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Nappies: Frequently Asked Questions

Lots of parents have common questions, and the information you're after may be right here! Please start by reviewing the questions below.

For any further enquiries or comments please contact Huggies.

Q. What is the gel I have found on my baby's skin?

A. Huggies Nappies contain a super absorbent ingredient called Polyacrylate, which is mixed in with the nappy padding. This material turns liquid into gel, helping prevent nappy leakage. Occasionally this safe, gel material will seep out of the pad and onto your baby's skin. The gel material is quite safe and will not harm your baby in any way.

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Q. How do I remove the gel from my baby's skin?

A. If you notice a small amount of gel like material on your baby's skin simply remove it with a baby wipe or a damp washcloth.

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Q. What are Huggies Nappies made from?

A. As you can imagine, Huggies nappies are made up of quite a few ingredients. They are broken down into the following:

  • The padding inside Huggies nappies is made of a mixture of wood pulp and what we call Super Absorbent Material. The Super Absorbent Material is a polyacrylate crystal, which absorbs moisture and is the main absorbency material in our nappies. This turns into a gel, minor amounts of which can sometimes be found on your baby’s skin during use. Don’t worry it will not harm your child in any way.
  • The nappies are held together by glue.
  • Huggies have a cloth like outer cover.
  • Inside the nappy below the liner, there is what’s called a surge layer. This is made of polypropylene and polyethylene and helps with rapid absorption, spreading the urine equally throughout the nappy.
  • There is no latex used at all in the manufacture process.
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Q. What is the difference between boy and girl nappies?

A. All Huggies Nappies have the Unique 3 Layer Design™:

1. The first layer is a baby soft liner containing a pure and gentle balm designed to quickly draw wetness away from baby's skin.

2. The second contains revolutionary surge layers that quickly draw wetness away along the super absorbent padding.

3. The third layer is a compact lock-away cell which locks wetness away inside ultratrim layers of super absorbent material.

Because boys and girls have different absorbency needs, Huggies Nappies are designed to have absorbency where your baby needs it the most. Boys produce a greater concentration of urine at the front of the nappy where girls have a relatively even distribution of urine with a slightly higher concentration in the middle to the back of the nappy.

Huggies boy and girl nappies have been developed based on extensive testing with both Australian and New Zealand babies to maximise dryness and minimise leakage during the day and night for all babies.

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Q. Why has my baby’s nappy started to leak at night?

A. All our Huggies nappies are made to set design specifications. Most parents find the fit and performance of Huggies nappies are far better than any other brand on the market for their babies. That said we know every baby is very much an individual so the occasional leakage problem can occur.

The factors that can sometimes lead to leakage are the many movements your baby makes everyday, the quality of the nappy you use (Huggies nappies are the most absorbent nappies available), the nature of your baby’s bowel and bladder habits and the size of the nappy your baby is wearing.

We are constantly striving to improve our nappies and prevent leakage altogether. To that end, Huggies nappies now feature a Stretch-to-fit Waist, so the nappy adjusts to your baby's shape, making it even more comfortable and secure for baby. Huggies nappies also feature dual leak guards, providing an extra layer of protection from messy leaks.

The weight range on each of our packs is a guide only and quite often moving to the next size up will stop the leakage issues.

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Q. Do we make nappies for premature babies and where can you buy them?

A. Huggies Nappies in Australia and New Zealand do not currently produce a nappy specifically for premature babies. However, Huggies Neo-Natal nappies are imported directly from the USA and are designed to fit premature and very small babies. These nappies are only available for direct purchase from selected outlets within Australia and NZ.

You can view a full list of all retailers who sell Huggies Neo-Natal nappies here on our website or you can call Huggies Consumer Advisory Service on 1800 028 334 (Australia) or 0800 733 703 (New Zealand) for your nearest supplier, or send them an email.

