Review of the Best Biodegradable Eco Friendly Face Wipes on the Market

Disclaimers: I  purchased these products myself. I have in no way been influenced or paid to endorse these products. All recommendations and opinions are my own.

I have a confession to make… I’ve been using face wipes for years and have never considered the amount of non-biodegradable waste I was creating by using them. It wasn’t until the UK government announced its plan to ban face wipes that I gave it a second thought. I also didn’t know that there is currently a trend for people flushing them down the toilet (when did people start thinking that this is OK?). Not surprisingly they are blocking sewers and causing disgusting fatbergs (Google this term – I dare you!). Not long after this discovery I went on holiday and everywhere I stayed the owners begged me not to flush face wipes down the toilet as they had been having problems with guests blocking their toilets.

Although I have always disposed of face wipes in the rubbish, I still felt terrible that I was contributing to the growing problem of non-biodegradable waste. I was determined to find a biodegradable alternative, but I confess that I was worried I would be disappointed. I love my Johnsons face wipes and have been using them for years – Johnson and Johnson please make your towelettes biodegradable!

Most of the wipes I tested were made from ‘FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Mix’ which means they are made with a mix of new and recycled wood products that have been responsibly sourced. However, the RAWGANIC wipes were made from 100% organic cotton. Sadly, all of the wipes use plastic packaging. I appreciate that this stops them from drying out, but I really hope they find an alternative.

Important 

• Even though the face wipes listed are 100% biodegradable, you still should NOT flush them down the toilet.

PERSONAL FAVOURITE – Simple Kind to Skin Biodegradable Facial Wipes – 20 Wipes

• Use after 6 months of opening
• Dermatologically tested
• Perfume, alcohol, and colour free
• Made with 100% biodegradable and compostable plant based fibre
• 100% recyclable outer packaging
• Vegan and cruelty-free

Ingredients:

Aqua, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Benzoic Acid, Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate.

Simple Kind to Skin Biodegradable facial wipes were my personal favourite of all of the wipes I reviewed. Since trying them they are now my regular ‘go to’ wipe and so far, I have always found them to be very moist and never dry like some of the other ones. They were the softest wipes and the best at removing my makeup. They claim to remove waterproof mascara and they did a great job of removing my mascara, but I don’t use the waterproof kind, so can’t comment on whether they can achieve this.

Simple Kind to Skin Biodegradable facial wipes contain glycerin, triple purified water, vitamin B5 and vitamin E which is why they are so gentle on skin. They are also very affordable, however, they contain the smallest number of wipes compared to the others I tried. These wipes apparently biodegrade in only 42 days under home and industrial compost conditions. I add mine to my home composter and they seem to break down well.

Conclusion

These Simple biodegradable wipes were my favourite, and as they are also very reasonably priced, I have continued to use them. Out of all of the wipes I tested, these were the softest and the best at removing make-up, however, I still needed to use makeup remover afterwards to remove it all. I also like that the plastic packaging is 100% recyclable.

BEST ALLROUNDER – RAWGANIC Facial Wipes – 25 Wipes

• 99% Natural
• No information on how many months to use after opening
• Dermatologically tested for sensitive skin
• Made with 100% biodegradable and compostable 100% organic cotton
• Free from Lauryl Sulphate, Petrochemicals, Artificial Fragrances, Nitrosamine Releasers, DEA, TEA, Parabens, Paraffins, Synthetic colours, Glycols, Microbeads.
• Vegan, cruelty-free and gluten free

Ingredients:

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate**, Betaine**, Benzyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract*, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid. *organic ingredients **natural origin 20% organic of total, 99% natural origin of total.

In this review I tried the Refresh range containing organic aloe vera and organic green tea. They also have an anti-ageing range for dry skin that uses organic pomegrante and aloe vera. These wipes are very reasonably priced.

Unlike the other face wipes featured in this post, these RAWGANIC wipes were 100% cotton, as opposed to FSC wood products. The material was ribbed and I found it to be very soft but sturdy. These wipes felt really gentle on my skin. The RAWGANIC wipes have a mild aloe vera like scent, which I found inoffensive. These RAWGANIC facial wipes were excellent at removing makeup, but I would have liked them to be a bit bigger so they had more capacity for cleaning.

