If you’ve read my blog lately…you’ll know I’m kind of on a “homemade” kick. Not necessarily homemade cookies, cakes and buns….but more along the lines of cleaning supplies, beauty products, etc. I haven’t gone off the deep end and started making my own dishes or shoes or anything like that (of course, never say never!) but more and more I find myself looking for alternatives to the high-priced, over-packaged, chemical-filled stuff. Sure it’s economical, sure it’s the “green” thing to do…but quite frankly…I love the feeling of accomplishment and “sticking it to the big corporations” that market this stuff more. :-)
One thing I still buy and use are those disposable make-up remover cleansing cloths. I really dislike washing my eye makeup off in the sink with soap and water. It’s just a messy proposition and I usually end up getting soap in my eyes and melted make up all over the sink, the counter and my white towels!
Problem is…those makeup remover cloths are EXPEN$IVE! Especially the big brand name ones like Neutrogena, Almay, Nivea or Physician’s Formula. So for quite awhile now I’ve been buying the cheapest, store brand ones. But ANOTHER problem is…the cheap ones are CHEAP for a reason. They aren’t as soft and/or moist as their more expensive rivals. The last couple of months I have started adding my own lotion to them before I use them and it’s been a HUGE improvement! Makeup comes off much easier without unnecessary rubbing and pulling on your delicate eye skin…and it leaves your skin moisturized!
 |
| whitehouseblackshutters.com |
Tonight I saw an idea for making your own baby/makeup remover wipes with all-natural ingredients you probably already have around the house. (Well, I don’t have any Coconut Oil around the house, but after reading about it I am convinced I NEED to get some.)
Spent some time with my friend Google tonight and found out that coconut oil contains Lauric Acid, which has natural antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc properties.
 |
| whitehouseblackshutters.com |
You can view the whole tutorial for making your own “wipes” HERE at WhiteHouseBlackShutters.com. But quite honestly, the process is so simple I’m not sure you even need a “tutorial”. It involves cutting a roll of paper towels in half, placing in container and soaking with 4 cups warm water and desired mixture (including coconut oil). The ingredients differ only slightly depending on what kind of wipes you’re making.
- For baby wipes: 4 cups warm water (one reader recommends DISTILLED water to inhibit the growth of mold), 1-2 tablespoons Coconut Oil, and 1-2 squirts of baby wash.
- For make up remover wipes: 4 cups warm water, 1-2 tablespoons Coconut Oil. (1-2 squirts of baby wash or your your favorite face wash if you want, but it’s not necessary)
UPDATE: 11/29/11: A couple of people who have tried this have said their wipes started developing mold within a couple of weeks. A couple of things to try are: Making smaller batches so you are using them up faster….OR….adding some Tea Tree Oil, which is supposed to inhibit the growth of mold. Hope this helps someone out! I really love my homemade makeup remover wipes! I haven’t had the mold issue…but I live in SUCH a dry state! Don’t know if that has anything to do with it or not.
- For cleaning wipes: 4 cups warm water, a few drops of your favorite concentrated cleaner. (Or click here to see my “Homemade Clorox Wipes”)
She also offers good advice on what kind of container to store them in and what kind of paper towels work best. She even has a FREE PRINTABLE you can download to include with a GIFT! Great shower gift idea!
Off to buy some Coconut Oil……………….
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Didn't read every comment, so not sure if this was said or not, but you can buy coconut oil, tea tree oil, vitamin e oil, and jojoba oil at Trader Joes. I use jojoba oil a lot – it's supposed to be very close to your body's natural oils.
Found this via Pinterest and tried the makeup wipes in a small batch just in case I ran into the mold problem, though I also live in a pretty dry climate so I'm not terribly worried (I'm going to try the cleaning wipes soon!) and I LOVE them! What a great idea, thank you for sharing.
Just my two cents… Viva paper towels work quite well and are softer, but they aren't very durable so next batch I may try just our regular bounty paper towels. I used distilled water from the grocery store that you can get in gallon jugs to minimize any bacteria contamination. Also, instead of using facial soap, I used a cheese grater (that I made sure to clean really well before hand just in case the silly dishwasher didn't do the job) to add just a few flakes of castile soap and that seems to be working quite nicely. :) And lastly, I've been keeping mine in the fridge, having them cool from being in there feels really nice. :) Might help with any potential mold growth as well? Not sure, but does feel good!
i made the baby wipes for my grand daughter because she is allergic to the stuff they put commercial ones, while at the store buying the paper towels, i was looking at prices. i found the walmart brand, which is identical to Bounty, of the 3-1 towel in the double pack for $2.50 & i made twice as much as the recipe called for & the size of the towels are perfect for whatever your wiping or cleaning….i got 400+ baby wipes for only $3.10!
I am allergic to coconuts, so I can't use coconut oil. Is there another oil I can use?
You could probably use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I use it all the time to take off my eye makeup.
Any kind of oil works; grape seed, almond, vitamin e… most organic groceries have a few selections in large bottles in their health care section. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is good, but if the scent is too strong try a lighter version (not extra virgin), the paler the color the lighter the scent.
Paper towel is too harsh on my skin
I use baby wipes $2 for a pack of 80
It's soft & cheap(I wear a lot of makeup)
When I need to remove mascara I pour 1 teaspoon of makeup remover or baby oil
Really any kind of oil, olive oil is great!
When you think of it that's all makeup remover is, oil
I've had the same bottle of makeup remover since 8th grade.. I been out of high school for a year!
