Best Makeup Removing Wipes for Sensitive Skin
As much as I don’t recommend using just wipes for removing your makeup at night, it’s still a better option than sleeping in your makeup or simply splashing your face with water and calling it a day. There are plenty of situations when using a makeup removing wipe instead of the usual 2-, 3-, or whatever-step cleansing routine just makes more sense, too. They work especially well for traveling, going to the gym, or for those nights when you have exactly two minutes to spend on your face before you crash, and not a second more. Been there, done that.
I don’t mind splurging on skincare, but wipes is one area where I genuinely prefer drugstore products. To me it’s like splurging on cotton rounds: some people like the nicer ones from Chanel and Shiseido, but I am perfectly fine with whatever I pick up at the grocery store for a few bucks. It’s the actual formula of the solution that makes all the difference anyway. Problem is, it’s a lot harder to find wipes suitable for sensitive skin than it seems.
In general, my skin is not sensitive; I would even say it’s pretty resilient. However, for some reason it always reacts poorly to makeup removing wipes. It manifests in dry, itchy cheeks, and red, irritated outer corners of my eyes. Sometimes even products marked as suitable for sensitive skin give me trouble [I’m looking at you, Neutrogena]. Skincare is so YMMV, am I right?
One of the products I’ve been using religiously over the past few months is Garnier SkinActive Micellar Waterproof Makeup Removing Towelettes ($6.99). These soft wipes are soaked in SkinActive Micellar water, which is also amazing if you are looking for a gentle fragrance-free makeup remover suitable for sensitive eyes and lips. Waterproof mascara? Gone. Lip stain? Poof! Long-lasting eyeliner or foundation? Cya!
Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Ether, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Laurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Propylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate.
I also like Derma E Hydrating Facial Wipes ($6.99), which is a more recent discovery. I was so hung up on Garnier that I didn’t even consider trying any other brands anymore. Garnier wipes are really good at removing makeup, but they don’t offer any skin-caring properties. Derma E wipes are infused with Hyaluronic Acid and botanical extracts to soothe the skin and keep it hydrated while cleansing. The cleansing solution is extremely gentle and will not work for waterproof formulas, but I had no issues removing regular makeup. It also makes my skin feel so soft!
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Betaine, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Powder Extract, Aristotelia Chinensis (Maqui Berry) Fruit Juice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Carya Ovata (Shagbark Hickory) Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Dilauryl Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Natural Fragrance.
Over the years I tried lots of different types of wipes, some were cheaper, and others more luxurious. Truth is, there isn’t that much difference between them, although the pricier ones usually tend to be a little softer, because they are made with more premium materials. But no matter which wipes you use, always remember to wash your face with plain water afterward. Do this after using micellar water too, even if the packaging says otherwise. Cleansing products are meant to dissolve oil and dirt, and if you leave them on the skin for too long, they will start dissolving the skin’s natural protective oils, too, which can cause dryness and irritation.
Do you have favorite cleansing wipes? How often do you use them, if ever? Let me know in the comments below!
