#WipeForWater Movement

April is the month of Earth Day, so it was perfect timing for my most recent Influenster box. This time it came with Neutrogena naturals purifying makeup remover cleansing towelettes. That’s a mouthful, but here’s what they look like.

They’re part of a line that promises to be pure, safe, and effective and packed with bionutrients. Here’s the exact description, “These ultra-soft wipes are clinically proven to completely remove dirt, oil and makeup, targeting even the most stubborn long-wearing and waterproof makeup. Skin is left purified, fresh and healthy-looking with no greasy residue, so there’s no need to rinse. Made from naturally-derived fibers that come from sustainably-managed forests.” The video that promoted said we waste up to 5 gallons of water each time we wash our face, so switching to wipes is a great way to conserve that. My husband questioned the offset of all these wipes in a landfill– how long will they take to disappear? Are they biodegradable? I see that they’re 97% naturally derived, but it doesn’t say about the breakdown.

Either way, I gave them a try. I currently use both wipes from another brand and a pump bottle for my face cleanser. I like the wipes for the first few days after I get my Xtreme lashes done because you have to keep them dry. Using a wipe is much easier than splashing your face in the sink. In order to give these a fair test, I quit using my other face wash but kept everything else about my skincare and makeup routines the same. It’s now been three days, so here are my thoughts.

The Good:

• As soon as I opened them, I noticed the fresh scent. I couldn’t really place it, but it just had a clean smell. Definitely a plus compared to my previous wipes.
• The wipes are quite damp. Another plus over my other wipes, which were fairly dry.
• One cloth took off all of my face makeup (foundation, blush, eyeshadow) and lip stain. I tested it by using a second cloth to see if any more makeup would come off; it didn’t. This was another plus– my other brand easily took 2-3 wipes and I don’t wear a ton of makeup. 
• The packaging was great too. I had to keep my other wraps in a snapping kitchen container because the adhesive wasn’t strong enough to keep the moisture inside the package. I repeatedly opened and closed these and the seal is still great.

The Not So Good:

• These wouldn’t take off my mascara. Like I said, I wear Xtreme Lashes so I don’t typically wear mascara every day. But, as I get closer to my refill appointments, I touch up my lashes with Xtreme Lash mascara. It’s a fabulous mascara, but these wipes just couldn’t get it off. 

The Deal Breaker:

• These wipes seriously dried my skin out. I know when you try a new face product, it can take a few days for your skin to adjust. I noticed my nose and across the tops of my cheeks was dry almost immediately. They felt a little tight after using the wipe, and were flakey by the next morning. I continued to use my regular face moisturizer as usual and kept using the wipes for three days, but my the fourth morning my skin was just too. My forehead was also flakey and it had spread down my cheeks too. My poor nose looks like I have a cold. So… I don’t think I’ll be using these again. 

The Bottom Line:

• The pros definitely outnumbered the cons here, but my skin was just too sensitive to use these. Maybe they’ll come out with a sensitive skin variety in the future. In the meantime, I’ve given these to my husband who isn’t have any trouble with them drying out his skin. 
• I definitely like the idea of wipes though. They’d be great for tossing in a suitcase, gym bag, etc. for when you’re on the go. 

If you want to try these wipes for yourself, here’s the link!

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes as part of the #WipeforWater movement, but the opinions are entirely my own.