#makeup-remover

By Misty Spinney

Yes, the Pinterest rumors/Pins are true; you CAN make makeup remover wipes, and there are tons of different ways to do so floating around the Internet. The question is, SHOULD you make them? There have definitely been a few DIY beauty don’ts that we have come across in the past — you know, the ones that end up being a time suck, a budget buster or that just plain don’t work out. Will this become one of them?! With so many different ways to DIY ‘em + complaints on many a tutorial about the homemade wipes going moldy after a while, we had to try out the perfect formula and put them to the test for another edition of (dun dun dunnn) Beauty Mythbuster!

I know I — like any woman — can attest to the convenience of a fabulous makeup wipe remover, but to be honest I am still not super sold on any of them. I love different brands for different reasons, but when working with clients, it’s hard to make sure everyone is happy with the same product. Some women have more sensitive skin while others simply have a more sensitive sense of smell and then every other hang-up that can come up in between. I figure if I cannot fully stand behind one product, then maybe it’s time to put the good ol’ DIY beauty product game into action.

DIY COCONUT, TEA TREE OIL + GRAPEFRUIT MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES

After rummaging through several makeup remover wipes tutorials, I decided to pick and choose elements from each one that I loved to create this little gem here. The grapefruit and tea tree oil make this smell so refreshing, but the tea tree oil has an added bonus beyond scent. I’m also using it to kill bacteria and help preserve the wipes a little longer. Well, hopefully ;)

Materials:

– 1 cup hot water

– 2 tablespoons coconut oil

– 2 tablespoons face wash or cleansing oil

– 1 teaspoon witch hazel

– 5 drops tea tree + grapefruit essential oils

Tools:

– resealable mason jar

– measuring cup

– measuring spoons

– face pad cotton rounds

Instructions:

First add your water, then your coconut oil, face wash or cleansing oil, witch hazel and drops of essential oils. For the face wash, I splurged on this Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil ($40) because I love the smell and how well it works alone. I figured the oil would help in making these wipes extra hydrating and make it easier to get your makeup off. Like I did, you should splurge (or save!) on the face wash product you like most.

Once everything is in the jar, give it a good stir and add your cotton rounds to the liquid. You will notice the liquid quickly absorbs right into the rounds. Pro tip: If you’re having a hard time getting the liquid to soak into the top of the pile, simply pull them out and flip the stack over once the bottom half has absorbed the liquid and is fully saturated.

READY TO USE:

The overall claim is that these wipes should last you up to two weeks unrefrigerated as long as you keep them sealed and in a cool place. There are complaints on old tutorials about mold, but the tea tree oil should help battle that. I also made a smaller batch (a lot of the mold complaints were after the two-week mark) so I hopefully wouldn’t waste any.

DID THEY WORK?

Heck YES! I am so IN LOVE with these wipes. I was so impressed with the scent (pat myself on the back for that one) and they actually take ALL of my makeup off. I am not usually a take-my-makeup-off-with-wipes kinda gal — I normally just wash my face with face wash. But ever since I DIYed these, they have become a solid part of my end-of-day routine, mostly because of how good they make my skin feel. I made sure to use these for a solid two weeks to test out the longevity, and I’ve had no problems with mold or anything else that I can sense. They were so easy to make, I have committed to making a new batch every two weeks. I’m about to go to a four-day music festival and showering is not really an option, so I’m officially marketing these to my group of friends as our “shower in a jar.” That’s right! You can totally use these to clean and freshen up your body as well because of how big the rounds are.

Needless to say, this is not a DIY to be busted, only boasted! Like I mentioned before, if you have sensitive skin or a preference in scent, the beauty of this recipe is that you can totally customize it for YOU. Just add your favorite face wash in place of the one I used and any combination of essential oils that make you + your skin happy.

Photo: Ben Ritter

Between longwear formulas and late night laziness, eye makeup removal is a total drag. In an ideal world, sleeping in your liner and mascara would grant you French-girl eyes in the morning, but in reality?  Hello skin irritation, pimples, and a dirty pillowcase. We enlisted Jamie Greenberg, makeup artist to celebs like Rashida Jones and Lizzy Caplan, to tell us the best way to remove eye makeup—and exactly what you’ll need to do it. 

“Many people either don’t remove their eye makeup at all and sleep in it, or they’re super rough with their removal process,” says Greenberg. “The skin around the eye area is very delicate, so if you’re mistreating it every night by tugging at your eyes and lashes when you remove your makeup, it’s going to be a problem down the road. Just mantra to yourself: ‘I will take good care of my eyes so I’ll still look great at 70!’”

Related: 9 Ways to Wash Your Face

Surely some nights you may be more time-pressed or tired, but whenever possible follow this complete skin care routine at night:

Use a wipe. Remove the first layer of makeup from your skin and gently from your eye area. “Many of my friends and clients love a wipe and use nothing else,” says Greenberg. “I appreciate a wipe as opposed to going to bed with a full face of makeup on, but it really is best to cleanse afterwards.” Greenberg thinks Avon Remover Wipes with Mineral Complex ($5) and MAC Wipes ($20) do the best job.

Wash with a cleanser for your skin type. “I’ve noticed if the cleanser works up to a foam, more of my eye makeup will come off through the process,” she says.

Use cotton for a gentle removal process. Depending on how precise you want to get, use a cotton pad or Q-Tips Cotton Swabs ($3) and dip in eye makeup remover. Greenberg’s top picks are industry fave Bioderma Crealine H2O Micelle Solution ($31) and Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover ($26) which “is soft and doesn’t lather, but it takes off everything.” If you’re really having trouble with waterproof mascara, look for an oil-based remover like MAC Cleanse Off Oil ($31) to break down the formula. Remember—no tugging!

Related: How to Clean Up Your Eye Makeup

Wash again. Do another quick cleanse to remove any residue.