Beauty Alert! Are your facial wipes damaging your skin?

Depending on who you are, taking off your make up can be either the best or worst part of your day. For me, there is no greater feeling than taking off the day’s maquillage and getting that fresh face feeling! By Yasmin Browne

So, what do you use to remove your war paint?

Facial wipes are easy to use, fast and most of all cost effective – no wonder they are a hit with busy women. In fact, every year sales double due to the popularity of these handy little wipes, which is great for beauty brands. The real question is; are they causing damage to our skin? Let’s break it down into pros and cons…

(Wrinkles aren’t so bad when you have smile like that!)

Pros:

– Budget friendly
– Quick and effective
– Easy to use
– Travel Friendly
– No mess

Cons:

– Some contain alcohol which can irritate and dry your skin
– Excessive rubbing to the skin can cause premature lines and wrinkles
– Cause unnecessary bacteria
– Not delicate enough for the eye area (with continued use)

These are just a few.

Facial wipes are amazing to take on your travels or if you are in a rush, but studies have shown that we should not be using them in our everyday routines for long periods of time – especially as we get older. The older we get, the more we have to look after our skin – this means being aware of how we treat our skin and the products we use. In short, excessive use of facial wipes can result in skin that looks more lined, dry, and wrinkled than it should. To have healthy looking skin, there are some amazing guilt-free alternatives for removing your makeup . Whether you are on a budget or want to splurge, here are some of our favourites:

Micellar Water: These are formulated to be gentle and mild to the skin and can remove makeup with one easy sweep…

Splurge: Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water, £25. This is a natural formula and is infused with plant oil to cleanse and remove makeup without irritation.

Budget: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, £4.99, this gives 200 uses. Like all micellar cleansers, it’s also gentle enough to use on eyes.

Cleansing Balms: These oil based products are perfect in removing makeup. Oils help breakdown the cosmetics, grime and dirt…

Splurge: Clinique Take the day off Cleansing Balm, £22 – a little really does go a long way . Using a small amount will remove a full face including waterproof mascara .

Budget: Lush ultrabland. Consisting of almond oil, honey and rose water – this removes all residue and makeup leaving your skin feeling fresh and nourished . Not bad for £7.50 eh?

If you are not keen on using these types of products, there are some lovely cleansing lotions that do just the trick too.

A little tip: if you need to use a facial wipe – why not try applying an oil to it such as jojoba oil, argan or any type of facial oil . This not only softens the facial wipe, but it also causes less rubbing and irritation to the skin too.