You’ve probably heard more than enough how important it is to remove your makeup properly before going to bed. When your skin is clean, without any makeup residue on it, you can take better care of it. Besides, the products which you use in your skincare routine will penetrate deeper and will have a more visible effect on its health and appearance.
On the other hand, choosing how exactly to remove your makeup is crucial for the look of your skin. If you choose methods that do not work for your skin type (or simply for your skin condition), you may experience clogged pores, blackheads, milium cysts, breakouts, flaking or even redness and itchiness.
This blog post will help you to identify the right way (for you) on how to remove your makeup and what type of product to use. Here, you will find the 5 most popular methods to remove makeup, presented with detailed information, and based on 6 criteria for comparison: price range (based on Amazon search), convenience, effectiveness, drawbacks, suitable for skin type.
*Keep in mind that testing new products and monitoring their effect on your skin is essential to identify if they are really for you.
Makeup wipes
Those are wet wipes, which are soaked in makeup-removing liquid (solution). They are cheap, easy to find, and easy to use. Some people substitute makeup wipes with baby wipes because often the baby wipes are hypoallergenic and do not contain any harsh ingredients. They are very suitable for traveling, as they are ready for immediate usage. This product removes the makeup from the face and eyes very effectively but leaves a layer of residue on the skin, which has to be washed off with water or cleanser.
A drawback of the makeup wipes is that they can cause skin irritations, because if their ingredient content. It is essential to pay attention to the presence of ingredients, such as alcohols, acids, sulfates, and formaldehyde. Also, when you remove your makeup with wipes, you often rub the product on the skin surface. Some specialists consider this as harmful because this way you make the product penetrate in the skin, thus you may suffer from breakouts or clogged pores.
- Price range: 5-10$ for a package of 25 wipes.
- Convenience: Effortless to use and find. The wipes are already soaked and prepared for immediate use.
- Effectiveness: Removes all kinds of makeup from the skin effectively. It is excellent for removing eye makeup because it can go very close to the lash line without losing control of the motion and pressure applied.
- Drawbacks: Leaves layer of residue, which has to be washed off. The ingredient content may be deceiving. Rubs the makeup on the skin surface and may cause skin problems.
- Suitable for skin type: Read the label to identify if a particular kind of makeup wipes are suitable for your skin type. Besides, read the ingredients list to avoid any controversial ingredients, which may harm you.
Micellar water
This is a special type of water that contains micelles. Those are tiny particles which attract dirt and oil, thus break down the makeup (foundation, eyeshadow, powder, mascara, etc.). They are easy to find and easy to use, but you have to buy cotton pads, to apply the micellar water to the face.
It removes makeup from the face and eyes very quickly and effectively but leaves a layer of residue on the skin which has to be washed off (for it not to cause any irritations). Micellar water is especially suitable for eye makeup. However, it is not very convenient to use as remove full-face makeup remover. It will take quite a lot of time and a lot of cotton pads to finish the work (at the end it will remove all the makeup though).
- Price range: Around 15$ for a bottle of 16.7 fl. oz. or 500 ml.
- Convenience: Effortless to use and find on the market, but not ready for immediate use. You have to apply it on a cotton pad and then remove makeup from the face.
- Effectiveness: Removes all kinds of makeup from the skin effectively. It is very suitable for removing eye makeup. There are micellar waters for both waterproof and regular makeup. Thus you have to choose the right type for you accordingly.
- Drawbacks: Leaves layer of residue, which has to be washed off. Also, if you wear full-face makeup, you will need a significant amount of cotton pads to remove every last bit of it.
- Suitable for skin type: There are endless types and brands of micellar waters. Read the label to identify if a particular kind of micellar water is suitable for your skin type. Be careful, always read the ingredient content and avoid products with alcohols, sulfates, and formaldehyde.
Cleanser
The primary purpose of the facial cleanser is to remove dirt from the skin and minimize the free radicals damage. It is an essential part of every skincare routine. However, you can use it not only to clean the skin but also to remove makeup from the face effectively. You can use the same cleanser, which you use for washing the face. It is very easy to use, as you have only to rub it on the face and wash it off. It doesn’t leave any residue on the skin. On the other hand, it is not suitable for removing eye makeup because it can go into the eye and cause irritation. Thus you cannot go close to the lash line and cannot be precise around the eye area to remove mascara and eyeliner.
- Price range: 15$ for a bottle of 16 fl. oz. or about 400 ml.
- Convenience: If you already have a favorite cleanser, you can use it. Besides, it is easy to find on the market as most of the cosmetic brands offer facial cleansers. It has to be applied and washed away with water, thus it is not ready for immediate use, and it is not suitable for “on the go” situations.
- Effectiveness: Removes all kinds of makeup from the skin effectively. It quickly breaks down all kinds of foundations, powders, concealers, and others. Not very suitable for removing eye makeup, because the product can easily go in your eye and irritate it.
- Drawbacks: Can go into the eyes and irritate them. Not suitable for eye makeup. It is not suitable for “extreme” situations, because you need water to use it.
- Suitable for skin type: Foaming cleansers are ideal for oily and acne-prone skin types. Mousse or creamy cleansers are suitable to dry, sensitive, mature, and dehydrated skin types.
Microfiber cloth
This is a relatively new alternative for removing makeup. It is a piece of microfiber cloth that is adapted to fit your hand as a fingerless glove. You should damp the cloth with water and then massage the face with it. It breaks the makeup molecules and traps them in the fibers of the textile. When using it, you have control over the pressure and the motion of application. Therefore you can remove mascara and eyeliner without injuring your eyes. Keep in mind that the fabric will not remove waterproof makeup if you damp the cloth with cold water. Thus you have to use warm water for this purpose.
The fabric is reusable and lasts for more than a year of daily use. As a result, you will save yourself lots of money, trips to the store, and worries that your makeup remover is depleting. After each use, you should clean the “glove” with water and soap, and let it dry. There are various brands, which produce makeup removing microfiber cloths. However, they do not differ in characteristics and effectiveness.
- Price range: Varies around 5-20$ per cloth, depending on the brand.
- Convenience: It can mainly be found in drugstores and online shops. The cloth is extremely easy to use as you only need to damp it before each use. It is easy to carry, thus it is very suitable for traveling (especially by plane, as you will not carry any makeup removing liquid).
- Effectiveness: Removes all kinds of makeup from the skin effectively, including eye makeup. Waterproof makeup must be removed with warm water.
- Drawbacks: You need water nearby to use it effectively.
- Suitable for skin type: Suitable for every skin type, especially for sensitive and reactive skin. As you do not need any chemical product to use with it, you don’t bare a risk for skin irritations by cosmetic ingredients.
Base oils
Base oils are the purest, the most natural cosmetic product, which you can use as a makeup remover. Keep in mind that essential oils CANNOT be used as makeup removers. There are many different types of base oils used in cosmetics: coconut, jojoba, almond, shea, avocado olive oils, and others. Probably the most popular one is coconut oil. You can either apply it on a cotton pad and then on the face, or rub it directly on your skin. This way the oil will break the makeup molecules, and you can wipe them off with a cotton pad or a cloth.
Oils remove both waterproof and regular makeup from the face and eyes. On the other hand, some base oils have a high comedogenic index and may block your pores, causing blackheads and breakouts. Besides, it leaves a layer of oily residue on the skin, which you may feel heavy.
- Price range: For coconut oil, the price varies around 10$ for 13 fl. oz. or about 500 grams.
- Convenience: You can easily find them on the market, in every drugstore and pharmacy. To remove makeup, you have to use oils with a cotton pad or cloth to wipe the makeup off the face.
- Effectiveness: It removes both waterproof and regular face and eye makeup effectively.
- Drawbacks: You need a cotton pad or cloth to use it effectively. May block your pores, cause breakouts, milia, and blackheads. Leaves oily residue on the skin, which feels heavy.
- Suitable for skin type: Some oils are suitable for oily and acne-prone skin, and others- for dry and sensitive skin. You can check out “Active ingredients for different skin types” to identify which oil will have a positive impact on your skin.
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