8 best reusable make-up remover pads for a more eco-friendly skincare routine (2024)

Reusable cleansing pads are a small but simple switch you can make to reduce waste in your skincare routine and effectively remove make-up in a way that’s speedy and kind to the skin. Granted, they’re not the sexiest product, but they can streamline your regime and save you money in the long run, which can only be a good thing.

If you’re new to them, they’re essentially a reworked and improved version of the classic raw cotton rounds, which are single-use, flimsy and require repurchasing often. The reusable versions are ordinarily made from synthetic microfibre, bamboo and organic cotton, and as a result, are much sturdier. You can also use the thinner organic cotton rounds to fix make-up mistakes, such as mascara smudges, smeared lipstick or eyebrow and lip tint errors.

They’re often soft to the touch and easily cleaned by popping them in the washing machine. Not to mention, they don’t retain as much moisture as a flannel, so you can travel with them and know the rest of your suitcase won’t get damp.

Many can be used for years to tackle even the most long-wearing, stubborn make-up, such as waterproof mascara, full-coverage foundation and bright lipstick. Some are designed to be used on their own wet and ringed out, while others accompany your typical cleanser to wipe away make-up, SPF, sweat and day-to-day grime. Best of all, they’re often very affordable, with plenty of options on the high street for less than £10. Just make sure to pop them in the wash after every use to ensure proper hygiene. Your skin will thank you.

How we tested

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To help you find the best reusable make-up remover pads, we’ve spent almost two months putting them to the test and have narrowed them down to the best of the best. We used them wet on their own and accompanied with our favourite cleansing balms, oils, gels and milks, as well as with micellar water. We used each product a minimum of five times and washed them a minimum of five times. We considered effectiveness at removing make-up, how well they washed, how they left our skin feeling, and of course, value for money.

The best reusable make-up remover pads for 2024 are:

Soap & Glory reusable cleansing pads - two pack

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These plush cleansing pads are the softest we tried. Palm-size and fluffy, they’re made from a synthetic microfiber which swiftly removes make-up without tugging at the skin. They work best when used with a cleansing balm, simply apply it as normal, massaging into the skin to melt down make-up then remove with the pad. Each one is a decent size, and double-sided, so there’s plenty of room to remove a full face of make-up, which runs off the pad when rinsed with water. They washed extremely well too, and were fully dry in just a few hours.

Buy now £6.99, Boots.com

FFS microfibre reusable make-up remover pad

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While smaller cleansing pads we tried are more travel-friendly and compact, if you want a larger style, this two-pack ticks every box. Affordable and super soft, they remove make-up well and don’t retain pigment stains from mascaras and red lipsticks. We found they cleaned our face in seconds, and you can use the edge of the round to get into the corners of your eyes, and around the nose. They dry quickly too, just make sure to hang them up with a peg or leave them to sit on top of a radiator.

Buy now £4.95, Ffs.co.uk

Face Halo glow skin set

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Face Halo is the OG of reusable make-up pads, and we have been using this set for years. Perfect for travel as they dry quickly, but they also wash well and are very good at removing every scrap of make-up. This set contains three, one with high-density fibres for removing make-up and your cleanser, one with softer, plusher fibres for your double cleanse and one with a lightly abrasive surface to provide gentle manual exfoliation. The latter didn’t irritate our typically sensitive skin and instead left it immediately softer and smoother. Despite the higher price tag, these are worth the splurge for a gentle but effective cleansing.

Buy now £20.00, Lookfantastic.com

Revolution Skincare x Sali Hughes shift-delete make-up remover mitts

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Affordable beauty brand Revolution Beauty launched a skincare line in collaboration with renowned beauty journalist Sali Hughes in 2022. The range now contains a selection of budget-friendly basics for your routine, spanning cleansers, moisturisers, serums, face oils and eye creams.

For us, these make-up remover mitts are an underrated gem thanks to their thick plushness that sticks around no matter how many times you wash them. All you need to do is swipe the damp mitt across your face to remove cleansers, make-up, SPF and swear –they don’t tug on the skin nor exacerbate redness-prone complexions.

Buy now £8.00, Lookfantastic.com

Skin Rocks the cotton rounds

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Initially, we were concerned these cotton rounds would stain, but we were left impressed by their soft texture, how well all traces of make-up washed out and how versatile they were.

They’re perfect for using with micellar water to quickly remove light make-up and we were impressed with how well they removed lip and eyebrow tints. But, our one gripe was that when using one with a thicker cleanser, our make-up was smeared all over our face. That said we did find them to be useful for applying other liquid skincare, including toners.

They come in a square zipped pouch, which is great for when you wash them to save them from getting stuck in the nooks and crannies of your washing machine.

Buy now £15.00, Skinrocks.com

Garnier micellar reusable make-up remover eco pads

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These are a mixture of the plush, softness of a make-up remover pad and the thinner typical cotton rounds. While they’re super soft, they can be wrung out, squished up, shoved to the bottom of your suitcase, but still wash well.

Despite being smaller than many others we tried, any make-up you’re removing just glides right off when rinsed out so you can use them over again each time you cleanse your skin. Our only grip is they do tend to hold onto pigments from longer-wearing make-up such as foundation – it makes them no less effective but does change the texture slightly.

Buy now £9.40, Amazon.co.uk

StylPro bamboo reusable make-up remover pads

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These affordable rounds come in a pack of 16 (which means they work out at about 80p per round) in a cotton drawstring bag, which comes in handy when you wash them, as it prevents them from getting caught in your machine.

Made with a blend of bamboo and natural cotton, they have a slightly abrasive texture when dry but transform into a very soft miniature flannel when wet. They’re pretty absorbent too, and we found that they washed well on a 30C cycle. They don’t disintegrate like raw cotton rounds and are great for using with eye make-up remover to tack off a smokey eye and waterproof mascara.

Buy now £12.99, Amazon.co.uk

Skinproud clear off make-up remover pads

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While these claim to remove make-up without cleanser, we found they worked best when used with an oil or balm. They’re a great alternative to Face Halo if you want the same microfiber softness and durability for a lower price, and come in a fun muted pink colour. We didn’t experience any tugging nor did they leave our sensitive skin red or sore. Even better, we found that they washed well and didn’t retain any stains from bright lipsticks or waterproof mascaras.

Buy now £16.95, Iamproud.com

The verdict: Reusable make-up remover pads

Taking the top spot for us were the Soap & Glory reusable cleansing pads. The softest, fluffiest pads we tried, they washed well, dried quickly, removed make-up fast and efficiently and best of all, don’t break the bank.

For more sustainable beauty buys, try our edit of the best refillable make-up products that help reduce waste

8 best reusable make-up remover pads for a more eco-friendly skincare routine (2024)
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