Facial Wipes— Friends or Foe?

Good facial wipes are a Summer essential. Fact. There is no time to be dilly dallying around with cleansers, serums and toners when you are in the middle of field at a festival, or on a sandy beach, and just want the best, most efficient fuss free way to remove makeup. When we ask if good face wipes exist, we question whether they really are bad for your skin or not.

When it comes to cleansing your face, going the whole hog with cleansers can sometimes seem like hard work. That’s where face wipes come in. Cheap, quick and easy to use, we will all admit to hoarding them through our teenage years. Many of us have even considered them as the best form of makeup removers because of their convenience. But what are they doing to our skin?

Face wipes leave residue behind. The wipe does the same job as cleanser, but without the extra step of rinsing your face with water after use, the grime is left clinging onto your skin. Unfortunately, some of the most efficient face wipes include alcohol as an ingredient to dissolve makeup (and to also compensate for the lack of water), which can dramatically dry out the skin. Some say that face wipes play a part in causing spots and aging skin, as well.

To increase the shelf-life of makeup wipes, certain chemicals are added which are used as preservatives, and are not beneficial for the overall health of your skin. Not to mention the somewhat aggressive back and forth motion of using the wipe being significantly more damaging than cleansing with water based products.

However, cleansing your face in a situation where you lack access to running water can leave you with no other option but wipes, making it important to follow these precautions for healthier skin: after removing your makeup with a wipe, rinse your face with water. This may be difficult, but at least tip some water from your water bottle into your hands and give your face a splash. Also, take care to avoid wiping the delicate eye area with wipes and immediately moisturise after using face wipes. Wipes with phenoxyethanol in them are recommended, so check the back of the packet!

If you are looking for favorable face wipes, we recommend Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes from their Kind to Skin range, which do contain phenoxyethanol as well as multi-vitamins. If you would rather stick to cleansing your face without wipes, try the Simple Kind To Eyes Make Up Remover which is perfect for sensitive skin and also marginally better for skin than the simple cleansing facial wipes.

What are your opinions on face wipes?