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Home » DIY » DIY Makeup Remover Pads

DIY Makeup Remover Pads

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You can make your own homemade DIY makeup remover pads and save a fortune in beauty supplies with an easy home recipe that actually works. The gentle cleaning solution is perfect for eye makeup!

In my first year of blogging, I did a post about DIY makeup remover that costs just pennies to make and works as well as any brand of cleaner I’ve ever used.  I have made that same “recipe” a couple times and I still love using it. Some homemade products make these claims of greatness but don’t quite follow through and deliver. But not this one! I can get all my mascara off with just one or two of the DIY Makeup Remover Pads! 

I saw a pin from Enjoy the View and she made cleaning pads with her makeup remover.  I thought this was a great idea! I already had all the supplies I needed for making DIY makeup remover pads with my own ingredients and I finally put them together. It was so successful, I’ve done it over and over for the last several years!

DIY Makeup Remover Pads

What you’ll need

What to do

  1. Mix water, shampoo and oil in a small bowl.
  2. Pour a little into the bottom of the jar.
  3. Place cotton swabs on top of cleaner and press down to make sure they get saturated.
  4. Repeat until jar is full of saturated makeup pads. I had 1/2 cup of remover liquid leftover, so I just stored it in a jar so it’s ready for next time.

I tied a little bow around the top of my jar since it will be on display in my bathroom.  I just wish I had a Silhouette to make a cutesy little label for my jar! 🙂 But that’s OK. My satisfaction will come from how much money I’m saving by using my own DIY makeup remover pads instead of a tiny package from the store!

You can use regular tap water if you make a smaller batch, or plan on using it up quickly. Using distilled water, however, will keep it fresh for longer and you won’t get a yucky smell coming from the pads after a month. Another option is to keep any leftover solution in an airtight container in the fridge and just saturate a few pads at a time.

 

DIY makeup remover pads Post updated 5/2018

 

Nicole Burkholder
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Comments

  2. Carmen says

    Maybe this is a silly question, but can we use it every night, and does it have to be rinsed off with warm or cold water or it doesn’t matter?

    Reply

    • Nicole Burkholder says

      Yes, you can use it every night- it’s very gentle on the skin. As for rinsing, you could do whatever you prefer. I usually just dab my face with a damp washcloth if there’s any soapy residue on my face. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  3. Paula Farley says

    I made these and added a few drops of tea tree oil. I love them, have had no problems with irritation at all and will never go back to buying make-up wipes. I think my next batch may have some witch hazel added too. Thanks for the post.

    Reply

  5. Hannah Case says

    Do these pads have a scent to them? Could I add a scent of my own and if so any ideas on what or how?

    Reply

    • Nicole Burkholder says

      There is a light scent that comes from the baby shampoo already, unless you choose to use the scent-free kind. I would look into essential oils if you wanted to add your own scent, though.

      Reply

      • Patsy B says

        I found that I used coconut oil instead of the baby oil along with distilled water. I too had a “funky” odor from one batch prior to using distilled water.. (*boil water and cool prior to making your remover)

      • Nicole Burkholder says

        That’s a great idea, thanks! You can use any type of oil, really. The first time I made a batch I used olive oil. 🙂 Coconut would smell nice, though. And distilled water is probably the answer to the “funky smell” issue.

  6. Jess says

    Are these meant more for make-up on the face or on the eyes? I buy pads like these for my eye make-up. Even though baby shampoo is gentle on eyes I’m wondering if repetitive use, along with the oil on the eyes would be irritating?

    Reply

    • Nicole Burkholder says

      I use them to remove my eye makeup, but I also swipe the whole thing over my face. I’ve never had any problem with irritation- the oil is such a teeny tiny amount and diluted in water.

      Reply

    • Nicole Burkholder says

      I made them a couple different times, and one time my last few started to smell odd, too. I didn’t see any mold, but they were probably turning. The difference was that I saturated them too much. They were REALLY wet instead of just damp. So make sure you pour very slowly and squeeze the liquid into the cotton as you go. Then just set aside what’s left over for later. Also, make sure you’re using a jar you can keep closed. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  8. Stephanie Webb says

    Thanks for the wonderful idea! I bought the baby shampoo, baby oil, and cotton pads for $1 each at Dollar General. I then bought 1/2 pint Ball mason jars at Target and made my first batch today. I love the way it smells and am glad to know that only these mild ingredients are in it.

    I am going to make several batches and tie cute ribbons on the jars and use them as stocking stuffers, along with your recipe for making more. I think my frugal DIY female family members will love having the make-up remover pads and recipe for making future batches for pennies!!!

    Reply

    • Nicole Burkholder says

      I’m so glad! I ran out of of cotton pads a little while ago, so I need to make some more. Glad to know you can find them at the dollar store! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and all your frugal family 🙂

      Reply

  10. Kimberly says

    This is brilliant! I’ve made a similar recipe with coconut oil for makeup remover, but never thought to just pour it over the makeup remover pads. And FYI, the coconut oil is making my eyelashes grow too!

    Reply

    • Auty says

      I love the idea of adding coconut oil instead of olive or vegetable, problem is coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it would probably need to be heated to melt prior to mixing with other ingredients.

      Reply

  12. Kimberly Leverett Osburn says

    Hey Nicole,
    It’s me, Kim from Daily Blog Post, I too have been using the DIY Make-Up remover, but these pads are a wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing. I hope you’ll drop by to visit soon. Pinning and sharing on Facebook, G+ and Tweeting.

    Reply

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