DIY Eco-Friendly Makeup Remover Wipes: A Sustainable Beauty Hack

Mandi Makes
Jul 19, 2020
3 min read

Updated: Jul 19, 2024

Makeup remover wipes are undeniably convenient, but did you know they can take up to 100 years to degrade? The packaging, ingredients, and the wipes themselves leave a significant environmental footprint. Fortunately, there's a simple and sustainable alternative that offers the same convenience: DIY makeup remover wipes. With just a few ingredients and five minutes of your time, you can create a customisable solution perfect for your skin year-round.

What's On the Blog:

Ingredient Information and Benefits
The Recipe
The Final Word & Make it With Me Video

KEY INGREDIENTS AND THEIR BENEFITS

GLYCERINE

Glycerine might not sound glamorous, but it's a powerhouse for moisturising your skin. Here's why it should be a staple in your skincare routine:

Hydration: Keeps skin moist by slowing down water evaporation.
Protection: Forms a moisture barrier against environmental pollutants.
Skin Health: Strengthens the skin’s natural moisture retention ability.
Anti-aging: Softens skin, helps it look younger, and improves resiliency.
Versatility: Non-allergenic, suitable for all skin types, and helps heal eczema, psoriasis, and acne scars.
Types: Choose plant-derived glycerine over animal-derived or synthetic options.

VITAMIN E OIL

Vitamin E oil is renowned for its anti-aging properties, but its benefits don't stop there:

Skin Imp rovement: Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, blocks free radicals, replenishes lipids, and provides anti-inflammatory and hydrating effects.
Protective: It helps to protect the skin from environmental damage.
Healthier Skin: Can reduce effects of psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema
Dietary Sources: Boost your internal Vitamin E intake (which benefits the skin) with foods like olive oil, sweet potatoes, avocados, and almonds.

CASTILE SOAP

Castile soap, derived from vegetables, is natural, non-toxic, and incredibly versatile:

Historical Roots: Traditionally made from olive oil in Spain’s Castile region.
Modern Ingredients: Now includes oils like coconut, hemp, castor, almond, walnut, and avocado for lathering.
Skin Benefits: Naturally hydrating, helps ease eczema and psoriasis, doesn’t clog pores, balances pH levels, removes dirt, and has antibacterial properties.
Form: It's available in either a hard bar or liquid. You need the liquid version for this DIY.

COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil is a beauty favourite for its nourishing properties:

Key Features: Look for unrefined, cold-pressed, and certified organic coconut oil. It is available as fractionated, meaning it would solidify in cooler temperatures. This is the best option for this recipe.
Uses: Effective as a makeup remover, hair oil, face and body moisturiser and oil pulling.
Skin Benefits: Moisturising, antibacterial (contains lauric acid), anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, helps retain moisture, increases collagen production, and can lighten dark patches.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon glycerine
1/2 teaspoon natural vitamin E oil (omit if you have oily or acne-prone skin)
1 tablespoon organic Castile liquid soap
3 tablespoons fractionated coconut oil
2 cups distilled water (important for extending shelf life)
10 drops of lavender essential oil (or substitute with your preferred essential oil)
Reusable/disposable cotton pads

Method:

Combine Ingredients: In a glass mixing bowl, combine glycerine, Castile liquid soap, fractionated coconut oil, distilled water, and vitamin E oil. Stir well.
Add Essential Oil: Mix in lavender essential oil or your chosen alternative.
Prepare Jar: Stack half a wide glass jar with cotton pads.
Pour Mixture: Pour the mixture over the cotton pads until excess liquid pools at the bottom.
Add More Pads: Add more cotton pads and repeat the pouring process.
Seal and Store: Seal the jar tightly and store it in a dark, cool place. The mixture should last for a few weeks.