A couple of weeks ago, after publishing the DIY Honey Face Wash, a Live Simply reader commented, “Do you think this could be incorporated into DIY face wipes? Maybe not even disposable ones, but a jar of cloths that I washed regularly. I have gone to bed in make-up a few nights because I was just too tired.” Immediately my head began spinning with DIY possibilities.
What a brilliant idea!
For this reason and so many more, I love each and every one of you. You’re the reason Live Simply is such an amazing community of like-minded people looking to simplify the often complex world of real food and natural living.
Reusable wipes are not a new thing here at Live Simply. Two of my favorite DIYs are the reusable floor and surface wipes. Both are super easy to make and leave my home sparkling clean (which is no small task with two dogs, two kids, one husband, and eight chickens).
While many people feel overwhelmed with the idea of making homemade cleaners, I’ve found both reusable cleaning recipes require less time and effort to make and use than ordering and/or going to the store for a bottle of cleaner. Plus the savings are quite significant.
When a homemade product is super simple to maintain and packs major cleaning power, I’m much more likely to incorporate the product into a long-term lifestyle. That’s why you will never find complicated homemade products here at Live Simply. Who’s got time for that? Not this gal. Simple is the name of the game around here.
DIY Facial Wipes are the epitome of a simple beauty routine. Baby washcloths are used to make the wipes extra soft, durable, reusable, and affordable. I spent $3.99 for a pack of four washcloths at Target. A simple cleansing solution is then poured over the washcloths. This solution is created by only using four natural ingredients. Let’s take a look..
H2O. Because this solution sits on the counter for weeks, I recommend using distilled or boiled water to keep bacteria from growing.
Witch Hazel. Witch hazel is a well-known, natural astringent that’s used to remove excess oil from the skin. Witch hazel is also known for the treatment of acne.
Nourishing Oil. Since oil dissolves oil, it’s only natural to add a nourishing oil to a homemade facial cleansing recipe.
Castile Soap. One of my favorite multi-purpose DIY ingredients. Castile soap is a concentrated vegetable-based soap with easy to recognize ingredients. I use castile soap for everything from homemade laundry detergent to body wash and hand soap. I recommend using either the Baby Mild Castile Soap or Tea Tree Castile Soap for facial cleansing.
The creation of homemade facial wipes came at just the right time. Last weekend our family enjoyed a mini-vacation. We spent one night at a hotel and the following day at Disney World. I didn’t want to pack all of our personal care items for a 12 hour overnight vacation. Instead of packing a face wash or oil bottle, I grabbed two reusable facial cleansing wipes and placed them in a snack-size baggie. The facial wipes were the perfect travel solution!
If you travel frequently, these wipes will dramatically reduce the weight and volume of your suitcase. Trust me, I have first-hand experience. My only caution is to skip the castile soap if you don’t have access to water during your travels.
Even if traveling (let alone getting out of the house to go to the grocery store once a week) isn’t your thing right now, DIY Homemade Facial Wipes are an affordable time-saver for removing make-up at the end of the day, or facial cleansing without the need for an actual bottle of soap.
DIY Homemade Reusable Facial Cleansing Wipes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup distilled water boiled water will also work
- 1/2 cup witch hazel
- 1 TB jojoba oil or other nourishing oils: almond, avocado, olive, apricot, argan
- 1 TB castile soap Baby Mild or Tea Tree
- 7-10 washcloths
- 1 glass storage jar I found the jar pictured at Target
Instructions
- Place the baby washcloths in the storage jar. Set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, combine the distilled water, witch hazel, nourishing oil, and castile soap.
- Pour the liquid solution into the storage jar, covering the baby washcloths with the solution. Press the washcloths down into the liquid.
Notes
When you introduce water into a product without a preservative you always run the risk of introducing bacteria, so use water-based products quickly.
More DIYs You May Like:
I love the great ideas. Gentle, simple ingredients, & easy to make, and loads less chemicals that I can barely pronounce. Cost effective, the list goes on. Thanks so much!
