DIY Makeup Remover Cloths...yes I'm serious!


OK, so I'm not a fan of store bought makeup remover wipes/cloths/towelettes for a few reason...they're too small so I use about 100 to get my face clean, they usually sting my eyes and aren't contact friendly, they're too dry and they're pricey!

So I researched high and low to bring  to you my favorite recipe for homemade makeup remover wipes.

Ingredients:

1 Roll of Paper Towels (I really like VIVA because they're more clothlike...softer and thicker without being abrasive)
4 Cups of Warm Water
1 Tablespoon of Tea Tree Oil
2 Tablespoons of Oil (Vitamin E, Coconut, Moroccan/Argan...anything marketed for healthy skin, I used coconut oil because that's what I had and it smells delicious)
2 Tablespoons of Gentle Cleanser (I used J&J Baby Shampoo, it's tear free! Should be something super water soluble, not like a face wash)
Sharp Knife
Airtight Container (deep enough to hold a half roll of paper towels, I just used Tupperware)

Instructions:

1. Cut roll of paper towels in half (or smaller if you want smaller wipes or have a smaller container), a sharp non-serrated knife works best.
2. Place towels in container (it's ok if they are a little taller than the container because once they're wet they'll smoosh down).
3. Mix the water, tea tree oil, desired oil (if you have coconut oil solid make sure it's fully melted and before adding to water) and cleanser and pour over paper towels.
4. Replace lid and gently flip container repeatedly to fully saturate the towels.
5. Open container and remove cardboard core from paper towels (this should slide out fairly easily after a few wiggles since it will be wet).
6. Pull your towels from the center just as you would store bought cleaning wipes in a tube, they will tear at the perforation and won't get tangled up.

It's seriously that easy.  I made my first batch and love it!  If you are nervous about the end product being something you'll like, wait until you have a half empty roll of paper towels and make a small batch until you find a recipe you really like.  Experiment with different oils and cleansers.

One thing I will say is that the Tea Tree Oil is essential because when you're using tap water, the towels can start to mold and the TT Oil prevents that.  If you don't want to use TT Oil, be sure to use distilled water to prevent molding.

Tea Tree Oil is great for breakouts: One study found tea tree oil to be just as effective as benzoyl peroxide, but without the negative side effects like redness and peeling.

Argan Oil is the new hot product on the market: Marketed to reduce acne, brown spots, cellulite and stretch marks and increase firmness and prevent signs of premature aging.

Coconut Oil smells great and has a kabillion benefits: Reduces redness and brown spots, prevents dry scaly skin, and is a rich source of Vitamin E.

For all the tree huggers, you can totally do this with all organic products.  For the mom's the recipe can be modified to make homemade baby wipes.


I'm going to modify this recipe to make homemade eye makeup remover pads (I like them for traveling) using all of the same ingredients (in lesser amounts obviously) and these cotton pads, which are like a buck at CVS...