Conclusion

These Rawganic facial wipes performed well and are also very reasonably priced. These were some of the softest wipes and did a good job at removing make-up. I found them really gentle, however, I would prefer it if they were a little bigger.

BEST BUDGET BUY – Yes to Cucumbers 30 Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Wipes – 30 Wipes

• 95% Natural
• Use after 3 months of opening
• Oil-free, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic
• Made with compostable, FSC certified cloth towelettes
• Petroleum, SLS & Paraben Free
• Cruelty-free

Ingredients

Aqua, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativas (Cucumber) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract, Camelia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Maris Sal, Caprylyl / Capryl Glucoside, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance). *Certified Organic Ingredient

I loved how reasonably priced these Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Wipes were. However, I was less impressed with the packaging as they use an additional piece of plastic over the enclosure. Although I secretly love this snap close cover, I felt it went against my aim of reducing non-biodegradable waste, especially plastics.

These wipes use cucumber, aloe, and green tea extract to naturally clean your face. I loved the fresh scent, not too sweet or strong. The wipes did a good job of removing my foundation and the towels were a good wetness. They did an OK job of removing my mascara, although I’ve never found any face wipes that do a spectacular job of this so I always use an additional eye make-up remover.

Afterwards I washed my face with my usual face wash and then wiped my face down with toner to remove any remaining product. The cotton pad came away clean which didn’t happen with the Burt’s Bees wipes below.

Conclusion

Overall, I really loved these wipes. They were my favourite because they did a great job of cleaning my face without over drying and were reasonably priced. However, I wish they would remove the plastic cover dispenser to reduce the plastic used on the product.

Please note that some users with sensitive skin have experienced burning with these wipes. Although I never experienced any of these symptoms, make sure you do a spot test before using them over your entire face.

BEST FOR ACNE PRONE SKIN – The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wipes – 25 Wipes

• 8” x 6” (21cm x 16cm)
• Use after 3 months of opening
• FSC certified cloth towelettes
• 100% vegan
• 100% biodegradable sheets

Ingredients

Aqua (Solvent/Diluent), Sorbitan Laurate (Surfactant – Emulsifying Agent), Glycerin (Humectant), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Cyclopentasiloxane (Skin-Conditioning Agent/Emollient), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (Natural Additive), Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Dilauryl Citrate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Dimethiconol (Skin/Hair Conditioning Agent), Limonene (Natural Additive), Ethylhexyl Glycerin (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Laureth-23 (Emulsifier), Laureth-4 (Emulsifier/Surfactant), Steareth-100 (Surfactant), Steareth-2 (Emulsifier), Citral (Natural Additive), Leptospermum Petersonii Oil (Natural Additive), Tocopherol (Antioxidant).

As soon as I opened the packet of these Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Wipes I could immediately smell the pungent scent of tea tree which is sourced from the foothills of Mount Kenya. I personally love this smell, but it may not be for everyone. They also sell a Vitamin E version if your prefer.

I made the mistake of wiping my eyes with them which caused stinging due to the tea tree, so a word of warning, don’t use these on your eye area. This isn’t too much of a problem for me as I use a separate eye make-up remover anyway. They did a good job of removing my foundation and after washing my face and using toner, there was no remaining residue.

Conclusion

These did a great job of cleaning my skin and thanks to the anti-bacterial properties of the tea tree oil, these are great for treating skin with acne. I now use these during my hormonal weeks when I am prone to breakouts.

MOST ‘AVERAGE’ PERFORMER – Klorane Make-up Remover Biodegradable Wipes – 25 Wipes

• 19cm x 16.5cm
• Use after 6 months of opening
• Strangely, I couldn’t find any information on the packet or online about what the towelettes were made from other than stating they were ‘100% Biodegradable fibres’.
• Vegan
• Fragrance-free and pH similar to tears
• Hypoallergenic, ophthalmologist and dermatologically tested
• Sodium chloride and sulfate free

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trideceth-9

These Klorane face wipes were on the pricey side, so I had high expectations. Strangely, I couldn’t find any information on the packet or online about what the towelettes were made from other than stating they were ‘100% Biodegradable fibres’. However, the towelettes felt like the other ones I had tried that were made from FSC.

