If you’re still using makeup wipes, please do yourself and Mother Earth a favor by stopping.
Makeup wipes do not wipe the skin clean. Instead, they break down the gunk on your skin and push it all over your face.
They also damage your skin’s barrier and acid mantle, which can wreak all kinds of havoc.
Makeup wipes are typically non-biodegradable and negatively impact our environment, especially our coastlines.
Makeup wipes are bad for you, and the environment.
The average makeup wipe takes around a century to decompose!
Wet wipes were invented in 1957 by Arthur Julius. Julius, having a cosmetics background, invented wet wipes with the intention of them being used in the cosmetics world, but this was not their original use.
He sold his wipes to Colonel Harland Sanders for his customers to enjoy while dining at his Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
Soon afterwards, the application of wet wipes for makeup removal became a common beauty practice.
As of 2020, the global makeup wipe sales reached $550 million USD!
With a number that big, it’s not hard to realize makeup wipes are another inessential product marketed to make an extra buck in the beauty industry.
Dare to say no to makeup wipes!
Your skin will be happy, the environment will be happy, and your wallet will be happy.
You might be thinking, “How am I going to take my makeup off?” Your answer is to use a sulfate-free cleanser (cleansing 2x may be necessary if the makeup is heavy) + a microfiber makeup remover cloth.
What doesn’t come off with the cloth, can be removed with a facial-friendly oil of your choice, such as coconut oil.
Below are a few of my favorite Eminence Organic Skin Care cleansers (the only cleansers I use!) + my favorite microfiber makeup remover cloths!
Any product with the Monoi scent from Eminence will make you melt; which is what particularly draws me to this cleanser!
Its smell is in competition with its exfoliating power, however. Gentle enough to use daily, but strong enough to get the job done.
This cleanser has a satisfying smell and creamy texture. With such a soothing feel, this cleanser is ideal for targeting youthful skin without a physical exfoliation.
Your skin will feel plump and hydrated from the added botanical hyaluronic acid.
While the smell more herbal and less fruity, this cleanser is perfect for sensitive or irritated skin.
Paired with cool water, this cleanser is the antidote for calming down an upset epidermis.
BONUS! I can't forget to share my favorite reusable makeup cloth...
This 6-pack of microfiber makeup cloths will literally last you years.
One cloth usually lasts me for a year, with repeated use. Use, wash, and reuse!
To put this in perspective for you, this 6-pack of microfiber towels is $7.99 on Amazon and will last me approximately 6 years.
If I were to buy basic makeup wipes, such as this pack of 50 Neutrogena wipes, they would only last me 50 days and cost me nearly $10 as of December 2023.
For these wipes to last me 6 years, I would have to purchase nearly 44 packages of wipes for nearly $400!
Setting aside money, in 6 years, I would accumulate nearly 2,200 makeup wipes in waste. And that’s just ONE person’s waste!