Subscribe for updates

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

  • Home
  • COOKBOOK
  • Blog
  • ABOUT
↑
  • Home
  • Farm Life
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Survival
  • Money Savin’
    • Best Deals On
    • Thrifty Tips
  • Recipes
    • Freezer Meals
    • From Scratch
    • Frugal Recipes
  • Oils
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • WORK WITH ME

Happy Money Saver

A thrifty blog with freezer meals and DIY recipes.

  • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Freezer Meals
    • Vintage
    • Family Favorites
  • Money Savin’
    • Gift Ideas
    • Best Deals On…
    • Thrifty Tips
    • Happy Thoughts
    • Black Friday
  • Farm Life
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Survival
  • DIY
    • Around My Home
    • Health & Oils
    • Cleaning Recipes
    • Beauty Recipes
    • Get Some Essential Oils

Home » Homemade » Gentle Cleansing Facial Wipes

Gentle Cleansing Facial Wipes

This post may contain affiliate links. See the disclosure policy for more information.
39.4K shares
  • FACEBOOK
  • YUMMLY
  • EMAIL THIS!
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Make your own anti-aging and acne fighting facial wipes for cheap! Easy and saves a ton of money.

Raise your right hand if you’re guilty of sleeping with your makeup on. Yes, I’m looking at you.

Don’t lie to me. Remember that one time you were out with that one guy and you didn’t get home until that one hour and you were so utterly exhausted that you collapsed into bed without a thought of cleansing that mug of yours? Or maybe it crossed your mind, but you couldn’t bring yourself to wipe off something that those outrageously sweet lips had just kissed? See? You’re totally guilty.

But don’t worry, I’m guilty too. And for me, that one guy is my husband. Thankfully, our hours of sleep have grown since the days of late night pre-marriage dating, so my excuses for lacking in the facial washing department have dwindled. I think mostly I’m just lazy now.

I’ve always loved the idea and ease of facial cleansing wipes, but the cost has been a major damper. $8 for a months worth of wipes? Ain’t no room for that in this grocery budget.

Enter my recent discovery of a fabulous homemade version.

This cleansing recipe is soothing and invigorating and gentle and cleansing all at the same time. I’m seriously in love.

Ingredients for Homemade Cleansing Facial Wipes

Homemade cleansing facial wipes. Only 4 ingredients and waaaaay cheaper than the store bought stuff. I hate putting all of those chemicals on my skin, so this stuff has been a lifesaver.

2 cups distilled water*
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or fractionated coconut oil
5 drops Malealuca essential oil
5 drops Grapefruit essential oil
Optional: Few drops of vitamin e or aloe*
Old, clean t shirt or towel

*Note: It is important to use distilled water to prevent bacteria growth. I did not use any optional add-ins because I didn’t have them at the time, so they are not included in my cost breakdown.

Directions for Making Homemade Cleansing Facial Wipes

Cut up an old clean t shirt or towel into small squares. I cut mine to be a bout 2”x 2”. Set aside. Pour the melted or fractionated coconut oil in a large bowl. Add essential oils and vitamin e/aloe if using, and stir to combine. Add distilled water and mix again.

Lay your cut squares in the bowl to soak up the solution and then transfer to a jar of choice to store. Pour any remaining solution over towels. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator if you’d like a nice and cool little experience removing your makeup. Use like any other regular facial cleansing wipes.

Here are my cut towels soaking up the solution in the bowl, before putting them in my jar:

Cleaning Wips bowl PM

I really love the choice of essential oils in this recipe. The grapefruit oil fights acne and helps infuse aging skin with all sorts of anti-aging goodness, and the tea tree oil cleanses and soothes.

It’s super easy to throw the used wipes in a pillow case or other washable bag and wash like you would any other normal towels. That way, they’re easy to keep track of in the washer/dryer.

Cost Breakdown for Homemade Cleansing Facial Wipes:

Distilled Water: $0.11 (A gallon of distilled water at my local grocery store is $0.88.)
Coconut Oil: $0.14 (I buy my large container of coconut oil at Costco for about $22.)
Maleluca Oil: $0.38
Grapefruit Oil: $0.30

Total Cost: $1.23

My local Target sells Neutrogena Cleansing Pink Grapefruit Facial Wipes for $6.99, so that’s an 82% savings!!! Homemade for the win again!

Make your own anti-aging and acne fighting facial wipes for cheap! Easy and saves a ton of money.

