Here’s how to use cleansing wipes correctly to remove ALL your makeup in 1 step

Here’s a handy – actually, the only – skin saying I stand by: Cleanliness is next to godliness (and gorgeousness, for that matter).

Yes, we all know that taking off our makeup before bed is the most basic of beauty basics, but let’s face it, much like Mum badgering us to eat our veggies, the soundest advice often goes unheeded. After getting home late, dragging ourselves to the bathroom for a standard three-step drill isn’t exactly top priority – and yet, it bears repeating that removing makeup can be an absolute eye and skin-saver.

Try: Clinique Pep-Start Quick Cleansing Swipes, $21 from Sephora Singapore.

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Any sort of residue on your face, particularly stubborn eye gunk like water-resistant mascara, will up your chances of an ophthalmological infection when left on overnight.

Bacteria festers quickly in gel liners – which is why most formulations have shorter shelf lives than their pencil counterparts –  and can choke off the circulation of lubricating tear ducts, leaving you with itchy, bloodshot peepers. That sandpapery sensation in your eyes the morning after? Chalk it up to the abrasive crystals in silica-containing shimmery shadows.

Try: Sephora Collection Express Cleansing Wipes, $8 from Sephora Singapore.

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There’s also the scary spectre of premature skin aging. Leaving your makeup on overnight is like basting your mien in a malignant marinade of free radicals, which settle like septic snow on your skin during the day and can cause collagen breakdown over time. All things considered, it might be better to spend a few minutes scrubbing off at the sink than risk the heartache (and face-ache) of fine lines and wrinkles.

Try: Cleanse by Lauren Napier Facial Cleansing Wipes, from US$9 (S$12.30) for five sheets from Net-A-Porter.

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Enter facial cleansing wipes, which at first blush may seem like a windfall for lazy girls when it comes to late-night makeup removal. After all, what could be easier than fishing one out from a resealable package, sweeping it over your skin and calling it a night, right?

The ugly truth, unfortunately, isn’t all that rosy. While their dirt-dissolving surfactants are much the same as those in wash-off cleansers, I would caution against depending solely upon wipes for cleansing. Click through the slide to find out why.

Try: First Aid Beauty Gentle Cleansing Wipes, $27 from Sephora Singapore.

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Here’s how to enhance the efficacy of your wipe. First, avoid unnecessary tugging around the delicate orbital and lip area, and follow up with a quick splash of lukewarm water.

Why? Well, without a good rinse with water, wipes will inevitably leave behind a layer of grime, and cannot be counted upon as perfect substitutes for proper cleansing. It’s that easy – just add water.

Try: This Works In Transit No Traces, US$19 (S$26) from Net-A-Porter.

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We may need a little extra help with degreasing during the festive season and or even after a “hiong” night out with the girls – intensely pigmented glittery eyeshadow can be such a pain to remove.

For that, inexpensive drugstore wipes can be used as a cotton-like receptacle for a stronger cleansing agent. Simply grab a sheet and fold it into quarters before saturating it with a good oil, press the wipe over the glitter-festooned area for about five seconds to loosen the adhesives, then sweep off in one deft, decisive stroke. Repeat until the wipe comes off clear.

Try: Garnier Soothing Makeup Removing Wipes, $9.90.

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Beauty class over! When all’s said and done, using a cleansing wipe is better than stumbling into bed with a face full of makeup. You’ll still be left with an icky, clingy film, which is when heavier-duty oil and micellar cleansers come into play.

At the end of the day (and we use that phrase quite literally), you do need a little effort to take it all off – a small price to pay, really, for beautiful makeup begins and ends with a perfectly clean canvas. Cheers to good, clean fun!

Try: Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Wipes, $12.90.

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