When you think about reducing, reusing, and recycling, your mind probably turns right to plastic products like straws or water bottles. Replacements for such things are undeniably on the rise in popularity, such as reusable straws that can fold up into a small container attached to your key chain, but have you thought about other items you have to constantly buy refills of because of how often you use them? Yes, I am talking about those pesky makeup wipes.
Many people use makeup wipes multiple times a week, if not a couple every night, whether to rub off a bit of mascara or to expunge those layers of foundation and powder products. According to Makeup Eraser’s website, over one billion wipes are used every single day. This extensive use of wipes renders a multitude of unique issues for our planet. The company Makeup Eraser describes that these wipes are either thrown out, which causes the chemicals within them to spread into the ground and pollutes the water, or they are flushed, which leads them to end up in the ocean and pollute the home of many sea creatures. Furthermore, the website details that a makeup wipe takes about 100 years for it to breakdown, and that wipes are “the 3rd most wasteful product in the world.” Makeup Eraser’s site repeats the mantras #nomorewipes and #nomorewaste.
Not only does the Makeup Eraser brand have such a positive goal of eliminating waste, but they also have a phenomenal product: the perfect alternative to those wasteful and harmful makeup wipes. Like any new thing, at first, I was a little hesitant to switch up my products and routine that had become so familiar to me. However, I quickly learned to love this soft cloth and became repulsed by the old wipes I used. In my experience, this alternative product was even better at lifting off my caked-on concealer and foundation, dissolving my eyeshadow, and miraculously melting my mascara away at the end of the day. I used to rub and rub a wipe full of chemicals on my eyes to rid my lashes of the clumpy stuff, but with a warm, dampened Makeup Eraser, the product easily disappears. My skin thanks me for no longer irritating it with multiple wipes each night, instead choosing a softer material that actually seems to relax it. (It even has an exfoliating side!)
For those of you that may just wear a thin layer of mascara or a bit of concealer and may not need a larger cloth that an MUE (makeup enthusiast) may require, do not worry – there are more alternatives. There is the smaller version sold by Makeup Eraser, but there are also other brands such as Face Halo that have a similar product. Face Halo sells a circular makeup remover that resembles a cotton round; I also own a three-pack of these which was only $22 and has proven to be just as beneficial. Another popular product on the market would be the Cleansing Cloud from Elf, which I have not tried, but at a price as low as $4, I am tempted to give it a shot.
Fortunately, these reusable makeup removers are starting to pop up all over from various brands. Based on all of the benefits for not only your skin and your bank account but also the Earth, I highly suggest making the switch. With just one person switching to the Makeup Eraser, the brand estimates that 3,600 wipes will not be used. Save the planet, ditch the makeup wipes!