Makeup Remover. Cloths, oils, or soaps?

Hi all,
For my readers in the US I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I had a super busy week and have loved every second of it! Seeing my family  and friends really reminded me what this season is all about, giving and being with the people you love most.


Today I wanted to write about makeup remover. Since I've had so many posts about applying makeup, I figured it's time for one about taking it OFF.

I've use many types of makeup removers in the past, and now I think I've gotten it down. When I first was introduced to makeup, I used basic soap on my face to remove it all. I typically shower at night, so I could just rinse my face, scrub some bar soap on it, rinse it again, and call it good! This wasn't very long lasted however, as I sometimes came out of the shower looking like a raccoon, so I switched to something a little more heavy duty.

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I switched to a liquid makeup remover, something that came in a small plastic bottle that you squeezed to release the liquid onto a cotton ball or cotton round and then rubbed over your face to dissolve all makeup residue. The liquid base cleansers are typically an oil based product, so they can have the adverse affect of clogging your pores and causing breakouts. Coconut, jojoba, or any other high quality oil can also be used instead of these liquid makeup removers and are generally cheaper/healthier for your skin.

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I used this method for a year or two before I switched to using makeup remover pads. These products are soft towelettes that have been soaked in makeup remover. You then remove them from the package and use them similarly to how you would use a cotton ball or cotton round to remove the makeup. I have been using these products since, often switching between brands to find the best out there. I have used Almay, Pacifica, Neutrogena,  and more. These towelettes have the advantage of having a larger surface area, so you can really get all the makeup off your skin without using 5 cotton balls. I also find that these can be used up to three times, if you don't wear a full face of makeup daily. To store mine, I typically alternate between placing them upside down and right side up to ensure that the moisture is evenly distributed. However, some of these products tend to irritate my eyes if I rub them too hard and are generally not environmentally friendly as they are not reusable. Also, a side note: whenever I have issues with hives and don't feel like taking a shower to wash all the allergen off, I use one of these wipes to clean it off with no issue.

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I also have recently discovered microfiber towels for makeup removal. I currently use the towels from Norwex, but I do believe the popular Makeup Eraser that is sold at Sephora is similar. The prodcuts have the advantage of being environmentally friendly, while effectively removing your makeup. However, because they need to be wet when you use them, I feel they are not for everyone, especially the woman who wants something super quick and super easy. I typically take my showers at night, so I just store my towels there and wet them when I want to use them. They remove most of my makeup with just water and leave my skin feeling really clean. I have had some issues with removing some waterproof mascara simply because no soaps are used, If you don't shower at night, or on't like washing your face with a lot of water before bed these won't really work for you. Because of this factor, I switch back and forth between the microfiber towels and the moist towelettes.

For a recipe to make your own makeup remover towelettes, check out this post from Redefined Mom. She has a great, simple recipe that takes no time at all, and combines the simplicity of a towelette with the nourishing qualities of oils.

So thanks everyone for reading! I hope you all have a great week!

- Megan