Homemade Cleansing Facial Wipes

DIY your own cleansing facial wipes!
Print Pin Rate
Course: homemade diy
Cuisine: DIY
Keyword: face wipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Author: Karrie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups distilled water*
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or fractionated coconut oil
  • 5 drops Malealuca essential oil
  • 5 drops Grapefruit essential oil
  • Optional: Few drops of vitamin e or aloe*
  • Old clean t shirt or towel
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cut up an old clean t shirt or towel into small squares. I cut mine to be a bout 2”x 2”. Set aside. Pour the melted or fractionated coconut oil in a large bowl. Add essential oils and vitamin e/aloe if using, and stir to combine. Add distilled water and mix again.
  • Lay your cut squares in the bowl to soak up the solution and then transfer to a jar of choice to store. Pour any remaining solution over towels. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator if you’d like a nice and cool little experience removing your makeup. Use like any other regular facial cleansing wipes.

Notes

I really love the choice of essential oils in this recipe. The grapefruit oil fights acne and helps infuse aging skin with all sorts of anti-aging goodness, and the tea tree oil cleanses and soothes.
It’s super easy to throw the used wipes in a pillow case or other washable bag and wash like you would any other normal towels. That way, they’re easy to keep track of in the washer/dryer.
*Distilled water is essential here to avoid bacteria growth.

Pssssst...

Make sure to follow along with @HappyMoneySaver on Instagram, connect with me on Facebook and pin along with me on Pinterest!.

Want all the latest straight to your inbox? get the Happy Money Saver Newsletter straight to your inbox!

February 3, 2015
Beauty Recipes, Homemade, Oils

Comments

  1. Laureen says

    June 3, 2020

    I have mixed up five batches of the facial wipes. I store them in a sealed glass container under the sink in my bathroom where they stay cool. The first three batches were amazing, I used one or two of them every night before bed however the last two batches made with the exact same ingredients both turned sour within three days, offensive smell completely unusable!! Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      June 3, 2020

      May have been the water, or it got bacteria inside of it maybe? Are you using home water or filtered water?

      Reply
      • Laureen says

        August 7, 2020

        I am using filtered water purchased at the pharmacy.

  2. Angela Derbyshire says

    April 12, 2017

    My recipe added witch hazel. My witch hazel has alcohol in it. Which should help keep the mixture stable for longer. I also used unscented liquid Castille soap, distilled water, fractionated coconut oil, and essential oils, 10 drops melaleuca, 10 drops francinsence.

    Reply
  3. Kelly says

    October 1, 2016

    Using those circular cotton pads is a great idea if you make the solution and keep it separate! I’m traveling in 18 days and was just wondering how I could make this work without having to worry about laundering the washcloths. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Erin @ A Welder's Wife says

    March 12, 2016

    I just cut some sleeves off of some tshirts and was trying to think of how to repurpose them. I also need to work on my evening routine of removing my makeup, so thank you for both! I can’t wait to set this up and add it to my routine! Thank you!

    Erin | http://www.awelderswife.com

    Reply
  5. Kari says

    March 11, 2016

    The tea tree oil is in fact antibacterial but in order to use it to inhibit bacterial growth you would have to use extremely high concentrations which would be very harmful to the skin. Please do your research, ladies.

    Reply
  6. Heather says

    March 4, 2016

    Without using a preservative this will
    Not stay safe for long. Without refrigeration I wouldn’t keep it more than a few days. Tea tree oil alone will not keep it from growing bacteria or mold and your solution can be clear and still contain 100,000 cfu in a ml so clarity and order alone are not enough to check these

    Reply
  7. DeAnna says

    October 15, 2015

    This is similar to the recipe that I use. Instead of towels, t-shirts or rags I use cotton circles. I do use my face wipes 2x daily and LOVE them!!

    My recipe:
    3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
    1 Tablespoon Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap
    2 Cups Distilled Water
    1/4 tsp Tea Tree Oil
    you can also brew Green Tea or Chamomile Tea in your water for added health benefits

    on my next batch I am going to lessen the amount of water to make it more concentrated and put it in a pump bottle instead of soaking the solution in with the cotton circles.

    Reply
    • Happy.MoneySaver says

      October 16, 2015

      I love the idea of the cotton circles!

      Reply
  8. April says

    June 29, 2015

    I was wondering if there is a way to keep the coconut oil in liquid form without having to heat it each time I want to use it. I live in Upstate New York and winters are pretty cold and so far this summer it hasn’t been very warm. At least not warm enough to keep the coconut from becoming solid. My house doesn’t get to be 76 degrees inside anytime of the year. I LOVE the cleanser and my daughter’s and my faces haven’t been this acne clear in a long time. Right now I have the cleanser in a water bottle (plastic) that I dab with a cotton ball to use. I don’t want to add anything that will take away from the great recipe. If there’s something that I can add that will keep the coconut oil liquid and add to the cleansing power, I’d try it. I’m new to the use of essential oils. As a matter of fact the first time I ever used essential oils was when I made your recipe for the powered laundry detergent (which I love also).

