleen Test Products.

One category where KTP is seeing tremendous growth is personal hygiene. Wipes are being introduced for cleansing specific areas of the body such as facial wipes, post-toileting wipes and deodorant wipes. Within each of these, there are fragranced wipes and fragrance-free wipes and wipes with specific additives such as aloe vera, mint, eucalyptus or shea butter, which come in multiple pack sizes and formats, Halstead explains. “All of these variants have fueled increased consumer awareness of the benefits of wipes and have expanded the usage occasions.”

The primary limiting factor is the lack of space on the retail shelf. Because of this, she says much of the growth is driven by e-commerce. “Only personal care wipes with truly unique and effective product attributes will be able to get onto retail store shelves without having proven success in the e-commerce space first.”

According to KTP, consumer acceptance of wipes as a convenient and effective way to meet their individual personal care needs continues to grow and provide opportunities for new applications. In the coming months, KTP plans to introduce two new products in this space.

Launching this month, The Pharma-C Company Personal Cleansing Wipes with Cranberry and Aloe Vera is specifically designed to gently clean and sooth intimate areas and for general cleansing as well as and sexual health. Meanwhile, launching later this spring is The Pharma-C Company Baby Oil Wipes. These wipes offer a unique and convenient format for baby oil users and can be used on children and adults alike. The quick absorbing oil soothes and moisturizes creating a lotion alternative for the whole body. “Both of these new products represent true innovation and are firsts for the personal care and feminine wipe categories. We believe that both consumers and retailers alike will love them,” says Halstead.

Going Natural

Like in many personal care categories, there has been a push for wipes materials and ingredients to be better for people and the earth. This demand isn’t just coming from consumers who desire what they perceive as healthier products but also from increasing pressure on the industry to produce eco-friendlier products. This includes regulatory restrictions on materials like plastics.

Neutrogena is one example of a brand that has removed plastic from its wipes recently. Last year, the skincare company announced a partnership with Lenzing’s Veocel fiber brand to transition the production of its market-leading makeup removal wipes to 100% plant-based fibers. The new wipes utilize Veocel branded fibers derived from nature and made with renewable wood from sustainably managed and certified forests. The makeup removal wipes can be composted at home in 35 days, eliminating waste which ends up in a landfill.

The goal of the partnership was to develop a product that has moved on from synthetic materials to an entirely cellulose-based solution. These new Neutrogena makeup removal wipes are not only ultra-soft, but also retain the same effective cleaning function of its predecessors with oil-based technology and micelle-infused water.

Christopher Dresselhuys, business director North American Retail Products of wipes manufacturer Rockline, says the same trends that are surfacing across numerous other consumer products categories are also at play within the wipes industry. “Those mega-trends include a focus on sustainability in areas such as plastics reduction and inclusion of post-consumer plastic; cleaner more minimalist ingredients that provide consumers with confidence and transparency; as well as customization in the form of products designed for specific consumer personas, performance need-states or demographic niches.”

Rockline has worked with its customers for several years to increase the volume of plant-based materials within the products it manufactures. It has long offered a wide array of plant-based ingredients within its substrates, formulations and fragrances and the company believes that there will be a continuous stream of opportunities to bring further innovations to market in this area.

Likewise, KTP is working to innovate in this area by testing various plant derived substrates and solutions that incorporate natural ingredients. It is also looking to reduce packaging and utilize more PCR content in packaging.

“There is continued pressure for more plant-based, natural and renewable ingredients,” says Halstead. “Consumers, retailers and regulators are looking for products that are good for both people and the planet. As a result, more and more wipes products are being developed using plant-based fibers and gentle, natural solutions.”

Meanwhile, Nice-Pak is seeing the trend move from naturally-derived ingredients towards fewer ingredients – only what is essential. “Using fewer ingredients can be challenging, of course,” says John Iarocci, vice president of R&D and Quality, Nice-Pak. “At Nice-Pak, we are meeting that challenge with naturally-derived ingredients that have multiple functions—for example, a cleanser with anti-microbial properties.”

Nice-Pak is also studying naturally derived ingredients that have other functional benefits for added value.

According to Jabłonska-Kubow of Ecowipes, no matter the category, the whole market is moving towards sustainability. “With macro economical and political situations, this journey may be slowed down, but with the climate crisis this is the only way the industry can go,” she says.

The Polish company is a fully integrated manufacturer of wet wipes, pads, cotton buds and nonwovens, focused on the private label market.

