Time to swap the cotton rounds….
The reusable makeup wipes were the first thing that made me think I was actually making a change. I used to use those cotton rounds, the ones you use once and throw away. They also came in that skinny plastic sleeve that really has no use at all once the packet is empty. Since 2017, I have not purchased 1 single packet. I still have the very same ones that Richie bought me nearly 5 years ago. That is a lot of cotton rounds that are not sitting in landfill and possible 15 or so of those stupid skinny bags. And thats just me, one person.
One item at a time….
These were one of the first swaps. I had some from Richie for my birthday back in 2017. I remember getting sucked in to all these amazing feeds of people going zerowaste and thinking, I’m so far behind, I’ll never catch up. That was 5 years ago and we’ve made many changes since then and even though some days I do still feel like we have a long way to go I remember that we made small changes each month that got us here. It is totally possible for everyone else. Every time I feel that we’ve taken one step back I remind myself that there are still people that buy water in plastic bottles. I’m hopeful that with many people housebound this last year that plastic bottle purchases have decreased. More on that another day, I’ll just leave this here quietly. https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/water/
Reusable makeup wipes are too expensive
I have the coloured half moon ones pictured. The other ones are are made from Terry Towell. We also then have crocheted ones too. All of these are washable and reusable, just wash at 30 degrees. When we had the market stall these were our best sellers. We would, without fail sell at least one pack every market day. On a good day, maybe 4-5 of them. This doesn’t seem to be replicated online. We’ve only sold a few over lockdown. I think it is a product you have to see and feel and ask questions about. So I’ve put together a quick FAQ.
Make up Wipes FAQ
- Why are they so expensive? They are investment for some and you can get much cheaper options. But we are not going for cheap we are aiming for long term savings that are better for us and the planet. Compared to those single use daily wipes, I’ve saved over £50 so far just on this one swap. If you were on my list in July, the newsletter sent on the 17th has a full breakdown of savings ad costs. (If you don’t have it you can request it by emailing [email protected])
- How long will they last I’ve had mine since the end of March 2017, nearly 4 years. This would have cost me £72 in single use wipes (if on offer at half price) compared to £10.50 for my pack. Yes, it takes a while to save but this is just one product. I wash mine in the machine and put in a little bag. So far so good, they will be good for another few years yet.
- Do I use one each day? Yes, and no. It depends on how much makeup you have worn that day. I don’t wear much makeup so maybe that is why they are still going strong. I used to wipe off eye makeup, rinse, then do the rest of my face. Rinse again and leave to dry. If you wear foundation, you need to rinse them before you leave them to dry. The foundation will dry and be much harder to get out if you don’t. They will also they look stained.
- Which type would suit me? This depends on many things. Manly how much make up you wear. Fleece ones: For eye make up and whole face if low makeup use. Terry Towell: All the above but also larger so more like a flannel. Can use to remove make up, wash face, wipes hands. Good for kids. Crochet: Eye make up, face. Similar to fleece ones.
- Am I really saving waste by buying these? Absolutely – 100%. Whether you buy the single use wipes or the cotton rounds you are saving every time you take your makeup off or wash you face with a reusable option. I’ve already saved 24 plastic sleeves and 720 cotton rounds, yes, my head did hurt trying to work that out. But thats a good number, and thats just me, one face.
Making a diffrence
It might seem like a small step but small steps are far more powerful that big gestures. For example if one person in your street gave up their car and everyone else just carried on as normal that would not have the same impact as 50% of those houses giving up single use make up wipes. Can you imagine how much that is for a street of say 50 houses. If half of them swap and had them the same length of times I have so far that would be 25 x 24 plastic sleeves = 600 and 18,0000 cotton rounds that don’t make it to landfill, that don’t get manufactured, that don’t get shipped to the store, that don’t sit there under lighting in the shop.
We can make a difference by changing our buying habits. This is one swap, one face per house, one street in one place. This is powerful. I Googled, how many towns in Wales. Just curious now I’ve gone down this rabbit hole. 147. One street of 25 houses in 147 towns in South Wales – are you ahead of me have you worked it out yet?
25 houses (half of one street) x 147 towns = 3675 houses
3675 houses x 24 =88,200 plastic sleeves saved from landfill.
3675 houses x 720 = 2,646,000
Over 2 million cotton rounds that do not make it to landfill if you and others choose reusable.
One product swap
One face
One house
Half of one street
In towns in one part of the country
Can you see how big your one swap could be? I’m tempted to work it out for all over the UK but I won’t because my day will be over. The point is that your small swap can and will make a difference if others are influenced by your behaviour. We do not need to rely or wait for the big chains to make these products or change their ways. If we change the way we buy, the big chains will have no choice but to make the changes we have told them we want by making strong buying decisions. At the end of the day, they are there to make a profit and if what they are making isn’t what the consumer wants any more then they will change it because they will have to. You can have an impact. It will take lots of us and it will take time but it will happen. Have faith in your decisions.
Don’t just buy products the supermarkets sell just because ‘that is what they sell’ search out alternatives and be the change.
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