Little Steps To Help Mother Nature: Testing EcoYou Make-Up Remover Pads

Plastic takes at least 450 years to decompose, which is why I try to reduce plastic consumption where it is possible. One area I hadn't looked at was make-up. Especially the area of removing make-up. Until one faithful day when a co-worker told me she uses re-usable make up remover pads now.

"You can get them for just 10€ on amazon," she explained while enthusiasm filled her voice. So I had a snoop around amazon myself and ended up with make-up remover pads by EcoYou for 16,90€. The order includes:

• 10 remover pads out of bio cotton
• a small mesh laundry bag
• two DIY skin care recipes 

The pads can be bought in white and black. I got them in white because that's the colour I am used to. Even though, you can also pick white ones with a blue or pink edge if you want to be playful.

Usage 

The pads can be used the same way like a disposable remover pad. You add a little bit of make-up remover and do your things. Since I went from super fluffy remover pads to these ones, the first few times I used them, felt a bit harsher than I had been used to. Afterwards, it had been the same comfort as usual. This could also be an issues if they are brand new because after the first wash, they felt perfectly normal and comfortable.

Furthermore, these pads are large enough that one side serves for one make-up look. Thus, you can use the 10 pads for up to 20 days before they are desperate for a wash.

Washing 

This turned out to be a bit trickier than expected. The package said that you can wash them up to 60°C. I only do this kind of washing once a month, and since it was "up to" I decided to throw it into a normal 30°C white wash to see if it cleans the pads as well.

The answer is, sadly, no. They had been half clean but not fully. I could not really see a difference. To add to the bother, the laundry bag had opened during the spin-dry, so I spent the next ten minutes picking out cotton pads from my laundry and washing machine.

In the end, I resorted to washing them with washing powder by hand. This did the job all right, but sounds like quite a hassle when you have to do it regularly.

The next time, I had been prepared and tied a tighter knot around the laundry bag and threw it with my 60°C wash into the machine. The result was satisfying: the pads were clean and smelled good. The only exception had been the one in the very center of the laundry bag which hadn't seen any water at all.

Despite living in an area with hard water, the pads did not lose any softness. While I feel, that this could become an issues in a year or two, it is down to my water and not the pads themselves.

Why Should I Get Plastic Free Make-Up Remover Swipes? 

Financial Aspect

Even if you don't really care about the environment, there a positive financial side to this: these make-up remover pads are a once-in-a-lifetime investment. You buy them now and that's it.

Would you continue to use regular swipes, you'd be spending 2€ on a pack that lasts for three months tops. This cycle would continue for the rest of your life.

The Environment 

Sometimes you can't help but be a bit of an environment pig and cause a bit more CO2 to puff into the air. Other times, it really would be a hassle to change a certain way of life ...

However, this is a small change that can make an impact and doesn't turn you into an environment hippie and you won't be banned into a life of only drinking soy milk and having to take a smelly bus.

I really think that these make-up remover pads are a good investment and I hope that it helps a little bit to reduce the plastic we waste during our lifespan.