A Wren Says

While I was traveling through Nigeria, I wanted some cleansing wipes on hand to keep my face clean without having to use the local water or waste bottled water just for my face. Admittedly, I don’t have the best history with cleansing wipes. In the past, I have felt them to be way too harsh. At times I thought I was damaging my skin instead of cleansing it. That includes those that claimed to gentle and alcohol free. This led me into a long journey searching for the best product for me. I landed on Shiseido. I previously had a good experience testing out one of their serums and was thus more confident in giving them a try.

Prior to leaving, I used the wipes a couple of times to make sure they wouldn’t irritate my skin. If I was going to be gone for two weeks, I had to make sure that I didn’t set myself up for failure. They seemed good enough, so I packed them in my carry-on and was off. I brought no cleansers, no micellar water, no other options. I was determined to find out if this wipe was a good solution.

I used these wipes every single night of my trip. My days were spent sitting in the heat, covered in bug spray and sunscreen. Each night I cleaned off my face without issue. I wiped my face until I saw that wipe was coming up clean. The only time the wipe irritated me at all was when it started to dry out. Then that didn’t feel great. And then I realized, maybe we are good, I can stop.

Other wipes I have used in the past have disappointed me. My issue has always been that they burn. Even the ones that are labeled gentle. They burn too. And others left a film on my face, like they were waiting for me to follow up a cleanser. I was amazed that the Shiseido wipes didn’t irritate my skin, unless I continued to use the wipe until it was completely dried out.

Now an important note, I was wearing sunscreen daily and removing that and the general dirt and grime that comes with city life was pretty easy. I did not wear makeup during this trip. After my trip, I decided to completely makeup my face and test the wipes efficacy cleansing it. They did not do the job. My makeup did not budge at all, even with some extra effort. Unless you are wearing a very light, water based look, these won’t cut it.

The final thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is the packaging. The design they used keeps it sealed tightly so your sheets won’t dry out. It takes a little more effort to get a wipe out, but it is absolutely worth it.

Would I recommend this? Yes, yes I would. No gritty texture acting like sandpaper on my skin, no alcohol burning, no film let behind. A godsend of a product. If you are looking for a gentle cleansing wipe for maybe a post gym quick cleanse, travel, or when you are just too lazy to put water on your face, then yes this is for you. However, if you are looking for a makeup removing wipe, these may not be for you. I am going to keep doing some research to find some better makeup wipes that treat the skin as gently as these wipes do but still remove a full face of makeup.

The other reason I wouldn’t recommend this is if you would prefer a more ecofriendly option. You are after all using a single use piece of cotton that will need to be thrown out daily. If that doesn’t appeal to you, pass on this one. I, for myself, will keep these on hand for those times when I can’t or won’t use water but want an effective alternative.