Cotton Balls
Et tu, Cotton Balls?
Cotton Facts:
Cotton is the world’s dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of pesticides.
Child labor is common in overseas cotton farming. Often, child laborers are directly involved in cotton pesticide application, usually with no protection at all.
It takes 101 gallons of water to produce one pound of cotton.
While organic cotton is less toxic to the environment, it takes over twice as much water to produce than conventional cotton.
The class of pesticides used on cotton is one of the main suspects in the worldwide bee die-off.
Cotton balls almost always come packaged in plastic and lots of “cotton balls” aren’t actually cotton—many are made of synthetic fibers, so they, themselves, are single-use plastics.
The bottom line: Cotton may be a natural fiber and has many wonderful qualities, but it's rough on the planet. We shouldn't use it for disposables.
And don't even think about using those make-up remover wipes!
Most makeup wipes are either made from or contain non-biodegradable plastic and synthetic fibers.
The types of ingredients used in makeup wipes can be unfriendly to your skin. Most of them contain fragrances, chemical preservatives, alcohol, and surfactants that will not be rinsed away when you're done.
Even the compostable/ biodegradable wipes contain certain cosmetic ingredients like silicones, plastics, and heavy metals that won't break down in the environment, even if the wipe itself does.
To the rescue…
Reusable facial rounds!
A sustainable alternative to your disposable cotton pads
Made from 4 layers of organic cotton flannel
Soft and absorbent
A great cost savings as you can wash them over and over for years
A nice, soft, absorbent wash cloth also does the trick quite nicely.