I've made baby wipes for years &love the recipe I use. It is 2 tablespoon of each of these: baby shampoo,baby oil, & baby lotions. Add to 2cups water & microwave 1-2 minutes then whisk together! Add 1/2 rollpaper towels (I always use bounty). Ive never had problems with mold. I do leave lid loose if they are too wet.
instead of coconut oil you can use baby lotion. I made baby wipes basically the same way the whole time my daughter was in diapers. Then i started using them as face cleaners or hand wipes. Viva paper towels make cut in half remove cardboard take one cup +/- for your likeness warm in pan add 2 tablespoons each of baby soap and baby lotion. I loved the lavender ones. put in warm water melt lotion pour over papertowels. Wont burn your eyes and moisturizes.
Prior to my LASIK eye surgery, my ophthalmologist said I should get Clinique's Gentle Eye Makeup Remover to use when she allowed me to wear mascara again. I used it for years, applying with a Q-tip and wiping with 1 square of toilet tissue folded twice. Just use on lashes and only have to use one swab and one sheet of TP. Then I use a cleansing cloth for the rest of my face. Recently discovered an eye makeup remover at Wal-Mart that is nearly as gentle and cheaper, so I switched. Looking forward to the homemade wipes, but I came to this blog looking for an idea for travel wipes.
Put 10-12 drops GSE (grapefruit seed extract) in the mix. Will inhibit mold growth, also GSE kills bacteria and is one of the best facial cleansers, they use it in spas. It’s cheap, a bottle will cost you about 12 bucks, but will last over a year. I also put 12 drops in a 1 cup spray bottle for mold killer, keep using it and eventually the mold will not come back. You can find NutriBiotic GSE in almost any health food store, or online. The spray mix is also a great all-purpose cleaner, killing germs without using toxic chemicals and it also gets rid of odors (I had a very old dog who was incontinent, so the spray was wonderful, instantly removed the urine scent). GSE is so safe, you can take it internally (for upset stomach, yeast eradication) – just don’t use it full strength on skin, it can burn mucus membranes, so always dilute.
IzzyCal….this is great info. Thanks so much for sharing. I will definitely have to get some.
Oh Jillee, my truckdriver husband loves these! I used olive oil instead of the coconut cause that’s what I had. He uses them in the truck. You know those guys can’t find a sink easily. He is halfway thru the batch I made for him now and has had no problem with it molding. I thought he would maybe but I did boil the water first. He keeps the bowl closed and lifts the lid when he wants to use them. He washes his face then hands then the steering wheel in that order, lol, then the wipe is used up. I’m gonna make this up for the granddaughters too . They already are using the detangler that I made with french vanilla fragrance oil. All from your recipes. Thankyou again and again!
You are so welcome! So glad they get the truckdriver hubby “seal of approval”. :-) Thanks for sharing!
Has anyone tried this with cloths? I’m all for the homemade wipes recipe, but I haven’t purchased paper towels in over 6 months and really don’t want to. I’ve seen various recipes for cloth baby wipes that you keep moist in a container, but would these still be good? Any tips would be appreciated.
Ashlee…this might not be quite what you are looking for…but both are cloth options. Hope it helps! :-)
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/make-your-own-eye-makeup-remover-and-reusable-pads.html
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/11/homemade-clorox-wipes.html
Jill,
Love all your recipes. :) I notice you have no lid on your wipes? Do you leave it open and also did you remove the cardboard from the p.towel roll?
Thanks,
janet
Parenting is pretty messy business. With all of the spills, dribbles, leaks and what not, it’s no wonder that parents spend a small fortune on baby wipes. Having a one and a half year old and a nearly seven month old I know all about this. I recently came across Tushies, I love them, they are amazing good for money. Nice and moist and does a fantastic job. Both Me and bubstas love them.
I’ve been making my own baby wipes for a couple of years now…big cost cutter with two in diapers right now. Few pieces of advice. I could never find a round Rubbermaid container, but a clean round ice cream container works really well (and it’s free..if you have already bought the ice cream). Secondly, I usually buy a lot of the “big”, plain white Bounty paper towels and then use my electric bread knife to cut all of them in half at one time. I always boil the water that I am going to use. I started doing this because I use baby lotion and the hot water dissolves it better, but I also read that boiled water inhibits mold (or musty smells) better. I live in Louisiana (very humid) and I have never had smelly wipes since I started using boiling water. (I always let the wipes cool before using them obviously.) I use two cups boiling water, about 3 tbsp of baby lotion and 2 tbsp baby bath. I usually don’t measure the lotion or baby bath at this point…I simply squirt a bit of lotion and the baby bath into my measuring cups and fill it up with two cups of boiling water. I stir it up a bit and pour it over the paper towels in the container. Oh, I do leave the top off until its cooled down a bit.
Hi Jill!
I just found your website resently through Pinterest and I have to say i really enjoy it! As I read the beginning of this post where you say you love to make things that usually cost tons of money at the store, I was reminded of a video I saw on youtube for homemade Biore Nose Strips. My daughter and I made them and they work fantastic!! They usually sell for $14 or more for just 8 strips but the homemade solution is made for pennies. Here is the link if you are interested in trying it for your blog in the future… :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bjOB4zS0uE&feature=plcp
You can also use 4×4 inch square gauze pads, they unfold and are almost the exact consistency of the store wipes! They are softer than paper towels and fit perfectly in a 1 quart square glass jar. Here are the links to buy them on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006GDACS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
http://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-Square-Stackable-Glass/dp/B0065MG524
{ 1 trackback }