Within the current Huggies range there is a Newborn Nappy designed for babies from birth up to 5kg in weight. Newborn nappies now have a Stretch-To-Fit waist band elastic which is designed for greater comfort and flexibility. This feature enables smaller babies to wear the Newborn nappy with greater ease and fit. Huggies Newborn Nappies are available through all major grocery, pharmacy and variety stores nationally.

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Q. Please explain the weight range guide that appears on the Huggies Nappies packs.

A. Huggies Nappies are available in a range of sizes to suit every stage of development. Every Huggies Nappies pack features a weight range table to help parents select the most appropriate nappy for their baby. The weight chart is designed as a guide only with fit and comfort differing from child to child. This range is used as there is so much variation in baby's shape and build. This variance is reflected in the weight guide which shows a slight overlap between each of the sizes.

The Huggies range of nappies includes:

Huggies Newborn Small Up to 5kg
Huggies Infant Small-Medium 4 to 8kg
Huggies Crawler Medium 6 to 11kg
Huggies Toddler Large 10 to 15kg
Huggies Walker X Large 13 to 18kg
Huggies Junior XX Large 16kg and over

See the products pages for more details.

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Q. I have accidentally put a nappy in the washing machine, how do I remove it?

A. Huggies Nappies contain a super absorbent ingredient called Polyacrylate, which is mixed in with the nappy padding. This material turns liquid into gel which traps liquid in and helps prevent nappy leakage. In a machine wash the nappy would have absorbed an enormous amount of water. This combined with the washing action would have resulted in the nappy disintegrating into small pieces, most likely clumps.

You will need to clean both the washing machine and any clothes that were in the wash with the nappy. Firstly, remove any large particles that remain in the machine. Remove and clean the machine filter. Once the filter is back in place run a normal wash cycle with no clothing in the machine. If you like, add some anti-bacterial rinse to the cycle to eliminate any germs present.

Once the machine is clean, re-wash any clothes that have nappy particles on them. If any item of clothing is severely affected, wash it separately by hand and then re-wash it in the machine. Once again add some anti-bacterial rinse to the wash if you desire. Clean the washing machine filter again once the cycle is completed. If there are any remaining particles on your clothes remove them with a lint brush once the clothes are dry.

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Q. What is the difference between Huggies and Snugglers?

A. Huggies and Snugglers are both made by Kimberly-Clark Australia. The main differences between the brands are in terms of absorbency and features.

Huggies Nappies are the driest, most absorbent nappies available providing the very best care for your baby. In fact, Huggies Nappies are clinically proven to help prevent nappy rash.

All Huggies Nappies have the following features:

· Soft Breathe Dry® all-over breathable cloth like cover.

· Unique 3 Layer Design™ which traps wetness away from your baby's skin with an extra absorbent core.

· Ultra Trim design.

· A baby soft liner softened with a gentle balm.

· Twin Tall leak guards.

· Soft waist elastic.

· Stretchy, wide, velcro style Grip Tabs.

Snugglers Nappies have been Australian parents' favourite economy nappy for over 25 years. Snugglers Nappies provide a good level of performance at a lower price. They contain a lesser amount of absorbent material in the nappy core and have fewer features than Huggies Nappies. 

All Snugglers Nappies have the following features:

· Soft cloth like cover.

· Ultra Trim design.

· Velcro style Grip Tabs.

· Twin leak guards.

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Q. Can I buy Huggies Nappies overseas?

A. Huggies Nappies are manufactured and sold around the world and are readily available in many countries. Huggies Nappies are generally locally manufactured and developed according to the needs of the local market. For this reason, the features and absorbency levels may differ from country to country. Generally a premium, high performing Huggies Nappy is usually available and is likely to satisfy people familiar with the Australia/New Zealand product.

The Huggies Nappies manufactured in Australia are available in New Zealand, and some of the Pacific Islands including Fiji, PNG, Nauru, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.The imported product is easily recognised because its packaging differs from that used in Australia in both colour and design. To be sure you are purchasing Australian made Huggies Nappies, please look for the packs featured below, and on our product range pages.

If you have any queries, please contact our consumer advisory service.

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