Wipes – Look how far they’ve come

Article by BR Tabatha

Wipes.  I bet somewhere in your house there's a pack of one kind of wipe or another.  What started off as a parenting staple has since taken the Beauty Aisle (and Personal Care, Cleaning and Pet Aisles) by storm.

Why decant a product on to a cloth, when you can simply wipe and go?  Well it seems every facet of the industry has asked this question - and come up with a wipe to make life easier.

Cleansing Wipes.

The staple in any girl's bathroom.  Cleansing wipes are great for on the go cleansing as well as daily cleansing. 

Depending on the weave of cloth you can also get a mild exfoliation as you cleanse!  Closed weave cloths are more rough than open weave cloths, and so are great for normal skin to oily skin.  Open weaves (where you can see holes in the cloth) give a gentle exfoliation and are great for sensitive skin and the eye area.

Ingredients in cleansing wipes vary and there really is a wipe for everything!  You can even skin tone, enrich your skin with nourishing vitamins and even prevent breakouts with wipes containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.  Speaking of break-outs - those with oily or acne prone skin are often lectured on a) the importance of cleansing and b) the importance of cleansing 'just enough' - ie you don't want to strip your skin of oil.  Cleansing wipes can really be great for this, just be conscious of using more than one wipe if necessary, to avoid spreading grime around your face!

The latest release to the cleansing wipe is night-time wipes!  Oh yes, Johnson's Face Care Makeup Be Gone Pampering Wipes are enriched with Moonflower aroma, known to help calm your senses.  These wipes prepare the skin for bedtime and the unique formula gently sweeps away even waterproof mascara without rubbing!  (And one trial team will be putting these to the test - stay tuned this week!)

Intimate Wipes.

The thought of buying wipes for your lady-area might make you blush and start whispering words like Miranda, but for many ladies out there these south-of-the-border wipes are a god send! Got a middle of the day lady-WOF?  A date night with the boyfriend straight from work?  Or just feeling a little bit icky downstairs due to the time of the month? 

A gentle, freshening and importantly, flushable wipe can be just what you need.  They're a staple on every personal care aisle and let's be honest - when it comes to our lady-areas, we don't want to be putting just anything down there, right?

Underarm Wipes.

No one wants to be a sweaty-Betty, but there are some times when rolling on your deodorant just doesn't do it - you need to remove the sweat first. 

Enter, deodorant wipes - perfect for your pits.  You can buy fragranced or unfragranced, but whatever you choose you can effectively remove sweat and freshen up your underarms.

Makeup Remover Wipes.

Just like your usual cleansing products, not all cleansing wipes have the power to remove makeup.  In fact it's often recommended you 'pre-cleanse' if you wear a full face of makeup - you want to remove your makeup so you can effectively cleanse your skin.

Makeup Remover Wipes should take the hard work out of removing your makeup  - don't rub too hard, instead press the wipe to your skin and allow the moisture from the wipe to do it's thing.

Nail Polish Remover Wipes.

You can get both pads and wipes to remove your nail polish.  Now there is the risk of making your hands smell like nail polish remover for hours, but when you weigh it up against the risk of spilling nail polish remover, it could be worth your while to give them a go! 

Just remember to press the wipe on to the nail for 10 seconds or so, to allow the ingredients a chance to begin to break down your polish!

Tanning Wipes.

You might not want to use wipes to do a full tan - but they're great for smaller areas, like your face.

Where tanning wipes really excel is in boosting an existing fake tan.  Using just one wipe every 3 days you can extend the life of your spray tan dramatically!

Check out our Top Ten Tips For A Great Self Tan to get the best out of whatever tanning product you choose!

After - Wax Wipes.

At-home waxing makes a salon treatment relatively affordable and easy - except for the mess of course!

After-wax wipes remove traces of wax from your skin and many contain soothing ingredients to prevent inflammation and to lessen those annoying red bumps many of us are left with after waxing.

Want to know more about waxing?  BR's Beauty Therapist Zoe Debunks Waxing Myths and helps you Avoid Ingrown Hairs

Sanitizing Wipes.

Yes you can get anti-bac wipes for cleaning your hands on-the-go, but more relevant for Beauty Review - you can buy wipes to sanitise your makeup!

So if you're a budding makeup artist, regularly share makeup with your sister, or just want to practise good hygiene, be sure to look out for makeup sanitising wipes when you're next in the pharmacy!  They're specially formulated to not affect the pigment or performance of your favourite eyeshadow or lippy.  In fact you'll probably get more use out of the product by keeping it lurgy-free!

And our two top tips for whatever wipes you choose to use?

1.  Remember to buy flushable, or dispose of your wipes in the bin!

2.  Keep your wipes sealed to retain moisture and optimal performance.

And lastly, a word about - Baby Wipes

Baby Wipes are useful for a lot of things, but they don't really substitute for cleansing wipes or makeup removing wipes.  You'll end up rubbing thrice as hard and you know what that does right?  It ages the skin!

So there's our little foray in to the wonderful world of wipes - what have we missed?  Are you a wipe girl, or do you not really see the point?  Get chatting below!