A while back I was researching sustainable/unsustainable things in regards to beauty. And all my research led me to stop trying single use products....namely sheet masks. While looking into that I looked a little bit into makeup wipes.
I bought some years and years back and while I liked the convenience, I didn 't really like the cost. Especially not when I was in college. Or even high school. I would just use a face wash to get my makeup off in high school. Much more cost effective. I'm not sure of the prices back then but now for a 25 count of Neutrogena at Walmart you will pay nearly $5.00. More if you are buying from a drugstore. Of course, if you buy off brand it may be cheaper- but you may need to use more than one. And if you are buying ones with better ingredients- it will cost more. Let's say I went mid-range, and bought them all full price, no sales- I would be looking at $73.00 a year. That's using one a day.. there are some days I don't wear makeup so maybe just a little less than that.
When I was broke in high school, and going through college, there were better ways to spend my money. Especially considering I would still want to use a facial cleanser afterwards...so I would be buying that anyway with the wipes. I don't like the ingredients in those wipes and while they do an OK job, I don't think it's as good as actually washing my face with water and a cleanser/soap. I also don't want that stuff sitting on my face which is why most days I would follow up with a full cleanse. On lazy days where I just barely removed my makeup, I probably wouldn't.
Now that I have a steady job, I still don't want to spend that much on wipes. Such a boring purchase. And likely would cost more since I would want to try different ones at different price points because I don't really repurchase often.
Now...the reason is more because of the environment. They are essentially plastic. Plastic waste is not good for the environment, it takes forever to degrade...it mostly just sits and looks nasty.
Supposedly it takes over 100 years for a make-up wipe to break down and they generate 7.6 billion pounds of waste each year. 1.2 million wipes a day. I believe that includes all wipes- baby wipes, cleaning wipes like Lysol and Clorox, and makeup wipes. Not good. Not good at all. And looks so nasty.
Makeup Wipes are a fairly new thing, I read an article that dates them to the early 2000's. I guess that's about when I started seeing them. Then they just blew up and are everywhere.
There are some that claim to be biodegradable. But as I understand it there's no real research showing under what conditions it would degrade and how long.
There are some compostable...these ones from Simple are supposed to be made from renewable plant fibers and sustainable wood pulp that can biodegrade in 42 days. The word "can" makes me a little skeptical. But I guess that's better than nothing, right?
Almost forgot another negative is how much they tug at the skin. And there is some delicate skin on the face, particularly around the eyes. Don't want to cause premature wrinkles.
So what are some alternatives?
Double Cleanse/Oil Cleanse-
It involves thoroughly washing your face with two cleansers. The only catch is that the cleansers need to be two different types to have the desired effect. The first is usually an oil-based cleanser. This is followed up by a water-based one.
I like the old school Ponds method, the old methods was less wasteful and I love that the old Ponds cold cream came in glass. I tried Ponds but it didn't work that great for me. Lush has a version I want to give a try one day.
These days they have re-useable makeup clothes, those are usually a mix of synthetic materials which is also not good for the environment- although I haven't quit gotten away from buying clothes that are a mix of synthetics, I really want to because the fibers that wash away in the washing machine isn't good for the earth.
I tend to just go for soap these days, although I was into oil cleansing for awhile....I didn't like how often I had to clean the sink. Also, a 100% linen or cotton washcloth works just as well and is environmentally friendly too.
And now I'm done blabbing for the night....time for bed.
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