little white truths

I tend not to buy facial wipes anymore because there's only one brand that makes wipes I love (Essenzza, reviewed here) and everything else I've tried either doesn't agree with my skin (too irritating or harsh) or doesn't contain enough moisture to be effective.

Facial wipes also aren't a standard part of my routine and I only ever use them on the rare occasion that we've been out late and I get home too tired to shower. Otherwise I don't reach for them and so I no longer buy them: these Simple ones were given to me and while I'm always happy to receive beauty stuff, I also wasn't convinced I would like them. As indeed I don't. More on why below.

Simple claims/product details:

• Help to quickly and effectively remove dead skin cells while cleansing your face
• One side of the wipe works to cleanse the skin and remove makeup, while the other gently exfoliates for a smoother-looking complexion
• Help keep your skin revived and revitalised
• Contain a blend of pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E and aloe vera to help soften the skin
• No artificial colours or perfumes, no harsh chemicals
• Dermatologically tested and approved
• Perfect even for sensitive skin
• RRp $6.99 AUD for 25 wipes, but do shop around

Verdict

While these aren't the worst wipes I've used, I definitely don't like them and I wouldn't recommend them. For me, they kind of feel like I'm wiping sandpaper across my face and for this reason I don't think they're suitable for sensitive skin, despite what's listed in the product claims.

They're standard wipes that come in a pack of 25 and they smell fresh and light, and the fragrance isn't strong so it shouldn't bother most people. One thing that's good about them is that they're larger than most wipes I've tried - so if you've found that other wipes are too small for you, then these might be a good option.

Each wipe has one smooth side for cleansing and one textured side for exfoliating. Now this is a good idea in theory and it's one of the reasons why Essenzza wipes are my favourites, but in practice the Essenzzas are very soft and gentle while these are stiff and feel abrasive on the skin. Honestly, they're quite awful to use and I'm not sure how I'll get through mine: I might just have to use them to remove swatches from my arms after taking photos.

I've had a quick look at other reviews and while some people seem to love these wipes, others have also commented on how coarse they are so I'm not the only one who feels that they're too rough on the skin.

Also, they're not quite as wet as I like my wipes to be and I do find myself adding water to them to help with this: problem is, the cloth doesn't 'hold' moisture well and I'm still aware of how rough they are even after dousing them with water.

On top of this, they're not the most effective makeup removers and I can see why they're so large: you really do need to use the whole wipe to get the gunk off your face, and even then I still need to go in with a good cleansing oil because they haven't done the job properly.

So in sum, I don't like these and I wouldn't recommend them - particularly if you have sensitive skin or just don't like the feel of abrasive/rough products on your face.

Not for me.