When you feel lazy about washing your face, or need a refresher when you’re on the go, face wipes can come in clutch. But you have to choose them carefully because not every face wipe has the same benefits. In fact, some can be very drying to the skin and some don’t even do that good of a job at actually cleansing your skin of dirt, bacteria, and makeup. Not to mention, face wipes are disposable, so they’re not exactly sustainable.
While you’re probably better off doing it the “old-fashioned” way with your face cleanser of choice and a bathroom sink, there are some times when you just need to use a wipe. For those times, check the package for ingredients that are both cleansing and nourishing—stay away from anything that contains alcohol and look for things like refreshing and hydrating things like aloe vera and micellar water.
And when it comes to using the face wipe itself, be gentle with it. I know I’ve been guilty of scrubbing my face almost raw with a wipe and then immediately regretting it the next day when I woke up to a dry and irritated face.
Take a look at some editor-recommended face wipes below if you need some suggestions to keep on hand.