This reusable microfiber pad is an Internet sensation, but I was admittedly a bit skeptical... was it really going to remove all my makeup, with just water alone? Yep, it's true. Made with ultra-fine fibers (100 times finer than human hair) that trap and lift makeup, all you have to do is dampen the pad slightly and wipe. In seconds, even my most waterproof liner was completely gone, with no intense rubbing or scrubbing required. It's also incredibly eco-friendly, since each pad can be washed and reused up to 200 times. Consider me impressed.
My skin is ridiculously sensitive and I wear contacts, meaning most eye makeup removers I've tried tend to cause some kind of stinging. Not the case with this newbie. The bi-phase formula combines an H2O-based cleanser and gentle oils (give the bottle a good shake before using to mix the two), to take off even stubborn waterproof mascara. It also contains a cleanser that's so gentle it's used in contact lens solution, which explains why I could leave my contacts in while using this, no stinging or burning involved.
There's a reason why your mom, grandma and heck, maybe even your great-grandma have all used this O.G. beauty product. The cult-classic (which has been around for over 100 years, NBD) cleanses, removes makeup and hydrates simultaneously. While you could just wipe it off with a damp cloth, I personally found it a bit heavy and slightly greasy, so I chose to rinse my skin thoroughly after, though there's no denying that it's great at taking off any and every type of makeup.
As diligent as I am about skin care, there are some nights when the idea of using a separate eye makeup remover and washing my face just feels like way too much effort (don't judge me). For that reason, I'm currently very into these wipes. They're not quite enough to take off a full eye makeup situation on their own, so I like to wash my face as per usual, then follow up with these to wipe off any leftover smudges and smears. The pack of 30 is also the ideal size to keep in your purse or gym bag -- I use one post-spin class to make sure I'm not rocking raccoon eyes -- and they smell fresh and citrusy.
Is there anything coconut oil can't do? I highly doubt it. And now you can add "remove eye makeup" to its long list of beauty benefits. I have a thing for VMV Hypoallergenics Know-It-Oil, $32, but I've also used whatever coconut oil is in my kitchen cabinet. Either way, it takes only a tiny bit massaged into skin to dissolve eye makeup. (Though FYI, I do find that it's best for removing shadow, mascara and pencil liner; liquid liners can sometimes be too stubborn.) You can rinse if you want, but I prefer to simply wipe off any excess with a cotton pad, and leave behind the moisturizing after-effects.
