The Science Behind Huggies® Diapers

We know baby’s skin is delicate, especially during the early stages of development. That’s why Huggies® diapers are designed to deliver gentle protection for babies, both inside and out. Every component of the diaper is highly engineered to keep babies’ skin clean and healthy and grow with the baby. The features of Huggies® (Nano-Preemie – Step 7) are designed specifically to accommodate baby’s needs at each step of their development.

In the diapered area, prolonged exposure to irritants in poop, excessive moisture, and friction are the main contributors to skin barrier damage and the onset of diaper rash. When the integrity of the skin barrier is damaged, it is easier for irritants to enter the inner layers of the skin, triggering inflammation and the appearance of rash.

Understanding the main causes of diaper rash and the unique needs of babies’ skin informs the design of our diapers. In addition, ensuring that our diapers are gentle and safe to use even on our most vulnerable population, premature newborns, is of utmost importance to us.

Every diaper that we make is designed with baby’s skin health in mind...

1. Promote breathability so that baby’s skin is cool and comfortable
• Breathable Outer Cover
  • Huggies® diapers are constructed with a thin, breathable outer cover film specially designed to help protect baby and allow air to circulate, helping to keep baby's skin dry and comfortable
  • This material is engineered to have microscopic pores to allow air to flow through the outer cover while keeping fluids, like urine and poop, from passing through due to the microscopic pore size
• Umbilical Cord Cutout
  • Doctors recommend leaving the umbilical cord uncovered to promote faster healing.
  • Little Snugglers® and Special Delivery™ newborn diapers contain a cutout in the front of the diaper to help promote air circulation and avoid irritating the umbilical cord area.
2. Balance skin moisture by separating irritants found in urine and poop from skin
• Wetness Indicator:
  1. Huggies® diapers feature a wetness indicator that will react to small volumes of fluid and is visible in low light conditions, letting you know when it is time to change the diaper
  2. When wet, the line that is visible on the outside of the diaper will change from a light-yellow color to a blue/green color
  3. Changing the diaper after baby pees will help keep skin clean, dry, and healthy
• Pocketed Back Waistband:
1. Little Snugglers® and Special Delivery™ diapers (sizes newborn to step 2) have a soft back waistband that is designed to gently conform to the baby and help to prevent poop from escaping the back waistband of the diaper
2. The central region of the waistband is not adhered to the body side liner so that it creates a pocket that captures poop and provides a barrier between skin and the mess in this portion of the diaper
• Absorbent Core for all Huggies® Diapers:
1. A key component of healthy skin is to keep it dry. Huggies® diapers are designed to do just that! Superabsorbent material and fluff are combined inside the diaper to draw urine and poop away from the skin and lock it away in the core of the diaper
• Body Side Liner and Fluid Acquisition and Distribution System - All Huggies® except Little Snugglers® sizes preemie to step 2:
1. Huggies® diapers are constructed using body side liner materials that are specially made to quickly intake, wick, and lock-away urine to help keep baby's skin clean and healthy
2. The body side liner works with the acquisition and distribution layer to pull fluid into the absorbent core to lock it away and helps to leave baby’s skin healthy and dry
• GentleAbsorb® body side liner for Little Snugglers® sizes preemie to step 2:
1. Newborn babies have unique needs and that is why the GentleAbsorb® liner is designed to pull both urine and poop away from skin
2. This material provides a layer of comfort via an enhanced softness experience with a pillow-like texture
3. The GentleAbsorb® liner is designed to absorb urine and runny poop that contains rash-causing irritants and draws them gently away from baby's skin
3. Gently contact skin with soft materials
For every diaper that we make, the product design and materials have been carefully selected to be safe, soft, and gentle on a baby’s delicate skin.
• Outer cover cloth: Covers the breathable barrier film to provide a soft touch to the product
• Stretch ears: They are soft to the touch and help provide a comfortable fit for baby
• Shaped design: The absorbent core and overall diaper design are shaped to gently contour around baby’s legs and body to provide a comfortable fit
• Containment flaps: These are located on the inside of the product to prevent urine from leaking out of the product by providing a gentle gasket around baby’s legs
• Waistband: Besides helping to keep poop inside the diaper and providing a comfortable fit, this material also gently contacts baby’s skin
• Body side liner: On the inside of the product, this material does triple-duty: pulling urine and mess towards the absorbent core, preventing urine from coming back to the surface, and being gentle on skin by being made with soft fibers
• Our Huggies® Special Delivery™ diapers feature an absorbent core specially designed to be cushiony, flexible, and soft against baby’s delicate skin
4. Safe for sensitive skin, dermatologist tested
• All Huggies® diapers have undergone a full product assessment and confirmatory safety testing in human studies by a dermatologist to ensure they are gentle and safe for sensitive skin
5. Fragrance-free, paraben-free, free of elemental chlorine & lotion-free
• All Huggies® diapers do not have fragrances, parabens, elemental chlorine, or lotions added to the product or materials during manufacture
• All materials and ingredients are thoroughly reviewed by toxicologists to ensure our products are safe for skin and do not contain harmful ingredients