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Blog: Cleansing Towelette (April 6, 2015)I have a neatly packaged single-use "Cleansing & Makeup Remover Towelette" made by Diamond Wipes. The size of the package suggests it was intended for travel use, it is about 1.5 by 2 inches. It claims to be alcohol free, moisturizes, and conditions. Oh? IngredientsThere are 12 ingredients listed. The first one is water, the last is fragrance. Ingredients 7 through 11 are preservatives—the parabens. The second ingredient is mineral oil. The third through fifth ingredients are polysorbate 20, octyldodecanol, and tocopherol acetate (touted as vitamin E). With the exception of the water and mineral oil, all ingredients are synthetic. Mineral oil is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum, or crude oil, to produce gasoline and other products; it qualifies as natural because of the distillation. I have a thorough discussion of it elsewhere on this site at "Natural: Common Natural Substances Not Suited for Skincare". Mineral oil is not suited for skin care for a number of reasons, including that it clogs pores, aggravates acne, and removes the oil-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) from the skin. Polysorbate 20 is a surfactant commonly used as a detergent and emulsifier. Octyldodecanol is used in skin products as an emollient and emulsifier; it is known to irritate skin, especially skin around the eyes. Tocopherol acetate is also known to irritate skin; it can penetrate the skin to the living cells, where about 5% is converted to free tocopherol (the real vitamin E). Tocopherol acetate is considered a useful moisturizer. Certainly the combination of water and mineral oil requires an emulsifier to achieve a stable creamy liquid that will not separate. Ingredients 3 and 4 meet this need.
AlternativesThe towelette directions are simple: remove towelette from the package, "gently massage desired area to wipe off makeup," then discard towelette. Nothing about rinsing. You are left believing that wiping this over your skin is enough to remove makeup and cleanse the skin, and that whatever is left on the skin afterwards is just peachy. I would never do this. First of all, all cleansing efforts should be followed by a thorough rinse with water and a cloth to loosen and flush all substances on the skin, including makeup and the actual cleansing product. Second, the simplest and least harmful product for removing makeup is unrefined vegetable oil. I prefer almond oil. Olive oil is okay in a pinch. I travel with a small tightly-capped plastic bottle of almond oil, a few tissues, a wash cloth in a waterproof bag, and a hand towel. When I want to refresh my face, I pour a little oil in my hands, rub them together to spread the oil, and then massage it into my skin. At the end I blot with the tissues, rinse with water and the wash cloth, and dry with the hand towel. This approach has another benefit in that I can then apply a very little oil to my clean face as a moisturizer—same product, two uses. |
