While many modern beauty products of today have been created out of convenience for us, like dry shampoo, the use of makeup wipes in your daily skincare routine is what some beauty experts would classify as ‘lazy beauty’. Many people often forget to take their makeup off from the night before and end up sleeping in it, or even think that using makeup wipes is an efficient cleanser for the night. Contrary to popular belief, however, makeup wipes are actually not the best product to be using on your skin, especially in terms of eye makeup removal.
For starters, makeup wipes don’t actually remove all of your makeup. They smudge makeup around your face, so you really only get a partial clean, according to board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Janet Prystowksy. Dr. Prystowsky also explains that makeup wipes can leave behind a residue of cleansers and preservatives that can dry your skin out, and even sometimes cause allergic reactions. Additionally, since makeup wipes are not created to actually clean the skin, their design to break down makeup particles will not only leave residue on your skin, but also clog your pores.
Taking this into account, makeup wipes are therefore not a suitable option as an eye makeup remover, especially since eye tissue is extremely sensitive. This can also lead to wrinkles and other eye lines down the line!
All of this being said, there is one eye makeup remover product I have discovered this year that has changed the game for me altogether – baby shampoo. Now hear me out, I was skeptical too when I had heard of this at first. This was actually recommended to me by my optometrist to help take better care of my eyes as an avid contact wearer, but as someone who had been struggling with using makeup wipes, I decided to give it a try. Besides the fact that it is gentle on the skin and doesn’t make your eyes water, baby shampoo is also pretty inexpensive compared to other eye cleansers on the market. One bottle of baby shampoo will also last a very long time, and comparing this to the byproduct waste of single-use makeup wipes, it is better for the environment which is always an added plus.
So while this may not be a typical cleanser you would consider using, next time you find yourself at the store, consider using baby shampoo as the cleanser substitute that can leave your eyes and the skin around it in better health than the alternative of the makeup wipe.
