I used to use at least 3 pieces of disposable cotton pads / rounds a day - 1 for removing eye-makeup, 1 for removing lipstick, and 1 more for removing foundation/sunscreen. Sometimes I would even need an additional one for toner. According to research, an average woman would use up to 1,000 pieces of these a year, all of which would sit in our landfills for hundreds of years.
Given the incredible amount of resources used to produce & dispose of these little pieces of cotton, the swap to a reusable cotton round seems like a clear & conscious choice.
Here are 6 reasons to make the switch to a reusable cotton round.
1. Reduce waste
Since disposable cotton pads are made to be of ‘single-use’, each piece that is used gets discarded instantly. That’s 1000 pieces of cotton pads per person per year. Even if they are all made of 100% cotton (which some are not, see next point), they will still end up in our already-overfilling landfills. You can instantly reduce wastage & reduce your carbon footprint by swapping to a reusable cotton round instead.
2. Reduce plastic
Some single-use cotton pads are treated with synthetic fibres (fillers/binders) which help keep them compact or give a smooth finish, which means there are plastic fibres which may actually be dragging on your skin; PLUS they may not completely biodegrade in landfills, and will leech micro-plastics into the environment. Reusable cotton rounds (especially those made from 100% organic cotton like these) can be safely composted at end-of-life.
3. Reduce toxins
Synthetic fibres in some disposable cotton rounds may cause allergies in sensitive skin. Reusable cotton rounds made of certified organic cotton, are 100% natural and grown without chemicals and certified to be free from hazardous chemicals. They are thus gentler & better for your skin.
4. Easy to wash
Either handwash with some soap or eco-friendly detergent when you’re done, or pop them in a laundry bag to put them in the machine. Air dry works best to prevent heat shrinkage from the dryer.
5. Better quality
Since disposable cotton rounds are meant to be single use, they can be rather thin and likely to shred when saturated with product. Reusable organic cotton rounds are usually of higher quality, and I’ve purposely designed them to be thick, lux & absorbent so product doesn’t leak through. Each round can be used for 6-9 months, and even for more than a year.
6. Multi-tasking
Reusable facial rounds can be used for many purposes other than makeup removal. They can also be used for face cleaning, toner/essence application, mask removing, compresses etc. When they become too raggedy, they can even be repurposed for nail polish removing. Some products come with multiple uses, making them a great option for reducing clutter or for travelling.
In summary, reusable makeup rounds, especially if they are made from a natural organic fibre, are sustainable, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic and long-lasting. There are many options out there so do your research to see which suits you, and of course if you able, do support your local businesses!
Comment below if you have tried them - what do you like about them?