Found something to put on my face! Now, how do I take it off?

December 3, 2017 3:10 PM

A while back I asked this question about sunscreen. I tried a lot of stuff, including the Elta MD UV Pure (which worked great, btw!) But now I've found my Holy Grail Sunscreen. I just can't figure out how best to get it off my face efficiently, once it's on.

I get Ipsy samples in the mail. Usually they're not anything special. But this month I got something called IT CC+, a color-correcting full coverage cream, which is also an SPF 50 physical sunscreen. Miraculously, this doesn't sting my face, make me break out, or make me even redder later on. It is apparently the miracle foundation I've been dreaming of, and I don't even like foundation. It doesn't even feel like I'm wearing anything, I can lean on my hand and it doesn't come away covered in makeup - it is AMAZING.

However, apparently the price for this is... it is not easy to remove. I've finally found a way that works - the Simple hydrating oil wash and a warm wet wash cloth take it right off, and the oil also doesn't irritate my face. But now I'm going through wash cloths like crazy.

Is there some simple secret that women who know makeup have, for getting your face clean without ruining wash cloths? I have so many that are now covered in foundation. I wash them, and sometimes it comes out, and sometimes it doesn't.

I really don't want to shell out for yet another monthly skin care expense - my outlay is already ridiculous. So I don't want to resort to packaged facial wipes, which will also come with chemicals that will be hit or miss for my skin. Are there special tricks to clean make-up covered wash cloths? Special cloths I could buy that are launderable? Anything?

posted by invincible summer to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

I honestly just ruin washcloths. I pick up those 10-12 packs tied together with a ribbon at Target or Kohl's and use them exclusively for removing makeup. I use one per day and wash them as normal.
posted by xyzzy at 3:13 PM on December 3, 2017 [4 favorites]

Yeah, just get a 10 pack of cheapo washcloths at Target or something and use them exclusively for makeup removal and toss when they get grotty. Save your nice ones for other things.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 3:27 PM on December 3, 2017

Even if the color of the makeup stains the washcloth, you should be able to reuse it for makeup removal. Or try pre-soaking them with dish soap which will help your oil cleanser release from the fabric.
posted by muddgirl at 3:34 PM on December 3, 2017

I use the Simple micellar water on a small cotton pad and it cleans everything off nicely. It's usually a couple of dollars for a package of several hundred; even if you use two per removal, they should last you quite a while.
posted by mogget at 3:36 PM on December 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would buy white washclothes and then just pre-soak the washcloths after using before washing. Fill a tub with detergent, oxyclean and water, and toss the cloths in them at the end of the night. Wash every two weeks.
posted by mercredi at 3:40 PM on December 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

Buy dark washcloths so you don't notice the stains as much. And as long as you wash them in hot water, it doesn't really matter if they are stained after a wash. They're still clean.

For what it's worth, I use Clinique's Take the Day Off makeup wipes and love them. They don't irritate my super-sensitive skin. I then wash my face with Cetaphil and dry on my regular towel.
posted by radioamy at 3:48 PM on December 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I also love this CC cream! I massage Pixi's Nourishing Cleansing Balm into my face for about 30 seconds (over eyes is OK, too) and then wipe away with a wet muslin cloth, then wash my face as usual. I only use these clothes for makeup removal, and they barely even get stained. I've found it to be a very gentle method!
posted by ancient star at 3:53 PM on December 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I use a cleansing oil (e.g. Missha) or a cleansing balm (e.g. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm), then rinse it off with warm water without using a washcloth. I sometimes wash my face with pyrithione zinc soap afterwards, or go directly to toner.
posted by needled at 3:55 PM on December 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I use the IT CC cream too and I just use Trader Joe's micellar water makeup removal wipes, which are, yes, packaged wipes, but I have sensitive skin and haven't found them to bother my skin at all. Also they're cheap, $3.99 if I recall. They don't leave my skin at all dry, and they do a good job getting everything off. I also use the makeup eraser cloth sometimes. Cloth plus my usual facewash gets everything off. The cloth gets stained, but you wash it, and it's still usable, even when it gets a little discolored.
posted by yasaman at 4:02 PM on December 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I also use the It CC cream and the generic makeup remover wipes at Target (though somewhat surprisingly NOT the Neutrogina ones that they’re a generic of) take it off very nicely. There’s nothing left to stain my (white) washcloths afterward.
posted by okayokayigive at 4:39 PM on December 3, 2017

I just ended up buying a few packs of the really cheap wash cloths so that I can use one per day without running out of clean ones whilst I collect enough towels or sheets to make up a full load of things that warrant a hot wash. I find the make up stains come out quite well in a hot wash. And because the cheaper cloths are not heavy cotton they dry quickly so you don’t have a lot of damp, dirty cloths festering in your laundry basket.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:24 PM on December 3, 2017

Double cleanse! This is what it is meant for. Use an oil-based cleanser for your first cleanse to break down makeup, sunscreen, etc. (I like Banila Clean It Zero cleansing balm--massage into your face for 15-30 seconds, rinse. You don't need much; a tub from Amazon lasts me several months) and then do a second cleanse with a gentle non-oil-based (Cerave cleansers work great for me) cleanser to get the rest off, plus rinse away residuals of the first cleanser. No washcloth needed, just some facial massage and splashing/rinsing. Even on days/nights when I wear sunscreen, primer, foundation, concealer, contour, powder, smoky eye, the works, this leaves me with not a trace of the day's product AND doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped. It is another product, but you can go Amazon/drug store and they last quite awhile.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 7:55 PM on December 3, 2017 [5 favorites]

I double cleanse with cotton pads and a cotton wash cloth. I use whatever I have: Ponds cold cream, Micellar water or oil based balm. I buy white washcloths and bleach the snot out of them and they last years. All my linens are white actually and get treated the same. If it's good enough for a hotel, it's good enough for me.
posted by fshgrl at 9:36 PM on December 3, 2017

I double cleanse by using a water soluble oil cleanser on dry skin, rinsing it off, then removing any remaining residue with a pH balanced foaming cleanser (I use this one which is really effective and super gentle) squirted onto a konjac sponge. Konjac sponges are really squishy and lovely to use, and I get a good two months or so out of each, just rinsing and air drying with each use, before I have to replace it.
posted by nerdfish at 7:49 AM on December 4, 2017

I also use simple micellar water. Both cleansing oils (like kose softymo) and micellar water remove everything.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 8:58 AM on December 5, 2017