Although incredibly convenient, the simple face wipe has to be one of my most hated inventions ever. When they first hit stores they were perceived to be something of a revelation, giving women back precious moments and simplifying sometimes over complex skincare routines. I for one stocked up by the packet-load and spent many years using them to remove my makeup before bed... Until I realised they were causing more problems than they were solving. By their very nature, face wipes are saturated with all kinds of chemicals to keep them moist for a long period of time; ironically these can be incredibly drying and sometimes damaging to skin. Furthermore, a face wipe will only remove makeup and dirt that's visible on the surface, rather than helping to lift and clear the build-up that's sitting within the deeper layers of skin, waiting to potentially cause spots, irritation and blocked pores.
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Your face is a delicate flower that needs to be watered and tendered to in the right way, but face wipes cause us to be lazy and scrap the routine that has been preached to us since we were teenagers: cleanse, tone and moisturise. Whenever I get approached about a skincare problem, the very first thing I ask is whether or not the person in question is using face wipes alone to remove their makeup at the end of the day; unfortunately, more often than not this tends to be the root cause of everything from dryness and spots, to uneven skintone and blackheads. If you need convincing, then undertake a little test: cleanse your face with a wipe as you would normally, then reaching for a more traditional balm or micellar water to remove any additional dirt. Keep doing this until the cotton pad, flannel or muslin cloth comes away clean - the horrific amount of dirt, grime, makeup and grease that leaves your skin will have you dumping the face wipes for good. Don't get me wrong, wipes do play an important role when you stumble through the door at 3am or are living out of a tent for a weekend, but they should be left for emergency situations when something is better than nothing.
Interestingly, the skincare brand Sanctuary are holding a Face Wipe Amnesty this coming weekend (19th-20th March) in Boots stores nationwide, where you can swap an old packet of face wipes for a sample of their new Foaming Micellar Cleansing Water. They believe, as do I, that this is a far better alternative and will definitely help clear skin of the dirt and grime that face wipes often don't even touch. This 'first of its kind' innovation pumps out light puffs of feather light foam, before dissolving into a water like consistency that effectively removes makeup and dirt from the day. It's incredibly lightweight and product efficient (you get so many more uses from a foam than you do by transferring liquid onto a cotton pad,) leaving skin feeling refreshingly clean without tightness. The inclusion of soothing rose water gives it a delicate and elegant scent, while nourishing argan oil helps to replenish any lost moisture; you still apply it to a pad like any other micellar water (or massage directly into skin,) but the result is far gentler and much more pleasurable than scrubbing away with a damp ball of cotton.
In the interest of fully understanding the effectiveness of this new product, Sanctuary commissioned an independent study which revealed that the Foaming Micellar Cleansing Water is 46% more effective at removing everyday grime than a leading cleansing wipe, as well as being over 50% faster and more effective than a leading cleansing wipe at removing foundation. If you want an easy, quick and effective solution, then a micellar water (particularly this one!) is a great alternative to the problematic face wipes so many of us have been leaning on for so long. Although micellar waters also have their drawbacks and should also be used as part of a thorough cleansing routine (read my post here which explains more,) it's far better to opt for one of those rather than thinking a raggy bit of chemical soaked cloth is going to effectively keep your skin looking fabulous. I'm such a big advocate of effective cleansing routines that anything that claims to help is a winner in my book - and with thousands of free samples up for grabs this weekend, you've got nothing to lose.
The Sanctuary Foaming Micellar Cleansing Water is available now from Boots, priced £8.00 for a 100ml bottle. Find out more about the Face Wipe Amnesty and where it's being held here.
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Your face is a delicate flower that needs to be watered and tendered to in the right way, but face wipes cause us to be lazy and scrap the routine that has been preached to us since we were teenagers: cleanse, tone and moisturise. Whenever I get approached about a skincare problem, the very first thing I ask is whether or not the person in question is using face wipes alone to remove their makeup at the end of the day; unfortunately, more often than not this tends to be the root cause of everything from dryness and spots, to uneven skintone and blackheads. If you need convincing, then undertake a little test: cleanse your face with a wipe as you would normally, then reaching for a more traditional balm or micellar water to remove any additional dirt. Keep doing this until the cotton pad, flannel or muslin cloth comes away clean - the horrific amount of dirt, grime, makeup and grease that leaves your skin will have you dumping the face wipes for good. Don't get me wrong, wipes do play an important role when you stumble through the door at 3am or are living out of a tent for a weekend, but they should be left for emergency situations when something is better than nothing.
Interestingly, the skincare brand Sanctuary are holding a Face Wipe Amnesty this coming weekend (19th-20th March) in Boots stores nationwide, where you can swap an old packet of face wipes for a sample of their new Foaming Micellar Cleansing Water. They believe, as do I, that this is a far better alternative and will definitely help clear skin of the dirt and grime that face wipes often don't even touch. This 'first of its kind' innovation pumps out light puffs of feather light foam, before dissolving into a water like consistency that effectively removes makeup and dirt from the day. It's incredibly lightweight and product efficient (you get so many more uses from a foam than you do by transferring liquid onto a cotton pad,) leaving skin feeling refreshingly clean without tightness. The inclusion of soothing rose water gives it a delicate and elegant scent, while nourishing argan oil helps to replenish any lost moisture; you still apply it to a pad like any other micellar water (or massage directly into skin,) but the result is far gentler and much more pleasurable than scrubbing away with a damp ball of cotton.
In the interest of fully understanding the effectiveness of this new product, Sanctuary commissioned an independent study which revealed that the Foaming Micellar Cleansing Water is 46% more effective at removing everyday grime than a leading cleansing wipe, as well as being over 50% faster and more effective than a leading cleansing wipe at removing foundation. If you want an easy, quick and effective solution, then a micellar water (particularly this one!) is a great alternative to the problematic face wipes so many of us have been leaning on for so long. Although micellar waters also have their drawbacks and should also be used as part of a thorough cleansing routine (read my post here which explains more,) it's far better to opt for one of those rather than thinking a raggy bit of chemical soaked cloth is going to effectively keep your skin looking fabulous. I'm such a big advocate of effective cleansing routines that anything that claims to help is a winner in my book - and with thousands of free samples up for grabs this weekend, you've got nothing to lose.
The Sanctuary Foaming Micellar Cleansing Water is available now from Boots, priced £8.00 for a 100ml bottle. Find out more about the Face Wipe Amnesty and where it's being held here.
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