I fully support products that save me a step or make life a little easier... but not if it means the environment is going to suffer. An instance where that's the case: Single use face wipes. I know... they're a gym bag hero and fine if you use them every now and again when you're in a pinch, but for daily use, try switching to reusable cotton rounds instead. Here's why: “The biggest environmental problem with makeup remover wipes is the sheer volume,” Diana Felton MD, state toxicologist with the Hawaii Department of Health, told Real Simple. “One group estimates that 20 million pounds of single-use wipes (including baby wipes and disinfecting wipes) are disposed of every day in the U.S. Many wipes are disposed of in landfills, and despite claims to the contrary, most are not biodegradable and do not rapidly break down, creating too much trash to fit in our landfills.”
Not only does making the switch have green benefits, it's also better for your skin. Derms have long been leery of their patients using face wipes alone to cleanse the skin as they often leave behind dirt and makeup so you then have to cleanse again. As I mentioned above, best to save disposable wipes for when you're in a pinch.
Have I sold you yet?! If not, then I urge you to just try one of these reusable cotton rounds products for yourself. Once you realize they're *even better* than the non-reusable kind, you'll wonder why you didn't make the eco-friendly switch sooner.
Christine Giordano
This reusable option is earth- and wallet-friendly