Wonderful, Mary-Ann. It’s so great you’re enjoying the recipe!
Thanks so much for this great recipe…I’ve often used the Acure argan oil facial wipes or other big brands that boast moisture and aloe, and they tend to strip my skin way too much for daily make-up removal and leave me with dry spots or sensitive skin. Your formula (I opted for bronner’s baby castile, witch hazel with aloe, and jojoba) makes a noticeable difference in the feeling of my skin (smooth and soft!).
Initial investment is pricier, but when you factor in the cost of non-reusable wipes in my area ($7-10) It’s well worth it to have a great quality solution that doesn’t hurt my skin with continued use. FYI, I found reusable muslin facial cloths online for less than $4 a 10 pack. I bought a slightly larger jar, and this only needs replenishing once or twice a month…The best part I’ve noticed is that it is super effective at make-up removal…often times with store bought, I have to use 2-3 cloths to get all my eye make-up off, which just adds to the cost savings…such a great DIY, truly.
I love these! I just cut up a few old cotton t-shirts for the cloths and they work great! So nice at the end of a busy day to not have to worry about mopping up a counter or spending half and hour just cleaning myself up before bed! Thank you ?
That’s awesome, Bethany! Such a great use for old cotton t-shirts!
Hey Kristin. I used to make my own baby wipes with a roll of paper towel cut in half and pouring a similar solution to yours over the top. Could I do that with this as well?
It worked great as baby wipes, just wondering what you think.
Hi Kristen, I started making your wipes about 3 months ago, my husband loves them so much he freaks out when he comes close to running out.
I took my left over flannel cut them into 6″ squares rounded the corners with a cup put 2 pieces back to back and stitched them together, they are soft and clean well, we also ziplock our wipes and they go wherever we go.
Thanks so much.
That’s awesome, Teresa! Thank you for sharing. I love that you used leftover flannel–great idea!
Hi Kristin!
What size storage jar are you using for the cleansing wipes?
Thanks!
– Ali
Hey Ali, I believe it’s a 32oz. jar.
Do you think this recipe would still work without Castile soap?
Hey Rachel, Yes, I believe the recipe will still work. You’ll have more of an astringent wipe without the soap.
Hello!
I’m new to your website and to the world of natural beauty and I have really been enjoying reading through your recipes and posts! I was wondering how you travel with these? I know you mentioned in this post that you popped a few in a baggie to take with you. Are you wringing them out before putting them in the bag and how long do you think these would still be useful out of the solution? I’m planning on some extended trips and want to know if you think these would last for a week or two out of the solution. Do you think getting them lightly wet would help before using?
Thanks!
Marissa
Hey Marissa, Welcome to Live Simply!
When I transfer the wipes to a baggie from the container, I include a small amount of the solution to keep the cloths damp (not submerged in liquid, just damp)–no wringing is necessary. My longest trip using this method was 6 days. The wipes never dried up and traveled very well.
Thank you Kristin!
Love this wipe recipe. I use it for baby wipes and just add a tbs of aloe Vera gel to it for extra skin care for my baby. Thanks again kristin
Hey Charlotte, I love the idea of using these for baby wipes with the addition of aloe vera gel–great idea!!
I saw this and thought what a fantastic idea. Could I use a plastic container from baby wipes so I would have it like a pop up one by one container?
Wonderful sight wonderful ideas.
Katie
Thank you, Katie! That’s a great idea. I think the baby wipes container will work great.
I have a couple of questions: first, do you cover the jar that is containing the wet washcloths, and second when I added oil to the mixture it turned a cloudy opaque white color, is this normal? Any thoughts?
Hey Diana, Yes, I cover the jar containing the washcloths to keep dirt from reaching the wipes. The cloudy opaque color is 100% normal :). Enjoy!!
Making these! Is filtered water the same difference?
