The truth about diapers

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How diaper choices impact Our babies

Your baby’s skin touches diapers all day, every day. You trust
diapers to keep your little one safe. But the reality is stark:

DId you know:

Up until now, every diaper available on the market has been bleached?

DId you know:

Diaper ingredients can leach into
your baby's skin, making skin more red and sensitive.

DId you know:

That line on pretty much all diapers that go from yellow to blue (BTB) is a chemical irritant that is not even allowed in adult cosmetics let alone for sensitive baby skin?

DId you know:

Unlike baby food or skincare, diapers don’t undergo strict regulatory pre-market safety checks before hitting shelves.

We can do better, and we are!

What is the chemical blue line?

The wetness indicator, the line that diapers have that goes from yellow to blue, aka Bromothymol Blue (BTB) is a chemical irritant.

chemical
irritant

BTB is a known irritant and chemical hazard. It can cause skin and eye irritation & requires gloves, goggles, and PPE for safe handling.

made to change
diapers faster

The BTB line was created for parents to change the diaper prematurely as soon as the line changed color. This way, the parent can go through diapers faster and buy more.

Infant Skin is
Highly Vulnerable

Newborn skin has increased permeability, an underdeveloped barrier, and a higher surface-area-to-weight ratio, which means chemicals can enter the bloodstream more easily than in adults.

Could BTB be
made safe?

“Food-grade BTB” doesn’t solve the fundamental problem – it’s still a chemical indicator with irritation potential. It’s still an acid-base indicator, which means it interacts with pH changes (urine → alkaline).

HIRO took the big step to remove the chemical blue line even when it’s marketed as a convenience.

*read more about BTB’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on our FAQ page

REDUCE. REGENERATE.

We’re not waiting for the world to change. We’re growing the solution ourselves.

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Today’s Best. Tomorrow’s Better.

At HIRO, we believe the future of diapering lies not in replacing plastic at all costs, but in rethinking how we coexist with it: radically, responsibly, & regeneratively.

We’re focusing on what truly matters: safety for babies, performance for parents, and the lowest possible impact on the planet. That means fewer layers (up to 50% less plastic than leading brands), no bleach, no fluff-for-fluff’s-sake, and absolutely nothing unnecessary touching the baby’s skin.

HYGIENIX 2024 INNOVATION AWARD WINNER

PARENTS’ PICKS AWARDS 2025 WINNER
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Nature-Led Innovation, Powered by Fungi

But our vision goes deeper. We're not just making a diaper, we're building a system that brings nature into the loop.

Our proprietary end-of-life solution harnesses the best organisms on Earth proven to break down stubborn plastic polymers: fungi. These microbes don’t just "degrade" a diaper, they digest it, transforming waste into life. With our fungi-powered approach, even the synthetic components we use with intention today can be broken down tomorrow.

HYGIENIX 2024 INNOVATION AWARD WINNER

PARENTS’ PICKS AWARDS 2025 WINNER

REDUCE. REGENERATE.

We don’t follow “green” trends. We follow data, ethics, and outcomes.

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Nature Is the Blueprint

We’re always learning, testing, and evolving. We actively explore natural replacements for some of the current diaper materials (things that don’t exist yet):

  • Could we replace synthetic adhesives with bio-based glues?
  • Could elastics evolve beyond petroleum-based polymers?
  • Can plant-derived alternatives offer the same durability without added toxicity?
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We don’t follow “green” trends

But progress here demands nuance. For example:

Natural latex

might seem like a better alternative, but it’s a common allergen for infants. Until there’s a hypoallergenic version, we won’t compromise safety for sustainability.

Cotton topsheets

are often bleached to increase absorbency. We keep our diaper unbleached and let performance come from better design, not harsher chemistry.

Bamboo or other bio-based

materials sound promising, but most are chemically processed into viscose (rayon). It’s not better for babies, and it’s not cleaner for the planet. We’ve done the math, and the chemistry.

We’re working on it, layer by layer.
Welcome to the HIRO’s Journey.

Tiny Bottoms,
Big Impact

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