It's time to switch to reusable wipes
Every year, I would receive a pack of face wipes in my stocking for Christmas. It was always a gift that my mum would refer to as "boring", but it was always massively appreciated. Face wipes were always something that was annoying to have to spend money on them, so to not have to buy them as often because they were gifting, it felt good. Even if, at the time, the cheap packet from Superdrug was fairly cheap.
Reusable face wipes are an alternative to the usual face wipes you'll find at the store. Typically, on one side they've got a pretty fabric and on the other side, it's some sort of toweling. Originally, all of my reusable wipes were backed with bamboo toweling, which has a range of extra benefits such as being naturally antiseptic and super soft. Since moving, getting hold of bamboo toweling has not been possible in the US and is definitely something I'll have to import from overseas. This is something to consider in the future and potentially selling the toweling on my supplies shop too. For the time being, I've been using Terry Toweling to back my face wipes. This toweling isn't quite as soft as bamboo, but it is still really soft. Perhaps in the future, I will offer both as an option so people can choose between a softer or more exfoliating option. Or maybe a face wipe that is half and half?
I have I've been using reusable face wipes since I was 18, which is scary that it is almost 7 years ago now. It was definitely one of those "once you switch, you never go back" situations so...
Here are some reasons why you should also make the switch
- You might save yourself some money
Now obviously, this isn't guaranteed, but it is an exciting concept even if it is minimal savings a year. This was what motivated me to switch at the start, because I figured anything was better than nothing. I think this always remains relevant, no matter how much spare cash is floating around, you can never save too much money, right? Assuming you're buying a pack of single use wipes for around $4 per month, that's $48 on face wipes a year. Our reusable face wipes are $2 each, or you can buy 7 for the price of 5 on our website, which means you could get 32 reusable wipes for the price of a year's supply of single use ones. Plus, you can use them year after year. Alternatively, you could buy 7 for $10 and wash them more regularly, giving yourself a rough saving of $38 for the first year.
Now, these numbers are estimates and there is an element of care that comes into it. The nicer you treat your face wipes, the longer they will last. For example, we recommend that you wash them in a mesh bag to protect them for snags on other items in the wash such as zippers or bra clasps. This isn't mandatory but will ensure they last as long as possible, meaning you won't have to buy more as soon. Now that I'm writing this, I'm not sure if this is a terrible marketing technique. Should I really want you to not have to buy something like this over and over, in order to sell more? Probably not, but in all honesty, I'd rather make a quality product that will last, than once designed to break that will force you to come back.
- No more running out without realising
Have you ever gone to grab a single use wipe and they're either dry or you'd already used the last one, made a mental note to buy more and forgotten? Yeah, me too and it isn't a nice feeling. Trying to revive a single use wipe with water doesn't seem to work properly and if you're out, you have to opt for something else to clean your face, which isn't ideal. Provided you have at least one face wipe per day in between laundry day, you shouldn't run out unexpectedly because you can just throw these in with your normal wash. That is unless they end up in the same place where one of every pair of socks ends up, which again, the mesh bags help keep them contained and safe from the place where odd socks go. This pairs a little with the "saving yourself some money" aspect because if you're throwing out any dry single use face wipes, that leads to needing to buy more sooner than you would have, had they not dried out.
- They can be used for a range of things
To name a few, our face wipes are great when wet or paired with a cleanser for removing makeup or giving your face a clean. When dry (and clean), I love them for cleaning my glasses, they don't seem to leave smears like one of the cloth wipes that comes with a glasses case does, which saves my sanity and probably my eyesight. They're pretty useful for wiping up random spills and as screen wipes, again, while they're clean. And perhaps, have designated ones for your face and ones for other situations.
- You get to do your part for the environment (and help me to do mine)
It's been spoken about for ages that single use face wipes are terrible for the environment. They stick around for ages without breaking down and they often end up dumped in bodies of water. Maybe switching to reusable wipes won't have a huge impact, but we should all try our best, right? Even if it is going to have a minimal impact.
Aside from not contributing towards a massive number of single use face wipes going to landfill or the sea, owning a small business comes with a huge amount of waste. Making reusable wipes is one way I reduce how much I am throwing away as they use up smaller pieces of fabric that would otherwise be discarded offcuts. Reusable wipes allow me to repurpose what would be waste into another product that is useful in daily life.
- They're super convenient for traveling
Have you ever taken a packet of face wipes when traveling and had the pack split open in your case? Or not had enough in the pack you brought with you? I have and it's a pain, but reusable wipes do not come with these issues. With reusable face wipes, they're small so they don't take up too much space, plus you can travel with them while they're dry, so you don't have to worry about wet face wipes in your bag. If they haven't quite dried when you're traveling home, we've got pouches in the shop that allow you to separate wet and dry ones to keep them clean and secure. The pouches have two internal pockets, once is lined with water resistant fabric and the other is 100% cotton fabric.
- You can choose pretty fabrics
I now live over the other side of the world from my family. Prior to this, I would regularly travel back and forth between the UK and the US. While traveling, I would take a face wipe with me that was made using a fabric relevant to each person, so that every day I'm not with my family, I've got a little reminder of them. Not that I'm going to forget about them or anything. It's a really easy way to bring a piece of each of them with me wherever I go. Alternatively, you could pick a selection of reusable wipes with fabrics that make you smile or make you feel motivated. If you're using them daily, hopefully it will give you a daily piece of happiness.
A bonus reason
As a little bonus reason, I've made a lot of face wipes. Over the years, I ended up with so much fabric and it resulted in hundreds and hundreds of the squares I use for face wipes being precut and stacking up. I'm trying to completely change the selection of fabrics I have by running down "older" fabrics that I've had in my stash for years. One of the steps I'm taking to achieve this is to sew up everything I have precut as soon as possible, so this week I've made an additional 180 face wipes to go with the ones I already have on my website. These new ones launch February 11th, but there are plenty to choose from that are already available, if you don't want to wait or if you want to test them out. Trying out our reusable wipes would be a huge help with my attempt to shift what fabrics I am using and start almost fresh with my business, and I would be super grateful for the support.