Hey El-e, There is a slight difference between filtered and distilled water. If you’re using filtered water for short-term use (say 10 days), it will be just fine. But if you’d like this batch to last a bit longer, I’d recommend boiling the filtered water first, allowing it to cool, and then adding it to the solution.
I am mainly looking for something to remove the oil on my face during the day (I seem to be getting oilier as I get older). Could I use coconut oil and witch hazel? I don’t plan on using soap, since soap of any kind makes my skin do this funky oily flaking thing lol. Is the water to dilute the witch hazel? Or, since I just want to freshen up mid day, could I just use witch hazel on the cloths?
Hey Jennifer, The water dilutes the witch hazel, but you could use witch hazel straight on a cotton ball or baby washcloth. The cost may add up if you use straight witch hazel in this recipe, since it calls for soaking the wipes in the solution. Oil dissolves oil, so it’s added to help cleanse and moisturize the face. Here’s some more info about oil as a cleanser: https://livesimply.me/2014/07/26/clean-face-naturally-oil/.
Love this, not to sound foolish, but why do you rinse after you wash? Would something irritate?
Hey Karen, I recommend rinsing because of the castile soap. The soap may dry out the skin. If you skip the soap, rinsing isn’t needed :).
Thank you for replying so quickly, i cant wait to try it!
I love this idea! I have been doing this for about 4 weeks now and noticed an improvement in my skin. So simple to make. I will never buy facial wipes any more. One of my favorite things about these, is the ability to tailor the ratio of the ingredients to your skin’s needs. Thanks!
That’s awesome, Candy! I’m so glad you’re seeing improvement to your skin!!
Have you broken down the cost of each batch roughly?
Hey Abby, I haven’t because I usually keep all of these ingredients on hand for other DIY projects.
I know this is an old comment-but I just made this and was wondering the same thing. Without factoring in the cost of the jar and wipes, it cost me roughly $5/batch.
Hey Barbara, I’m not sure of the cost, since it will depend on where the materials are purchased, etc. I keep everything on hand since the ingredients are used in other products in our home, which helps with the overall cost.
From my experience, DIYs with natural ingredients are expensive up-front. The true cost effectiveness comes into play in the long-term as nearly all the ingredients used in DIYs may be used to replace other store-bought products.
After using a wipe and rinsing it, do you put it back in the jar? Or does it need to be kept separate and washed before using again?
Hey Jessi, I wash the wipes in the washing machine after each use, but you could probably rinse the wipes and use them a couple of times before actually washing them with the laundry.
Hello!
I am so excited to have found this post! I am awaiting the arrival of my baby washcloths from Amazon so I can try this out. I have peaked around your site and am so happy to have discovered you! Your passion for real food and natural products is so inspiring. I look forward to trying out more of your DIYs and recipes. 🙂
Cheers,
Tamara
Thank you so much, Tamara! I’m so glad you found Live Simply.
You’re going to love the facial wipes. They are one of my favorite DIYs and so easy to put together. Enjoy!
Hi! will this remove tough eye makeup? Thanks!
Hey Dolores, I wear mascara and eye shadow, and the wipes work great to remove my make-up. Another great make-up remover option is coconut oil on a cloth.
Thank you! Will this solution stay fresh? If so for how long have you found it to stay fresh smelling? Thanks!
Hey Dolores, For longer use (around 4-6 weeks), I recommend using distilled water. You could also add 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil to the solution as it’s believed to be a natural preservative. After about 6 weeks I would toss the liquid.
Thank you!!!
What do you do with the wash cloths after use.? Can you wash in the washing machine and re use them to make a new batch?
Hey Beverly, Yes, wash and resuse them.
We have the citrus Dr. Bronner’s castile soap on hand. Do you think that’d be fine for the face, and maybe just steer clear of the eyes?
Hey Sarah, I haven’t tried the citrus castile soap in this face wash, but I believe it will work well.
Hi! Is there any substitute for witch hazel? Its just cz there isnt any available in my country…..