The package was similar to the Yes to Cucumbers in that they use a plastic enclosure. Although I secretly love this snap close cover, I felt it went against my aim of reducing non-biodegradable waste, especially plastics. The key ingredient that these wipes feature is cornflower. They have a mild fresh scent that I found inoffensive. The wipes were OK, they did an average job of removing my make-up but they did feel gentle on the skin.

Conclusion

Overall, considering their price and performance, I don’t think these Klorane face wipes offered anything more than what the RAWGANIC wipes do for a fraction of the price, so I don’t plan on buying these again.

LEAST FAVOURITE – Burts Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract – 30 Wipes

• 9” x 7.4” (17.5cm x 18.7cm)
• Use after 12 months of opening
• 95% natural
• FSC certified cloth towelettes
• Fragrance free, hypoallergenic and allergy-tested face wipes
• Dermatologically tested and ophthalmologist-tested cleansing wipes
• Cruelty-free

Ingredients

Aqua, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, glycerin, gossypium herbaceum (cotton) flower extract, oryza sativa (rice) extract, artemisia umbelliformis extract, beta vulgaris (beet, extrait de racine de betterave) root extract, euphrasia officinalis extract, saccharum officinarum (sugar cane, extrait de canne a sucre) extract, sucrose, fructose, glucose, caprylyl/capryl glucoside, dicaprylyl carbonate, polyglyceryl-4 caprate, xanthan gum, tocopherol, glycine soja (soybean) oil, trehalose, citric acid, inositol, alcohol denat., benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol.

I love Burt’s Bees products, so I was looking forward to trying these Burts Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes. The wipes boast plant extracts including aloe, rice, and cotton flower. Sadly, I was disappointed with these wipes. Firstly, the smell was very unpleasant to me, although I want to point out that scent is very personal and what may smell unpleasant to one person may smell amazing to another.

However, it wasn’t just the unpleasant smell that put me off. These wipes were very dry and seemed to drag across my face. They didn’t do a very good job of removing my foundation. After washing my face and applying toner, the cotton pad had lots of foundation residue on it. It also didn’t remove any mascara.

Conclusion

I was disappointed by these wipes and wouldn’t recommend them or buy them again. They were too dry and were no good at removing make-up. If you are keen to try these for yourself then they do come in different scents including cucumber and sage and peach and willow bark.

Disposable Face Wipes Alternatives

I’m lazy, that’s why I prefer to use disposable pre-moistened wipes. However, if you want to avoid using wipes completely, then there are alternatives!

Cotton Pads

Cotton cleansing pads are perfect for cleansing your face. Use them with your favourite make-up remover or cleanser to remove all traces of your make-up.

Bamboo Facial Cloths

• 10″ x 10″
• Hypoallergenic and Anti-Microbial
• No harsh dyes or chemicals

Made from 100% bamboo fibre (also referred to as viscose), these Bamboo Facial Cloths are super soft. I actually received these as a gift, and do enjoy using them, but as I said, I am lazy, so tend to still use the disposable face wipes. These soft bamboo cloths do a great job of cleansing and removing make-up without scratching. They come as a pack of 6 and to clean them, just throw them in the wash. I love bamboo fibre and also use a bamboo hair turban to dry my hair. I love how absorbent it is compared to the synthetic versions.

Microfibre Makeup Removing Cleansing Towels

Microfibre makeup removing cleansing towels are all the rage at the moment. Like the bamboo cloths, they are reusable and can just be washed in the washing machine. These cloths are made from 100% polyester and are incredibly soft. They can remove makeup with just water – no additional cleansers needed. These Nugilla 5 pack Makeup Removing Cloths are extremely popular with reviewers on Amazon and are rated 5 stars.

Tip

• If you use cotton ear buds, please consider buying biodegradable cotton ear buds – they use cardboard for the stick instead of plastic.