If you grew up using cotton rounds to cleanse your skin or remove your makeup, well, you’re not the only one. In fact, that’s the issue with single-use cotton rounds. Each of us uses a few cotton rounds a day, tosses them in the trash, and forgets that they don’t just disappear. Cotton, being a natural fiber, will eventually decompose, but most facial rounds are made with a bleaching and mixing process, leading to massive piles of cotton in our landfills.
The good news is that there’s an alternative, reusable facial rounds! And no, they aren’t unsanitary, irritating, or damaging to your skin. Here’s everything you need to know about reusable facial rounds and why they’re essential to reducing personal hygiene waste!
What Are Reusable Facial Rounds Made Out Of?
Believe it or not, there are actually several fabrics that are durable enough to throw in the wash and soft enough to use on our skin!
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is one of the most popular fabrics on the market since it’s ultra-gentle and highly absorbent. Instead of throwing each facial round in the trash after one use, a reusable cotton pad allows you to throw it in the washing machine, and thanks to its natural properties, it actually becomes even softer with each wash. Organic cotton is great for removing makeup or applying cleanser since it’s plush and won’t scratch your skin.
Terry Cloth
On the contrary, reusable terry cloth rounds are best used to exfoliate the skin or remove nail polish since it’s slightly rougher than organic cotton. It’s the same material that most bath towels are made of, making it a durable fabric that’ll last years.
And if you think about it, it’s pretty hard to imagine a world where we use single-use towels. Not only would that system break our bank accounts, but it sounds necessarily wasteful! When it comes to our facial rounds, it shouldn’t be any different.
Flannel
If you currently use cotton rounds to apply serums or toners, it’s actually beneficial to your skin to switch to a reusable facial round made out of flannel. Since cotton is an absorbent material, most of the products you’re applying aren’t actually soaking into your skin. Flannel facial rounds are less absorbent and allow you to apply your skincare in a hygienic and effective way. The best part is, the less product that gets absorbed into your skin, the less money you’re spending on refills!
Environmental Impact: Reusable Vs. Cotton Facial Rounds
Now that you know the alternatives to cotton facial rounds, let’s go over their differences in terms of environmental impact and sustainability!
Less Resources and Waste
To make cotton, it takes 5,283 gallons of water to produce two pounds, which is about one t-shirt. Beyond that, non-organic cotton is sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals that are toxic to farmers, consumers, and the earth.
Reusable facial rounds have a smaller environmental impact because of their fabrics themselves, but also because they don’t require the same level of production as single-use cotton rounds. When consumers are going through a pack or two a month, there’s a higher demand for manufacturers, and more resources will be used.
To state the obvious, reusable facial rounds eliminate the need for repurchasing products every few weeks. Our consumption habits have a massive impact on the wellbeing of our planet, as does the amount of waste each household produces.
Less Plastic
Since reusable facial rounds are part of the sustainable industry, most companies package their products in either a low or zero waste fashion! Single-use cotton rounds are not only wasteful themselves, but their plastic packaging makes them even worse. At a time where we need to reduce our plastic waste on the individual level, it’s even more important that the beauty and personal hygiene industries quit relying on plastic as their main source of packaging!