“The sustainability topic is strong not only in consumers’ mindsets, but also is important for retailers and producers,” Jabłonska-Kubow explains. “More and more brand owners and retailers make their purchase decisions based not only on product quality and price. A new factor is taken under consideration, and it is as important as the other two. This new factor is sustainability. This environmental part is not only checked declaratively, but measured with Scope 1, 2 & 3 GHG emissions. This is an important step in decision making, which influences the product design stage.”

If producers want to offer truly sustainable products, she says they should consider the product as a whole. “The product should easily work within circular economy, so an absolute must is to use natural-based fibers, with which a biodegradable nonwoven can be produced. The lotion should also be based on natural-based raw materials, even better if they are upcycled from food industry waste. The last piece of the product is the packaging, which should be recyclable but also come (if possible) from recycled material. And last, but not least, the production process needs to be environmentally sound and designed for sustainability.”

Ecowipes is designing its products in line with these targets. For example, its mainstream baby wipes, which are on the shelf of retailers like Biedronka or Lidl International (in Europe and the U.S.) are Tricell wipes, which feature a high percentage of low processed cellulose pulp and viscose for strength and absorbency, with up to 99% natural-based lotion and mono-material, recyclable packaging which is 65% thinner than the market standard.

In July, Ecowipes was acquired by private equity firm Cornerstone Investment Management and Kartesia, a pan-European, independent and privately-owned specialist provider of financing solutions.

“Our cooperation with Cornerstone and Kartesia will allow us to leverage our strong position across Europe and provide us with the financial backing to introduce more innovations in the future,” says Gabriel Kermiche, CEO and co-investor at Ecowipes. “We call ourselves the Earthchangers, and this partnership will put us closer to achieving our primary environmental goal, to supply consumers with hygiene products made only from natural-based materials at a reasonable price.”

Ecowipes has two modern factories—a main one located in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Poland, and a second one with a technologically advanced machinery park near Miluza, France, under the Hydra Beauty & Clean brand. A third factory is being built in Poland. Ecowipes’ new factory in Nowy Modlin is in the qualification process, and the company is planning to officially open the factory this month with the first nonwoven rolls ready to be used for converting.

“The new investment strengthens Ecowipes’ position as a leader in biodegradable solutions for nonwovens and wipes on European markets,” Jabłonska-Kubow says.

The new plant will have a yearly capacity of 12,000 tons of nonwovens. With plant proximity to an already operating Ecowipes factory, this new line will give Ecowipes possibilities for further development and winning new markets, she adds.

Additionally, the new line is equipped with a zero-discharge water system and an automatic weight scanning system which enables the optimization of the machine and minimizes energy consumption.

Growth for Flushables

New developments in flushable substrates have continued to benefit wipes makers as consumer demand for moist toilet tissue grows. Nonwovens manufacturers like Glatfelter, Papel Aralar, Hangzhou Nbond Nonwovens and Acmemills, among others, have been innovating in this category to ensure their products comply with industry guidelines and standards on flushability.

Jagadev of Euromonitor says the flushable wipes category performed better than toilet paper both in value and volume terms. “These wipes are increasingly considered a convenient and integral part of consumers’ bathroom routines. Improved product retail placement, increased multi-channel marketing, as well as innovations aimed at enhanced performance, skin outcome and user sensation all contributed to the growth in 2023.”

Rockline’s Dresselhuys adds that the wipes format continues to see growth across a variety of personal care categories with flushable wipes, in both the adult and toddler segments, driven by ongoing product discovery and adoption by previous non-users. “Once consumers experience for themselves the vastly superior cleaning that flushable wipes provide, they tend to become regular users,” he adds.

Similarly, Nice-Pak is seeing a behavior shift, with more consumers trying moist toilet tissue and seeing the benefit of adding it to their personal hygiene routine. “Though household penetration remained relatively flat last year, we’re seeing consumers of MTT making more trips to the store and spending more per trip, driving category growth,” says Frisch.

In 2021, the manufacturer responded to this trend by launching its Nice ’N CLEAN SecureFLUSH Technology Flushable Wipes, a breakthrough flushable wet wipe that is strong and durable yet breaks apart five times faster than the leading brand of two-ply toilet paper. The technology was released the following year in the U.K.

On the regulatory front, Iarocci of Nice-Pak notes that one clear challenge with flushable wipes is multiple standards and regulations. “There’s complexity and confusion over flushability standards,” he says.

Nice-Pak is focused on adhering to the most stringent flushability standards—currently the IWSFG standard—and ensuring its products meet or exceed those standards. “The key is ensuring consistency of compliant nonwovens supply,” Iarocci explains. “We employ rigorous verification protocols—our quality team checks incoming material, and we continue with multiple checks throughout our manufacturing process to ensure compliance.”

