Makeup wipes and cotton pads: are they g...

Makeup wipes and cotton pads: are they good or bad for you?

For many years, I considered wipes and cotton pads to be skin friendly. However, I see that lately more and more dermatologists not only do not recommend them but also are completely against these two products. When it comes to wipes, they say that there are high levels of alcohol and harmful chemicals that can potentially dry, irritate and disrupt the skin PH balance. The texture – same for cotton pads or rounds – are a big risk for microtears. The mechanics of scrubbing the face with them can cause low-grade inflammation, which can promote breakouts, pigmentation and even early wrinkling overtime. If you use them and a exfoliante, it's most likely that you're removing the protective layer of your skin. Not to mention the debri that cotton pads or rounds can leave behind and clog pores, leading to acne and irritation. I know that they come in handy when I have an emergency but... Coincidentally or not, I dediced to ditch my morning cleanser for like 2 or 3 weeks and now I have pimples on my cheek that are not my regular acne (I only get them pre-period). I'm surely back to my cleanser. What do you think about it?

nattyskinfan

Oily/Sensitive

I hadn’t heard all that about cotton rounds! I was under the impression that besides in cases of extremely sensitive skin, a properly saturated cotton round was fine to use

nattyskinfan

Oily/Sensitive

For sure interesting! Most toners work fine without a cotton pad, thank goodness! But yeah micellar water and cleansing toners partly get their cleansing properties from the cotton round, so seems pretty important. Hopefully they’re okay when used in moderation!

BlueNWhite

Dry/Sensitive

I think it makes sense that the motion of pulling the wipes and cotton pads on our skin would cause friction resulting in the skin eventually being irritated. I use neither even to remove heavy eye makeup. I simply massage an oil based first cleanse with my hands & the makeup dissolves. Also, most wipes and cotton pads are one-time use products & not good for the environment ♻️

AnnieKalves

Oily/Sensitive

Exactly! I even have some reusable cotton rounds that are actually pretty good, but I wonder if that's what caused my skin to breakout.

frederique0622

Dry/Resilient

I prefer reusable wipes and really soft ones that aren’t abrasive. I now stay away from drying alcohol (not all alcohol are bad, depending of your skin tolerance). Everything reusable is best for the environment in my opinion, but a wipe from time to time like during vacations or on camping is ok (even if most of the time it affects my skin if I use it too much times in a row!)

Makeup wipes and cotton pads: are they good or bad for you?

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