The Waste from Makeup Removal
August 23, 2021 · Aaron Burr

The Waste from Makeup Removal

Finally.

It’s the end of the day, and it’s been a long one.

You’re settling in for the evening and it’s time to remove your makeup and slip into some comfier clothes.

Everything is good, you feel comfier, and now it’s time to relax and unwind. 

But what’s leftover after all this? What kind of footprint has been created? And what’s in your trash that wasn’t before?

Most people are removing makeup typically with some form of single use remover tool. These are usually in the form of cotton balls, or cotton rounds as well.

makeup removal waste

Both removal tools come from cotton and are discarded after one single use. Since they are so cheap and widely available this is pretty easy to do.

The problem though, is according to the WWF cotton production consumes the most water out of all the agricultural commodities.

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It takes 2,640 gallons or 10,000 liters of clean water to produce around 1 pound or .5 kg of normal cotton rounds. A pound is about 1,000 rounds.

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Because most cotton rounds and cotton balls are not organic, gallons and gallons of pesticides and chemicals are used in the process of growing. Sadly, the chemicals used also have a high potential of therefore ending up on our skin as well.

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Because of the widespread and massive use of cotton, regenerative practices are usually thrown out the window. This depletes healthy soil and will eventually leave the land ungrowable and lifeless.

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Because these are single use products made from a plant material, those plants need somewhere to grow. As land and soil become more scarce and depleted, more and more trees and forests will need to be clear cut to make way for new farm land. 

It’s hard to imagine such a natural product like cotton having such a large impact on the planet, or even people.

And not to mention, because these products are single use they have all the other problems that come with single use.

This means they come packaged in a plastic of some sort, are shipped around more frequently, and have a higher potential ending up in the environment along with the chemicals and makeup ingredients attached to them.

makeup removal essence

Ugh, sometimes it feels like everything we do has such a negative footprint on the planet. But we shouldn’t feel too bad about this.

We were brought up in a society that has traded quality and ethics for convenience and affordability. So, we as individuals aren’t necessarily to blame. But once we discover there is a better way, it is then up to us to decide it’s time to make a change.

And speaking of making a change, we have a very exciting announcement coming in regards to makeup removal products. If you get our emails we’ll let you know very soon about the announcement. You can also stay tuned for the next blog post where we will also be announcing our next product!

Get excited, because we sure are!