Nice-Pak continues to monitor the regulatory environment and participate in industry forums so it can help its store brand customers skillfully navigate the landscape.

New Products

Beyond the flushable category, innovation has also been strong in other personal care segments.

Last year Polish wipes maker Harper Hygienics launched several new products. Cleanic Cream & Fresh wipes were designed to provide both cleansing and moisturizing effects, leaving a protective and caring layer on the skin. With a pleasant fruit scent and fresh spring colorful packaging, Cleanic Cream & Fresh wipes are an excellent addition to anyone’s daily hand skin care routine.  The Cleanic Cream & Fresh line consists of two products: Cream & Fresh with Peach and Cream & Fresh with Avocado. Both products can be used on the go, whether traveling, working or walking outside.

Harper Hygienics also launched Naturals Hemp Intimate Wipes, made using hemp seed extract. These wipes deliver a long-lasting effect of freshness, ensuring a clean and invigorated sensation throughout the day. The biodegradable nonwoven fabric used in these wipes reflects Harper Hygienics’ dedication to offering sustainable solutions for personal care needs, the company says.

Naturals Hemp Intimate Wipes also possess soothing properties to alleviate irritations. With a focus on supporting the natural balance of the microbiome, these wipes are gynecologically and dermatologically tested to ensure the highest standards of safety and quality.

The new wipes are flushable, providing an easy disposal method. Each pack contains 20 wipes, making them ideal for on-the-go use and maintaining personal hygiene.

Also focusing on the intimate area, Summer’s Eve recently launched new travel-sized items including on-the-go individually wrapped Cleansing Cloths. The easy-to-use cloths help wipe away odor-causing bacteria, giving the intimate area that quick refresh it needs for a packed daily schedule.

“At Summer’s Eve, we believe that feeling fresh should be easy and convenient—no matter where you are – which is why we developed this new travel collection for our busy consumers that just want a quick way to feel fresh at work, the gym or wherever,” says Beth St. Raymond, senior director of Summer’s Eve. “The new travel collection from Summer’s Eve gives consumers the flexibility to be fresh and feel confident wherever life leads them.”

Lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret also launched a line of intimate care wipes last year, which is a new category for the brand. The Coconut Milk & Rose Intimate Care collection is comprised of an intimate wash, intimate wipes, intimate hair oil, and intimate cream to powder, inspired by nature and formulated for self-care. These gentle, easy-to-use formulas for the most intimate areas are vegan, against animal testing, and safe for daily use. The intimate wipes are available for $19.95 for 15 individual wipes.

Meanwhile, protecting the hands is a priority for Tones Products, which recently launched Radiance Guard by Tones. Designed as a single-use, biodegradable wipe in a recyclable container, Radiance Guard redefines the very essence of hand protection during manicures and revolutionizes the way consumers care for their hands.

Radiance Guard was inspired to revolutionize hand protection during manicures, addressing UV/LED exposure risks, according to Eva Villalobos, chief nail officer of Tones Products. In essence, the single-use eco-friendly wipe shields hands from premature aging and skin cancer caused by nail lamp radiation. The product’s carefully crafted formula contains UV filters and nourishing ingredients which help to maintain skin elasticity and restore radiance. 

“Wipes are an ideal format for Radiance Guard due to their convenience and effectiveness in application,” says Villalobos. “The wipes provide a hassle- and mess-free way to apply the protective formula prior to nail lamp exposure. This ensures consistent coverage, allowing users to easily incorporate Radiance Guard into their manicure routine.”

The portable nature of wipes makes them practical for on-the-go use, enabling individuals to carry them in their beauty or travel kits. The format also minimizes product waste, as each wipe contains the precise amount needed for a single application. Additionally, the recyclable container reflects Tones’ commitment to sustainability, she adds.

Focusing on the face, Ditoi Beauty’s Disposable Face Towels launched in September. The dry towels offer a single-use, biodegradable alternative to traditional reusable towels, addressing consumer concerns about bacterial contamination and environmental impact.

Made using a viscose spunlace nonwoven, the towels are designed for single use, making them more convenient and hygienic to use. Since it does not need to be cleaned and reused daily, it effectively avoids the problem of bacterial growth, making the face-washing process safer and refreshing, the company says. Additionally, Ditoi Face Towels have excellent water absorption performance, bringing users a comfortable touch like a towel. Its large size design makes makeup removal faster and more convenient. At the same time, it can be cut into small pieces to match with essence liquid to make a simple facial mask. The unique dual-sided texture design is suitable for different skin needs, with one side gently wiping the skin and the other side deep cleaning the cuticles.