Consumer fears prompt J&J aloe vera wipe launch

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the baby and skincare products giant, is launching a range of aloe vera baby wipes this month, backed by a £5m advertising and marketing spend.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the baby and skincare products giant, is launching a range of aloe vera baby wipes this month, backed by a &£5m advertising and marketing spend.

The launch is in response to recently expressed consumer fears that excessive use of cleansing wipes impregnated with man-made chemicals can lead to an increased incidence of skin disease.

Early this year, the University of Sheffield released a report urging parents to cut down on baby wipes and soapy detergents, which have been linked to a huge increase in the number of eczema cases. The report followed calls from the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to ban baby wipes until their safety on babies skin could be assured.

According to an industry insider, the J&J aloe vera baby wipes will aim to capitalise on the growing popularity of the aloe vera plant, which is known for its natural healing qualities. “J&J is planning to spend a lot of its resources on this launch, since it comes at a time when the use of baby wipes has been linked to skin diseases. The aloe vera wipes will be marketed as a skinand child-friendly product and should go down well with parents,” she adds.

The J&J aloe vera baby wipes will be the same price as the existing wipes (&£3.29), but will have fewer sheets in a pack. The new product will have 64 sheets, eight fewer than the original range of baby wipes.