Before I developed a multi-step night time routine for my skin, make up remover wipes were the only “step” I had as I was all about low maintenance. At the end of a long day, the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time taking off your make up. I never went to bed with make up on (and neither should anyone as doing that is asking for break outs, brittle eyelashes and wrinkles) but looking back now, just using make up removing wipes probably wasn’t getting the job done.

So if I’m saying that make up remover wipes probably aren’t enough for your cleansing ritual, why am I talking about them in such detail today? I’ve developed a multi-step night time (or mid-day) make up removing routine that still involves makeup removing wipes (if you want to read about my skincare routine in detail, you can find it here). I don’t use them every day and every time I am taking off my make up, but I still use them several days a week and always have some on me when I’m traveling. I do follow make up remover wipes with an actual face cleanser to get rid of all the excess make up the wipes could not take care of but I definitely still consider makeup remover wipes a staple for me going to bed with a clean face.

Pretty much every company out there now has released their own version of makeup remover wipes or cleansing towelettes. The prices range from very affordable (~$6 for a pack of $30) to pretty expensive ($13 for a pack of 10 Koh Gen Doh wipes at Sephora).  Over the last few months, I’ve tried out 7 different types of makeup remover wipes and I have my verdict for which ones are worth the money and which ones are not (in my own personal opinion, of course). I will be listing these in order of my least favorite to my favorite ones and I’ll be talking about the pros and cons of each one. So let’s get started…

Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towlettes in Grapefruit: Starting off with the wipes I picked up for my last month’s brand spotlight. Since we are starting with them, yes, that means these were my least favorite of the seven types I tried out. I’m not sure if I was just sensitive to something in these wipes but every time I used them, they would leave my skin burning. This was actually a common complaint I read in the reviews on several different websites. They did an okay job taking off the face make up and eye shadow but had almost no effect on mascara. The wipes are a little dry so you are definitely scrubbing a little harder to get the make up off. They have a nice scent if you like the smell of citrus and they’re very affordable ($5.99 for a pack of 30) so if you don’t wear mascara and just need to take off regular face make up, these might work out for you. They’re recommended for normal – oily skin (my guess is due to them containing alcohol which would be drying) and can be found at any drug store and stores like Target and Ulta.

Pacifica Cactus Water Makeup Removing Wipes: These were my most recent purchase and I’m writing the review after using them about 4-5 times. These wipes also had the problem of leaving my skin burning after use but they did a better job taking off make up than the Burt’s Bees wipes which is why I ranked them a little higher. The first time I used these, I liked the scent but for whatever reason, every time after, the scent really bothered me. Not sure if I can attribute this to the wipes or my own ever-changing taste. The scent is actually the biggest complaint in the reviews for this product as most people say it’s a little too strong. The price is essentially the same as the Burt’s Bees wipes ($6 for a pack of 30) but these come in a slicker package which I really liked because this makes them more convenient for traveling. These are 100% vegan and cruelty free, so if that is something you look for in a product, these were the only wipes I found that had these claims. As far as make up removing power, these did a fair job removing face make up and a better job than the Burt’s Bees wipes at removing mascara. These wipes can be found at Ulta, Target and on the brand’s website.

No 7 Quick Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes: I picked these up for my No 7 Brand Spotlight months ago and have used up the entire pack since. These wipes do a good job removing make up and are gentle on the skin. They do not completely remove your mascara (which is a common issue for me with these wipes) but they do not have a scent, which I was actually happy about because a lot of times the fragrance in the wipes is what irritates the skin. These are a little more expensive ($6.99 for a pack of 30) and can be found at Walgreens, Ulta and Target. They do come in a bulkier package and I had trouble keeping the plastic flap closed (which is an issue because it can make the wipes dry out faster). These wipes did not blow me away but at the same time, I had less complaints about these than the two mentioned above (I mean, any time something doesn’t irritate your skin, that’s a big plus). These are also recommended for all skin types which is a positive as well.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths: These would be ranked higher if it wasn’t for the price. These are more than double what the wipes mentioned above are (and double my  number one ranked choice as well) and while these are good, they’re not twice the price good. I picked these up during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale when they were 50% off but since that isn’t their permanent price, I had to knock these down a bit. They’re $15 for a 30 count pack and can be found at Ulta and Sephora, so these are technically considered high end make up wipes since Philosophy is a high end brand. These do a great job removing make up (and take even most of your mascara off)all while not having a strong scent. So next time these are on sale, I would recommend picking them up but if you don’t want to spend that much on makeup remover wipes, keep on reading since I have some great affordable options up ahead.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes: I really struggled with where I want to put these wipes as far as ranking goes because when it comes to actually removing make up, these aren’t the greatest BUT these leave your skin looking so glowy and radiant that I couldn’t leave these at the bottom. These wipes have a slight scent but it is not overpowering at all and these did not irritate my skin one bit. After only using them once, I noticed just how good my skin looked and was very impressed. These will take your make up off with some scrubbing but you’ll definitely have to use something extra for mascara such as micellar water or a cleanser. The name “positively radiant” is perfect for these wipes because that’s exactly how I would describe my skin after using them. These cost $6.99 for a 25 count pack and can be found at Walgreens, Ulta, Target and several other places that sell Aveeno products.

Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Removing Towelettes: These are probably the newest wipes on the market out of the ones I tried. I was apprehensive about trying these out because the original Garnier make up remover wipes were not impressive at all but because these were micellar water removing towlettes, I had to give them a try. I was not disappointed in these at all as they are soaked with product and do an amazing job removing your make up. I’ve been seeing people raving about these wipes for a few months now and I agree with the hype. These are totally worth trying and are great at leaving your face feeling completely clean. They’re $6.99 for a pack of 25 and my only complaint is that they don’t come in a smaller travel size version as this packaging is pretty bulky. These can be found at any drug store as well as Ulta, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. These get an A from me.

Neutrogena Make Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes: I feel like these are the wipes that most people have tried and I want to attribute them to the fact that these truly are the best at removing make up completely. These get everything off your face – foundation, eye shadow, liner, mascara, I mean everything. You can buy them in refillable 25 count packs ( with a plastic container to hold them in to try to prevent them from drying out) as well as the travel 7 count pack which I absolutely love because it’s thin and perfect for carrying around when traveling. These are the only wipes that do not make me feel like I have to cleanse my face afterwards. There are several different types of Neutrogena make up remover wipes but I think the original (blue) ones are the best. The refill packs are $6.99 for 25 wipes and if you want to buy them with the plastic container, it’s $8.99. If you have a membership to places like Costco and Sams, you can buy these in bulk for an even more affordable price.

There you have it for my opinion on what the best makeup remover wipes are on the market right now. I will keep trying out new ones and maybe one day will come up with a part 2 to this list or just mention my new favorites in my monthly favorites posts.

As always, thanks for reading 😊 and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and like my new Facebook page. Happy Sunday!