Simplifying Your Post-Party Face Routine

Makeup is only so nice until its 3 a.m. and you have to encourage yourself to not fall asleep with it on. Photo by Jennifer Robertson/The Pace Chronicle.

Makeup is only so nice until its 3 a.m. and you have to encourage yourself to not fall asleep with it on. Photo by Jennifer Robertson/The Pace Chronicle.

Any woman wearing makeup has had a night where it is too late and you are too tired to take off your makeup.

Maybe it’s Thursday night after a long week of early classes. You spent an hour getting your makeup on because the cat-eye is impossible to get symmetrical on the first try (unless you are a wizard or practice a lot).

Then you go out, have fun, and may or may not be tipsy as you get back to your room in the middle of the night. You approach your bed and decide whether you will wash your face or just go to sleep hoping that your makeup doesn’t accidentally rub onto your pillow.

As college students still struggling with acne (spoiler alert: acne does not go away once you enter your twenties just because you’re older), cleaning your face is one of the main ways to treat acne. Leaving your makeup overnight once or twice a semester may not be detrimental. Yet forgetting to wash your face weekly will end in horrors and most likely more acne than before.

Therefore, the best thing after a night out will be washing that beautiful face you got! Moral of the article: wash your face.

So what if you want to keep it simple, it is 3 a.m. and you just want to sleep until noon? As mentioned above, if this is a one-time thing, you can probably get away with removing your makeup and washing your face in the shower the next morning.

However, for all the other times, there are some basic two-in-one products that can be of assistance. Due to the miracles of science and technology, most face wipes and facial cleansers will also wash away makeup oils and your face oils.

However, a face wash, unless otherwise specified, will not necessarily wash off all your makeup. According to Dr. Jeanine Downie for Marie Claire magazine, face cleansers themselves do not have the proper chemicals to wash off makeup, especially if waterproof.

Below are five products found at drugstores around Pace for less than $10 (and none of which are sponsored products).

  • Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes (any kind)— If you are a Burt’s Bees fangirl, then you can help support the brand with these wipes after using their makeup products. The face towelettes advertise being able to take off makeup, dirt and oil. Towelettes come in five styles. Sensitive Towelettes with Cotton Extract is the only Burt’s Bees towelette without fragrance as an ingredient.
  • Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes—These wipes advertise their ability to remove waterproof mascara, exfoliate and control shine. They also advertise as the perfect wipes for people with sensitive skin. These wipes do not list fragrance as an ingredient
  • Garnier Clean+ Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser—Like the Simple face wipes, this product advertises to wash up waterproof mascara and safe for sensitive skin. As a lotion, this does not need to be washed off afterwards! This lotion does not list fragrance as an ingredient.
  • Noxzema Classic Clean Moisturizing Cleansing Cream—This cleaner works similarly to the Garnier lotion cleanser but this product needs to be rinsed off. This product warns users to avoid direct contact with eyes, so it is not clear whether it would be safe or not for removing eye makeup. Fragrance is not listed as an ingredient.
  • Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser—This cleanser advertises on the bottle to work as a cleanser and make up remover. If you want the feel of actual face washing with a cleanser and warm water, then this product is for you. This product also advertises as hypoallergenic, but does list fragrance as an ingredient.