First, since getting rid of paper towels in the kitchen...I feel a little hypocritical still using them in the bathroom. :-) Second, I feel like my face needs something richer, with more emollients, for taking off my makeup. Cuz I ain't gettin' any younger! :-/
So I spent much of today searching for and developing a slightly different make up removal system, that after using tonight I think I am going to like A LOT!
PART ONE:
First I made some REUSABLE make up remover pads similar to something I saw on The Sproutz Store Blog. When I saw these I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of them sooner. Now that we use cloth exclusively in the kitchen, this made perfect sense to me.
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| I thought a nice, soft flannel would be the best fabric to make them out of. I already had some of the fabric on the left, and the piece on the right is an old flannel pillow case I found at the thrift store. |
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| I figured a dozen pads should be enough, so I cut out 12 of the striped fabric and 24 of the white. |
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| Then I assembled little flannel "sandwiches". The middle layer is just for added softness/absorbency. |
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| Right sides together...sew three of the sides... |
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| clip the corners.... |
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| ...then turn right sides out. |
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| Now fold in the 4th edge like this.... |
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| And top stitch closed. Then continue topstitching around all four sides. |
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| Finished product! |
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| Less than perfectly shaped...but perfectly fine by me. :-) |
Now I needed something to use ON the reusable pads. I searched and searched and searched for a homemade eye make up remover with the right ingredients for me. I finally decided on the following "recipe" adapted from one I saw at adelynStONE.com.
1 cup distilled water
1 1/2 Tablespoons baby shampoo (no tears)
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
A few drops of essential oil (optional)
I first heated the water for about a minute in the microwave...then added the shampoo and the solid coconut oil. The coconut oil became liquid in the warm water. I then added a couple of drops of essential oil.
After a quick stir, I put it in a little glass jar I had on hand and went to try it out. Not only did it work quickly and easily in taking off even my eye make up...it left my skin feeling so nice and moisturized! The original recipe called for only 1/8 teaspoon of coconut oil, so I increased it quite a bit for mine. You could easily adjust the amount of coconut oil to suit your own needs.
I have a small mesh washing bag with a zipper that I bought awhile back to put "delicates" in for washing. I am going to just toss the used pads in there and toss the bag in a drawer until I'm at the end of my "stash", then throw the whole thing in the washing machine.
There it is....my new "make up removal system".
I think it needs a name...and maybe it's own infomercial! ;-)
Improving on a good idea is today's.....
Great idea! Thank you. I love your blogs. Keep them coming. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I like that idea too! I have been using straight coconut oil but its a little too greasy.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny I found your original post the other day and whipped it up but I haven't bought paper towels for over a year and wasn't going to start now so I found some old wash clothes and cut them into squares and filled my jar like the one in these pics and was very happy with the results. Johnson and Johnson actually has some pretty nasty ingredients though you may want to check out method (http://www.methodhome.com/shop/babies__kids/shampoo__body-wash) next time you make it - I like the sounds of the recipe and I am going to try it - thanks for all your great "one good things" I have learned SO much!
ReplyDeleteI love this recipe! Though if you look on the back side of baby shampoo, you will be surprised to see the warning label. It is not to be used around the eye area. lol... the no tears is a gimmick to buy their shampoo. I will just change up the recipe and use a little of my cleanser. Perfect! LOVE your posts!
ReplyDeleteLove this! Be careful of using coconut oil on your face though - it can cause breakouts. Try olive, sunflower, or almond oil instead.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU so much for your ideas and blog!! I love that you have a little bit of everything here... food, house cleaning, beauty products, organization... etc.. etc.. I have made my own cleaning products for about a year now, but have tweeked some of them and also added so much more to my homemade "repertoire". I even stayed up to 3am last night to read everything here!! lol I cant wait to try everything! :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE this idea! My one question though is what kind of essential oil did you use? Is it part of what makes the eye make up come off? If not, would it still work as well without it? I'm only asking because my eyes are extremely sensitive (and dry as a bone) so I don't want to get something like in them. LOL Definitely going to make those reusable pads today! Thanks for so many awesome ideas!
ReplyDeleteWould love to see a no-sew version. Don't know if that's possible but would be much appreciated. Thanks, love your blog!
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the recipe, it doesn't state what to do with the pad. After the homemade pad is used, will it now be a 'throwaway' or can I wash the pad to be reused?
ReplyDeleteDoes the coconut oil stay liquid, or does it re-solidify? My house is not warm enough for coconut oil to stay as a liquid, so these mixtures never seem to work well for me. :/
ReplyDeleteNo sew method - use fleece ?