    Reply
    • Happy.MoneySaver says

      June 29, 2015

      So glad you like it!

      Reply
    • Sarah says

      July 7, 2015

      Try Fractionated Coconut Oil instead- it is the same only with the solids removed so it is always liquid 🙂

      Reply
  9. Happy.MoneySaver says

    May 18, 2015

    I haven’t tried using those before in this recipe. My only concern is I wonder if they would dissolve after a couple days. If you try it out let me know what you think.

    Reply
  10. Mary S says

    January 31, 2015

    I gave up using soap on my face 8 years ago. I switched to olive oil. It melts away my make up without any scrubbing at all. I place a warm wash cloth over my face first to open the pores, then massage the oil all over, including my eye lids and lips. Then gently wipe with a re-warmed wash cloth. No scrubbing. Once a week I exfoliate with a mix of olive oil and brown sugar. My skin feels soft, clean and refreshed every day, and never feels dry. I’m considering switching to coconut oil now after reading about its benefits plus since I travel a lot, it would make it a much better traveling companion.

    Reply
    • Donia65 says

      May 27, 2015

      Mary, you are doing the same routine I do! My skin feels so much softer since giving up soap, and the oil and sugar scrubs are not only soothing but delicious on the lips lol (I use sesame oil and sugar).

      Reply
    • Marilyn says

      February 25, 2016

      First of all, 9-10 people don’t have real olive oil. It’s the biggest rip off today. Made mostly of canola oil. Unless you are paying a lot of money and get it from California you aren’t using olive oil. Even the imported stuff is the most counterfeited kind.

      Reply
  11. Deryn @ Running on Real Food says

    January 6, 2015

    This is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing. I love using cleansing wipes but I don’t love how wasteful they are, this looks like the perfect solution! I’ll give it a go soon 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Dana says

    December 3, 2014

    I have been using coconut and other oils to cleanse my face; however, I’m having an issue with laundering the washcloths I use for this. Any tips? I’ve tried soaking them in hot bleach water with dish soap and baking soda, but the oils are still embedded and they have the smell of the oils as well. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply
  13. Amy A says

    November 24, 2014

    I bought small infant wash cloths at my local dollar store. 3 pack for $1.00. So for 2 or 3 dollars you’ll have a a weeks worth of small size towels to use, no fraying, no surging needed. Definately worth the investment.

    Reply
  14. Kendra, The Sugar Box Lady says

    November 5, 2014

    Huge fan. Used them a week and loved how my skin felt. One problem… the rags are starting to sour. I followed the measurements exactly. I keep mine in a jar with a lid. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Joni Ermeta says

      August 29, 2016

      Yes put the cleanser in a pump bottle or squeeze bottle and keep your little cloths dry until ready to cleanse face. which will work better if you travel as well. i have read where people still buy their normal cleanser for traveling. I f you keep cleanser separate from cloths and use a spill/leak proof container……bing bang boom Bobs your uncle and head off to Tahiti!!!

      Reply
  15. Kelley says

    September 27, 2014

    Just made them today love them. I used the baby wash cloths from dollar tree there the perfect size. The two cups of water is a bit much for my jar so next time I may adjust or add more cloths. I did add lemongrass to it but just two drops. It helps prevent break outs and help them clear up faster. I put a drop in my face wash if I start breaking out really bad. These got all my makeup off which my remover won’t. I use a avon mascara that’s main thing is it won’t come off easy and it doesn’t.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Karrie

Hello & Welcome!

I'm Karrie. Come join me on my money savin' adventures but beware: you may find yourself wanting backyard chickens, making freezer meals and dancing along with me to 80's music.
About KarrieInstagramFacebook

Popular Recipes

Best EVER Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution

15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!)

toilet with pou pourri spray

What’s that smell? – DIY Poo Fragrance Spray for the Bathroom

The Master Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The Thrifty Lazy Way to Clean your Glass Stovetop

Making 50 Freezer Meals in one Day

It’s Soup Season!

48 Healthy Freezer Meals

Creamy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

crockpot freezer meals

20 Delicious Crockpot Freezer Meals

10 Fantastic Freezer Soups

Simple Chili With Smoked Sausage

Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe

search

by Topic

archives

About  |  Contact  |  Privacy Policy
Copyright ©2023, Happy Money Saver. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs