As humans, we have developed thousands of single use products that have been marketed and implemented into our daily lives. As a result, our landfills are over capacity and single use items are washing into our waterways and harming wildlife. In my own journey of reducing my single use waste, I noticed a “hot spot” is the bathroom and hygienic practices.
Face washing is a basic practice in hygiene. Unfortunately, due to single use waste marketing it produces millions of pounds of trash. From routines that encourage the use of five different bottles of face wash to using makeup remover wipes everyday, skin care uses too many resources.
In an interview with Real Simple, Diana Felton MD, state toxicologist with the Hawaii Department of Health says,
“One group estimates that 20 million pounds of single-use wipes (including baby wipes and disinfecting wipes) are disposed of every day in the U.S. Many wipes are disposed of in landfills, and despite claims to the contrary, most are not biodegradable and do not rapidly break down, creating too much trash to fit in our landfills”
Not only are most makeup wipes not biodegradable, they are also made up of plastic particles (even the so-called flushable wipes). When these wipes get in our waterways they do not biodegrade, rather they turn into smaller plastic particles which then pollute our water and create a harmful environment for wildlife.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made wipe consumption skyrocket with Clorox and Lysol wipes flying off the shelves. There are some solutions to this like using rags and homemade alcohol sprays, but not everyone trusts homemade cleaners. During a pandemic, I can understand that mindset, so we’re going to compromise with getting rid of makeup wipes.
Ending your consumption of single use makeup wipes is not the end of the world. I promise. Believe me, I’m writing as a person that used to LOVE buying those wipes, “OOh Burt’s Bees came out with a new wipe scent…Pomegranate NO WAY” that was me geeking out in Target a few years ago. Now, I geek out over cotton yarn and bamboo microfiber :).
With the alternatives I’m going to go over below you will be helping the environment AND saving money over time….it’s a classic win win situation.
Why Crochet rounds?
For as long as I can remember, my Mom has been a crocheter (now she even knits!). About three years ago, she came across 100% cotton yarn and started looking up ideas for how it is used. She came across crochet rounds.
Because they are 100% cotton, the rounds clean up nicely and can be used for essentially anything (makeup removal, face wash, nail polish removal, washing dishes, cleaning your bathroom sink etc.). Moreover, the yarn is all natural fibers so it can biodegrade. She made a set for me and told me I could use them for taking off my makeup and throw them in the washer to use them over and over.
I personally love the rounds for washing my face because they have a bumpy texture that can help exfoliate and clean out pores. A few months ago, I made a set for my friend Stephanie from Steph’s Logbook and she loves using them for makeup removal. She also makes her own makeup remover oil (maybe she’ll share an article with her recipe).
If you don’t know how to crochet and still want to make these don’t worry, they are super easy! I am not a master crocheter and I’m able to whip one round up in about 15 minutes (after practicing and making about 30 of course).
Below is the video I used to learn how to crochet face scrubbies. There are thousands of tutorial videos on how to make these, but I felt this was one of the best. It also doesn’t hurt that the lady who made the video just sounds adorable “This may be a little tricky if you’re not used to making the front post double crochet. You’ll get used to it, I promise!”. She’s very reassuring 🙂
The video I learned from:
Other Sustainable Options:
All of the above are awesome resources. I still prefer the crocheted cotton rounds because you either get to make them yourself or support an artist. You can also customize the rounds when you pick out your yarn and such.
If you are interested in the crocheted cotton rounds, but you don’t want to crochet them yourself I have several colors available.
I am selling my rounds in sets of 6. I am selling each set for $13 and free shipping.
Please follow this link to the Facebook Marketplace Listing: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1416315555232275/
Thank you all!
Discover with Deanna 
Wow — I would never have thought of crocheted rounds for eye makeup removal. Question: Can I put my eye makeup solution on the crocheted pad and then use it? I’m wondering if it is too scratching on the eye lid. LOVE the idea. Your rounds look beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Yes, makeup remover directly applied to the round works well. I thought it would be too scratchy as well but once you wash the rounds one time they come out very soft. I don’t use mine often for makeup because I’m not a regular makeup wearer, but my friend who is, uses a coconut oil-based remover and says the rounds work wonderfully!
LikeLiked by 1 person