If you’ve known me for any amount of time, you know that free is my favorite F word, and I love being able to find frugal ways to live. My skincare routine became a focus, because I knew there had to be economical skincare swaps.
Ditch Your Makeup Wipes for the Makeup Eraser
Stop buying makeup wipes.
Just….don’t. They’re glorified baby wipes, and we’ve all heard about how wipes are gathering in sewers and landfills and just gathering.
I skimmed on Amazon to look at some of the most common brands of makeup wipes.
Most come with only 25 wipes per package. That means that each package lasts you around 3 weeks, assuming you’ll only use 1 per day.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty math here…so each package lasts roughly 3 weeks. With everyday use, that means you’d be buying 17 packages of these makeup wipes every year.
These packages can cost between $3-5, depending on the brand. Let’s just go with a drugstore brand, Neutrogena. On Amazon, you can buy a package of 25 for just under $5. Cetaphil is just over $6.
That means that 17 x $5 = $85 dollars per year, being spent on Neutrogena makeup wipes.
Not to mention how much plastic has gone into the trash.
I love a good face wash, friends. I’m not hating you for taking care of your skin. In fact, I strongly recommend cleaning your skin, and getting makeup off before you sleep.
That’s why I got the Makeup Eraser. This towel was made to clean your makeup off your face WITHOUT soap – just using water! Now, if you’re wearing waterproof mascara, you’ll need to bring out your waterproof makeup remover. Otherwise, no makeup can stand against the power of the Makeup Eraser.
Best part? This cloth is machine washable. You can use it over and over.
Now, I would definitely recommend that you make sure that you aren’t just washing off your makeup with water…let’s see what we need to be using on our faces.
Swap Your Face Wash For Oil
I know – hear me out. It sounds counterintuitive to wash your face with oil. But it totally works!
I’ve been using the oil cleansing method for years, and it gives me a bright, clean glow! Here’s how you cleanse your face with oil.
Start with a base oil. I’ve used olive oil in the past.
Mix in castor oil.
I like to do a mixture that is 80% olive oil, and 20% castor oil. If you’re acne-prone, you can make the mixture to be 70% olive oil, and 30% castor oil.
You can get a small bottle or cup to keep the oil in. I recommend reusing a container from some food you’ve purchased at some point – waste not, want not!
Pour a quarter-sized amount of the oil into your palm, and rub your hands together to warm the oil. Then, massage it into your face, focusing on especially dirty areas.
Wet a washcloth with HOT water, and rest it over your face. Just let that steam open your pores, and let the oil soak in.
After the washcloth has cooled, gently blot away any extra oil on your face. At the same time, you’ll be removing any makeup from your face as well.
You don’t want to rub your face; be gentle with your skin.
Moisturize with your favorite moisturizer if needed: you may not need to, however, since there will be oils remaining on your skin.
Why Does This Work?
The best part about oil cleansing is that oil meets oil, and it’s not as harsh as other cleansing agents.
Many soaps are made specifically to target oils: that means that it’s not going to discriminate. If it’s oil, it’s gotta GO! But your skin has naturally-occurring oils that help keep your skin supple.
Ditch the Cotton Balls
I know. Cotton balls are cheap. A bag of them costs less than $2, and can last for a month or more.
However, we’re talking about easy swaps that you can make to save money.
Instead of constantly throwing away cotton balls, why not make the switch to reusable bamboo cleansing pads?
I decided to try these out recently, and bought a pack of them. They came in a small mesh bag that I can wash them in.
When removing my eye makeup, I just moisten the bamboo pad with makeup remover, gently dab at my eyes, and then I can throw them into the wash.
Yes – it may not be the most economical skincare swap you’ve ever made, but it’s all about making small choices that add up.
You can find bamboo makeup remover cloths on Amazon.
So what are some ways that you are saving money on your skincare? Any notable swaps that you’ve made that have saved you money?
