Around two years ago, I went to visit my older sister in Colorado, and like most people, I forgot an essential item at home — makeup remover. If you’re like me, sleeping with makeup on is not an option. I thought that I would just borrow some wipes or micellar water and make it through the trip, but my sister only had cold cream. Cold cream is an old-school “holy grail” product. It has been used as a facemask, lip balm, or even a shaving cream. But due to its moisturizing properties, it is also perfect for cleansing the skin and removing makeup. Even though I had never actually tried cold cream before, I was not excited to use it. It seemed clumpy, oily and overall just gross. But after a week of being forced to use it, I realized that I prefer cold cream over all types of makeup remover, and there were two reasons for this.
First, I realized that it was the most gentle makeup remover I had ever used! When I first started experimenting with different types of makeup remover, I started with the wipes. I would scrub until my eyes turned red and multiple eyelashes had fallen out. Once I realized that I could no longer afford to lose so many lashes in a day, I switched to micellar water. This seemed to work for a long time until one day it suddenly started to burn my eyes no matter what brand I chose. I then went back and forth between variations of these two methods until I discovered cold cream. I have been using it for a little over two years now and have never had any sort of irritation or redness occur from harsh scrubbing. My most favorite thing about this product is that it MELTS your makeup right off. All you have to do is gently rub the cream onto your makeup, rinse it with water and pat to dry.
The second reason I have stuck with cold cream for so long is how affordable it is. I used to buy a pack of makeup remover wipes every month for about $6 each. Over one year, I probably spent around $72. The cold cream I prefer (Ponds Makeup Remover Cleansing Balm) is only $10 a jar and lasts me six months. So on average, I save $52, which I know doesn’t seem like a lot but every penny is worth it when you’re a college student.
So if you have been looking for a sign to switch something up in your skincare routine, this is it. There is a huge variety of cold creams to choose from and many of them are not only affordable, but a great product to take off your makeup. Within seconds, you can remove a full face of makeup and be ready for bed.
P.S This article is dedicated to my sister Alex, who always has impeccable taste in all things fashion, beauty and apparently… makeup remover.