I've been sitting on this post for a while, for obvious reasons. When it comes to skincare, I'm a huge advocate of thorough cleansing and am not for one second suggesting that anyone replaces that with a quick (s)wipe. There are, however, certain circumstances when wipes are better than nothing - and in those, I suggest using some with decent ingredients that won't strip your skin.
I was completely ignorant to the downsides of wipes until I had babies with sensitive skin, which heavy fragrance and a shedload of harsh chemicals in big brand baby wipes would aggravate. Sadly, attaching 'baby' to a product name does not equal skin kind. When I discovered how great they are at removing carpet stains, that said it all really!
While I'm much more likely to use micellar water than reach for a wipe (Bioderma is a long term favourite though I've recently discovered the rather lovely Dolce & Gabbana Cleansing Water), I recognise that there are some circumstances where this is less than practical. Like travelling (in flight, you can obvs cleanse properly when you land!), camping, or when you've already fallen into bed after a big night and can't quite make it to the bathroom (not that this has EVER happened to me *cough*).
So lately I've been trying out some posh wipes, launched by skincare brands whose cleansers I'm already a fan of: Clinique Take the Day Off, Bioderma Sensibio H20 and Pixi Moisturising Cleansing Cloths. They all work in terms of removing most of my makeup... I needed 2-3 wipes per cleanse (and yes I did go in with a second cleanser each time).
I find the original Bioderma Micellar Water (£7 for 25) more effective than the wipes in terms of makeup removal - it really is hard to beat - but when carrying liquids is impractical, Bioderma Sensibio H20 wipes come in a close second. The packaging is the most compact (there's less of them) and the wipes are scented.
Pixi Moisturising Cleansing Cloths (£10 for 40) with aloe vera and camelia oil have very little scent and a long, narrow shape, so you can kind of work along them, moving onto a clean bit if you know what I mean. They are stretchy, durable and not too wet.
Clinique Take the Day Off cleansing oil is one of the best makeup removers I've tried, so I had high expectations for the Micellar Cleansing Towelettes (£16 for 50) and they don't disappoint. These were the most effective at removing stubborn eye makeup, whereas all three did a fairly even job at face makeup removal. They are slightly smaller (by a couple of cm) but the biggest pack.
If you don't feel like forking out so much, Yes to Cucumber Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes are my top budget option.
Just to emphasise, I do not recommend using face wipes regularly or long term - your face will thank you for a proper, thorough cleanse. Making this one change has made a bigger improvement to my skin than any single product.
I may have to follow this with a post on my favourite proper cleansers, just to balance things out!
So would you use wipes, do you already, never in a million? Leave me a note below...
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