People should pick damp gauze or cotton over wet wipes as far as possible when it comes to cleaning sensitive skin, the Consumer Council said on Tuesday.

The watchdog made the remark after testing 20 samples of personal care wet wipes and identifying problems with some of them.

It said one sample by Daiso contained a total bacterial count exceeding the mainland’s maximum limit by nearly 500 times, adding that it believes the wipes had been contaminated before the package was even opened.

One sample by Mannings, meanwhile, had a pH value below the lower limit of national standards, while another model by nepia was found to contain preservatives commonly found in cosmetic products.

The chairperson of the council's research and testing committee, Nora Tam, said people should avoid using wet wipes as much as possible, especially on babies and elderly people who have sensitive skin.

"If possible, use less wet wipes and use water with cotton...Only use [wet wipes] when it's necessary, and when you are outside and there’s nothing else you can use," she said.

"If you only use a little bit of wet wipes, not very often, don't buy the large pack, because very often they'll expire or they'll be dried out or they might have bacterial contamination because the sealable is not really that tight."

Tam added that most wet wipes are made from materials that are harmful to the environment, and should therefore be used sparingly.