Are You Pickling Your Skin? The Truth About Makeup Wipes
You might be pickling your skin to death with this product.
Article 3
May 19, 2020
This seemingly innocuous product can wreak havoc on skin. If you use these on more than the occasional "late night" say, once or twice a year... you're using them too much!
What is this egregious culprit? Makeup Wipes.
Surprised? Yeah, well you’re not alone. Once this is thought through, though, it makes sense. Here is my personal speculation on why this isn't such a great idea, particularly over an extended period of time. (I'll revisit this topic later after I cross-reference with input from other skincare experts.)
PS- Don’t feel bad if you do this. It’s more common than you think. You don’t know better until you know better. Plus, we all get stuck in our habits. Sometimes, we just need to learn some new, better ones!
Why Makeup Wipes Aren’t Great
1. Preservatives and chemicals. They're wet cloths in an enclosed container, at room temperature. What do they put in there, exactly, to keep them from getting gross? Can’t be good.
2. Moisture-to-cloth ratio. There's not enough moisture, IMHO. This causes too much friction and is way too harsh on the skin, bottom line. The scrubbing and tugging you have to do on the skin to sufficiently remove makeup (especially waterproof!) makes me want to cry.
3. Two-in-one is a no-go. It's like a shampoo-conditioner situation. You can't effectively cleanse and coat, simultaneously. (At least, not every day, without it taking a toll on the skin.) You wouldn’t be pleased if you went to a car-wash and they tossed on suds and sealant all at once and called it a day, would ya? Or nail salon and they did remover and top coat altogether? …you get the point.
In a nutshell: Yes, makeup wipes have gotten a lot better, BUT— continuous use of makeup wipes daily causes stress on the skin, doesn’t allow it to be thoroughly (or properly) cleansed, and skin is routinely “pickled” by the chemicals, friction, stress and neglect which can cause drying, premature aging and wrinkling. Toss em! They’re like feminine douches. Like, why do they exist, though? Seriously.
The Better Alternative.
Simply use Micellar Water and Cotton Pads, instead. Same-same but different. You’re doing the same thing as makeup wipes, but this is soooo much better for your skin. Here are my recommendations:
GOOD
Muji Cotton Pads ($3 for 165 pads)
Bioderma Micellar Water ($15 for 16.7 fluid oz.)
vs.
BAD
Neutrogena Makeup Wipes ($9 for 2-pack, or 50 wipes)
Why the Micellar Water/Cotton Pad Combo is the Bee’s Knees: not only will one of these puppies do as much work if not more than one of those makeup wipes, but:
> The cotton’s fabric is gentler on your skin (it won’t cause micro-lacerations) plus—friction irritates the skin.
> The Micellar water’s unique formula removes dirt effectively without compromising the skin’s moisture balance. Hello plump, happy, youthful skin! Don’t forget to saturate adequately (be generous with yourself!).
> You get the same removal effects sans chemicals.
> It’s more economical when you do the math! It costs around half as much.
Remember: It will most likely take time to re-institute a healthy skin barrier but I anticipate that your skin will show improvement immediately. But really, though, what is there to lose here? Nothing.
“Tippy-Tip: You’re creating a product sandwich when you do your skincare routine. Let’s make it a crepe cake situation, not an Italian sub. Cleanse your face properly, moisturize, let it sit for a minute. Blot with a tissue. Apply sunscreen, blot with tissue. Apply foundation, blot with tissue, then powder. You’ll be surprised at how much this extends your wear.”
In case you’re in a cyclical trap of self-loathing and false thoughts about vanity during your morning makeup routine…
Did you know:
When our self-esteem is higher, we are less affected by stress and anxiety, we experience rejections and failures as less hurtful, and we recover from them more quickly. In this way, our self-esteem functions like an emotional immune system that buffers us from emotional and psychological injuries.
Source: Psychology Today
Toodle-oo, Pikachu. See you next Tuesday. -Renee