Why we should wave goodbye to face wipes

Let’s face it, we all dread that time of the evening when we have to take of the day’s make-up and grime in preparation for our much-needed beauty sleep. For many, cleansing wipes are a bathroom essential: they’re convenient, cheap and most importantly quick.

The sales of cleansing wipes have doubled in recent years and our skin is not happy about it.

Cleansing wipes contain huge amounts of chemical components to keep them moist, effective and preserved. Methylisothiazolinone (MI), parabens, alcohol denat (ethanol or ethyl alcohol) and triclosan are some of the nasties which you'll find in your cleansing wipes.

These all help to dissolve and lift make-up, oil and dead skin, but without rinsing those ingredients off you run the risk of leaving grime residue on your skin and subjecting your poor skin to an array of irritating chemicals that will sit on your skin, then potentially be absorbed into your blood stream while you sleep. Yuck!

When using a cleansing wipe it’s easy to get into the habit of rubbing the wipe vigorously to remove a bit of stubborn eye make-up. The skin around your eyes is extremely delicate, the rubbing motion alone will drag the skin and could cause premature ageing, let alone what potential damage the ingredients could cause.

As well as irritation, high levels of alcohol can also cause extreme dryness and premature ageing. Always be extra careful around the eye area and when applying creams tap, don’t rub. This will stimulate circulation and reduce dark circles and puffy eyes.

If you’re prone to spots or acne, a good daily beauty regime is extra important. You may think you like that dry-skin feeling you get after using a cleansing wipe – especially if you’ve got oily skin.

But drying out your skin won’t improve acne – it can actually make it worse as your skin will produce more sebum to compensate.

Those who wear contact lenses and those with dry or sensitive skin need to be extra vigilant with their skin care routine and avoid cleansing wipes at all costs. While they are convenient for our busy lives, cleansing wipes are full of nasties that can irritate your skin.

It's not just your skin that wipes are damaging, they're also becoming an increasingly large problem for our coastline and water treatment works. A report by the UK’s Marine Conservation Society has shown that the number of wet wipes washed up on beaches has increased by 50% since 2013.

With an average of 56 wipes found for every mile of beach, this is a serious problem that is only getting worse. The reason wet wipes are littering our coast line is due to people flushing them down the toilet rather than throwing used wipes in the trash.

Face wipes will only remove impurities from the skin’s surface, and so have no other skin benefits, but Green People’s Gentle Cleanse moisturizes and conditions your skin at the same time, and carries far less risk of irritation.

Our Gentle Cleanse gently removes all eye make-up, including waterproof mascara, cleansing away the day's impurities and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. It's also free from drying alcohol and rich in moisturizing actives.

Remember: a good cleansing routine is key for healthy, glowing skin. It’ll only take you an extra few minutes every night, but your skin will thank you for ditching those cleansing wipes and switching to something gentler.

Your skin is as individual as you are and we understand that one cleanser does not fit all. Use our handy guide below to pick your ideal match.

View our natural cleansers. If you have any questions about our products, please contact our friendly customer care team by emailing organic@greenpeopleus.com or leave a comment below.