ReplyDeleteMany years ago my mother introduced me to baby oil as an eye make up remover, to save money I started to use mineral oil, same thing just without the fragrance and costs about 1.50 for 16 oz. I also use it to condition my wood cutting boards, I love products that do double duty. After using your oil face wash I find this works so well, I don't need an additional product to remove eye make up. the oil doesn't hurt/sting my eyes. I will caution though if you use essential oil be careful as some can be irritating. Thank you for sharing your idea for re-usable eye pads, I just use a wash cloth but it can be a bit rough.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: For a no sew option, go to this website to check out Stitch Witchery. My daughter's patch their expensive jeans using this product...it works!
ReplyDeletehttp://sewing.about.com/od/fusibles/ss/fusibleoptions.htm
Interesting, cheap to make, and easy!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI've started using pure jojoba oil. It's emollient, great for acne, doesn't irritate the eyes, is absorbed quickly by the skin, and has no added irritants or scents. Not quite ready to go paperless in the bathroom, though!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rebecca! :-)
ReplyDeleteGood idea, but... How do you clean /wash your new cleanser pads???
ReplyDeleteI'd rather use olive oil instead of coconut oil.
Thanks for the post :)
Spent four hours sewing and watching the Oscars, but I got to try out my new make-up removal system and my skin is liking it. I"m throwing my used pads into a mesh bag to wash at the end of the week.
ReplyDeleteAmbar....Oh yes...I forgot to talk about washing the pads! duh! I'm going to do exactly what the post just above this suggests. Throw them into a mesh bag that I will keep under the sink (or in a bathroom drawer) and when I've run out of my "stash", throw the bag in the washing machine. :-)
ReplyDeleteolive oil would be great too!
You're using an old flannel pillowcase from the thrift store, tossing used pads into a bag till it's full then washing and reusing them. How long before you get an eye infection from all that bacteria?
ReplyDeleteI've tried a recipe similar to this but my house isn't warm enough to keep the coconut oil in liquid form. It would just get hard and float on top of the water, yuck! I now use distilled water, almond oil and a couple squirts of unscented castile soap. Love it! Another idea for washable pads...my mom crocheted me a couple dozen 3-inch round "face scrubbies". They are very soft and wash up beautifully!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea! I've been doing a "no-sew" version for six months now, and loving it. No problems with bacteria, for the record, and I wash my cloths with the rest of my laundry using the recipe for homemade laundry detergent that I found on this wonderful website! For my "no-sew" version, I just used an old bath towel I had on hand and cut it into small rectangles. (Not NEARLY as cute as the ones here, but really easy to make and replace if you lose one or need more.) I use almost the same recipe for the actual remover, and I've found that it works well on my entire face, not just my eyes. My cloths have a soft side and "rougher" side, and I use the rough side on my face for extra exfoliation. Also, I store my clean cloths in an extra travel soap dish I've had for years -- they fit perfectly inside, and it's really cute! Love the post, and love this site!
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea that I am ready to try. I keep a pump bottle with EVOO in the bathroom and pump out a drop, wipe my mascara'ed eyes with it, then put some warm water in my hands, rub them together, and then rub all over the rest of my face before rinsing and drying with clear warm water. But, like you, I feel like I need a little something more, so I want to try this. For the EO question, I used ylang-ylang to normalize my crazy oily face. Not sure what you'd use for super dry skin, but ylang-ylang is awesome for the greasies.
ReplyDeleteAnony....I'm pretty sure I mentioned I would be washing them. And of course I washed the pillowcase as well before using. I use bleach in my wash sparingly..and this is one of those times.
ReplyDeleteJill: If you use hot water and a lil' bleach plus dry the pads in the dryer or line dry in the sun you should have no problems with bateria. The kinds of bad bugs that you'd worry about won't survive the hot water, the bleach, the detergent (even homemade) and the heat of the dryer, the dryness of the dryer or the heat, UV rays or dryness of being dried outdoors. Still nervouse? dampen them and microwave for 30 seconds, then let dry and store. It's all just pretty much a lethal combo for bacteria. They just aren't that hardy.
ReplyDeleteNow, under no circumstances should you pre-moisten the pads and let them sit OR should you keep that solution for more than a week or two. Also, do not dip a pad and re-dip a used or partially used pad. And make sure your hands, jar etc. are scrupulously clean before you mix up your cleaner and use clean hands before you apply. 'Cause otherwise that would be silly and you might introduce bad bugs into your solution. If you can tolerate tea tree oil a drop of that is a natural disinfectant and in small amounts has a nice "clean" smell. This is a really great recipie and I'll be making it up this weekend! Thanks Jill!
Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI am THRILLED with the idea of this ... I don't much like J&J, but I will do like PP and alter a tad, perhaps glycerine? Also, I was thinking the pads could be done without needing to turnout the fabric, if you don't mind a bit of a raw edge. Flannel fray is very soft after a couple of washings.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if washing the little eye pads transferred any oil residue to other clothes washed in the same load? Thanks!
ReplyDeletethanks for a great tutorial! I've linked to your post here: http://dollarstoremom.com/2012/03/make-homemade-makeup-remover/
ReplyDelete@thriftynut I was told by the eye doctor to use baby shampoo to clean eyelash base to prevent a sty from happening. @ Anonymous who said "how long before you get a infection" comment: You wash things you by from a thrift/goodwill store right? If you toss the fabric cloths into a bag and maybe wash with your jeans (dark colors)Your detergent should cleanse them as well as any other clothes. I bought washcloths for only eye make-up remover use and wash them NO problem. This was a great article and very useful information. Thank You Jillee!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great comments everyone. :-) Good stuff here!
ReplyDeleteI just bought the ingredients I need to make this but didn't notice it called for distilled water....is water from my sink ok? Love everything on your blog!! THANKS JILEE!
ReplyDeleteBaby wipes work wonders for eye make up too!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous (March 2)...I personally would not use tap water, it contains bacteria. You definitely do not want that stuff partying and multiplying in your mason jar, then applying it to your eyes :)
ReplyDeleteYou might be able to get by with tap water if you make a smaller batch and store it in your fridge. Adding a few drops of an anti-bacterial essential oil (such as lavender) could also help keep the bacteria at bay.
Thanks Emily!
ReplyDeleteIf you do choose to store it in the fridge I would replace the coconut oil with a different oil, such as EVOO or sweet almond. Otherwise your coconut oil will just get hard and float on top of the water. Sorry for leaving that out above!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about how to make the make-up remover pads... How about sewing your squares with the patterned side out, and then trimming around with pinking shears? There would be no fraying and the fuzzy edge would still be gentle on your face. AND, you will save a little time, too!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this post, I decided to try this out, but didn't have baby shampoo or distilled water - I used straight coconut oil - works like a charm and my old wrinkled skin is loving the extra moisture around the eyes
ReplyDeleteLuann...I like that idea. Flannel washes up so nicely!
ReplyDeletedaisykl....isn't coconut oil amazing!? I love it!
I use little cotton pads to put on my face lotion every day and I was thinking these flannel squares might be a good alternative. Thoughts on if they would clean/work the same way as using them for make-up removing?
ReplyDeleteJill, I love your blog! I've been reading and saving your posts since I found you about a week ago.
ReplyDeleteI finished making my own make up cloths and remover, too. Mine are pretty big and funky, but I love them already! Here's my blog post about it. http://madamesaslow.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/so-much-hot-pink/
I've started using something similar to this to wash my face on the nights I'm too lazy to do the oil cleansing method (which I love, by the way...who would have thought that the best way to get my INCREDIBLY oily skin under control would be to wash my face with oil?!) I start with about a cup of distilled water, then add a couple squirts each of sweet almond oil, castor oil, vegetable glycerin and castile soap. I also add a few drop of tea tree oil and vitamin E oil and store it all in a mason jar. When it comes time to wash my face, I just dip my flannel wash cloth into the solution, swipe it around my face a few times and voila...clean and moisturized!
ReplyDeleteI love this blog! It's become my first read in the morning as well :) I have been wanting to make my own makeup remover and face wash as I find store bought ones are either too expensive or full of chemicals. But I had been wary about bacteria until I researched and found that using lavender oil is a great way to make it antibacterial as I found an antibacterial solution to clean cutting boards and it uses just water and lavender (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/antibacterial-spray.html). Can't wait to try this!! THANK YOU, JILL, FOR ALL YOUR IDEAS!!! Please keep them coming :)
ReplyDeletethis is just genius!!! I was just about to go out and buy some eye makeup remover then I saw this pinned on pinterest!! thank you for this tutorial :)
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across your blog yesterday and I love it!! I was having trouble with my eyes burning, itching, watering, etc. so I went for a check up at the eye doctor. He told me I had blepharatis and a mild infection. Along with an antibiotic I was to wash my eyes 2x daily with an eye cleanser. His suggestion over the expensive store bought wash was to simply use Johnson's baby shampoo. Your wash is right in line with the professional!
ReplyDelete