Cleanser vs Wipes

I have to admit, I am very lazy when it comes to skincare. For years I've been using make-up remover wipes as a quick way to get all the make-up off my face and eyes and despite bloggers always telling me how bad face wipes are, I'd never experienced any major problems. However last month I decided to swap my face wipes for a cleanser for one month to see if I saw any results.

My favourite face wipes are the Johnson's Face Care Refreshing wipes, they're very soft and moist and take make-up off very easily. I switched these for a cheap and cheerful product, Nivea's Daily Essentials Cleaner and Toner. I sweep this all over my face on a cotton pad, and also use an eye make-up remover from Nivea to remove, well, eye make-up. I then follow this with a foaming face wash.

In terms of time, yes, using a cleanser does take longer, as I have to use this and an eye make-up remover rather than pulling a wipe out of the packet and sweeping it all over. However I've actually started to enjoy taking my time with my skincare and using this cleanser- it feels like I'm taking more care of my skin.

I like the creaminess of the cleanser as it leaves my face feeling very soft and moisturised rather than the oiliness of the wipes. Although the wipes don't appear to have any harmful chemicals in them, they have lots of preservatives in them and sometimes leave my skin looking red and patchy.

So after a month have I noticed a difference? Am I a cleanser convert?

Actually, yes! I hate to admit that I was wrong but I have noticed such a difference in my skin from giving up the wipes. It's more even in colour, redness is much reduced all. I've been getting relatively few spots and even when I do, they tend to go away pretty quickly before turning into big face demon type things. Also my skin is feeling much smoother and it's hardly combination anymore- I rarely get particularly oily so my skin is almost normal. Although I did used to go out without make-up before, now I feel like doing it even more often because my skin is just looking so much better.

It's fair to say that a cleanser is my new best friend. I won't be ditching the wipes completely- they'll still be great if I'm going away and need to pack light. Once I've finished this bottle of Nivea I may do a bit more research and try out a slightly more expensive cleanser to see if that works even better. After this revelation, I'll be posting an updated skincare routine very soon so look out for that.

Olivia Ellen XXX