Eco confessions: my facial wipe shame
One of my biggest eco-sins has got to be my attachment to facial cleansing wipes. I've never been much of a cleanse, tone and moisturise kind of girl, and prefer to get the whole tiresome procedure over with in one wipe.
But it was pointed out to me recently that this isn't very green of me, and I should really consider other options. And I adimt that my first thought was of just how unlikly I was to start getting out bottles of organic cleanser and freshly laundered flannels after a big night out. Call me lazy (I am) but remembering to open the bag and rub the wipes across my face a couple of times after a few drinks already feels like enough of a struggle. Fortunately, I've found a solution! Read on to find out more.
Related: The greener alternative to cotton wool
Ordinary face wipes are bad for the planet for a number of reasons. For starters, they don't biodegrade, they contain chemicals that are potentially bad for your body and the whole lot ends up cluttering up landfill.
This is where the special face wipes come in. There are now a number of wipes on the market that are more eco-friendly than the standard sort, if not as green as scrubbing away with a flannel. One such option is Little Leaves, technically a baby wipe, but having tried them out I can vouch for their effectiveness at getting rid of every last trace of my Urban Decay mascara. They're available from Asda at just £1.92.
Another is Faith's Natural Facial Wipes, which are fully biodegradable, made from 100% viscose (derived from a natural source), free of SLES, SLS and parabens. They are hypoallergenic and contain essential oils. Designed for removing makeup, you can get them for £3.65 at Your Healthfood Store
Wow! I love your site. I like wipes too. I have started to add the %100 cotton ones to my compost as well as recycled paper towels from the kitchen.
Posted by: The Minimalist | April 2, 2008 8:19 PM