On to the very glamourous topic of cotton wool.
This is something I didn't really think about very much before, but now I'm thinking about how to stop buying stuff and how to stop throwing stuff away I've become fixated on it! How many cotton wool pads do I throw away a year (352!!!) and the same amount of cotton baby ear bud thingys! Thats 704 bits of rubbish into landfill every year. Just from me!
Boots botanicals range, the CO-OP and Marks and Spencers both sell fairtrade cotton wool products. Boots and Marks and Spencers also sell cotton wool buds with paper stems, which will biodegrade.
I still need some 'real' cotton wool occasionally, but for taking make up off and things like that I made these
Really easy,
- Take something made of towelling (I reused some old face flannels). Or any other fabric you think would be nice for make-up removal pads.
- Cut them into the shape/size you want (the ones I made are a bit too small, but they still work fine...I drew round a glass)
- Place two of your towelling bits together, right sides (sides you want showing on the outside) facing out, wrong sides together.
- Using a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine sew all the way around the outside of the towelling shapes, I went round several times so it was nearly all covered in sewing to stop it fraying.
- Tada! They are made! Woohooo! :D
Use them with water or make up remover (I use almond oil to take off my make up) just like cotton wool.
Before washing, soak them in some warm water for a while, then put them in with your normal wash.
You can also buy them online too, search something like 'reusable make up remover pads' on google.
I've seen these online, made by organic-ally, great idea to make your own too!!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that sorta concerns me a bit is the quality of make-up & then maybe potentially iffy things getting in with the rest of the stuff like kitchen napkins or such?
Or does the washing machine remove all particles? Have you seen any research/studies on this? (Well, as my Mum had washed my Dad's clothes with ours sometimes, when he still worked in the color factory.. I guess quantities of chemicals were bigger then, but still-??)
It probably depends on the kind of make-up used too, no?
Oh thats an interesting thought and not something I'd considered before, the pads always *seem* clean when they come out of the wash. I am however 1. quite grubby and don't mind about my different messes mixing up and cross contaminating each other and 2. a not-very-often make up wearer - and if I do put make up on it's usually a teeny bit of mascara and something sparkly, I never use foundation or anything heavy like that, so maybe that's why I've had no problems so far.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's funny about these things, isn't it?
ReplyDeletefirst you just throw everything into the bin & don't think, then you start thinking & reading about things..
one can probably rinse off the pads first too anyway, or just wash separately from any kitchen towels or such..
I'was lured into getting a glitter T-shirt in the past, that left glitter elsewhere too..
am now just a bit concerned about glitter in water lol
(can you tell I live close to a wastewater treatment plant?:) - I do wonder if they get the glitter out too or not-?)