Makeup remover for sensitive eyes

March 19, 2021

A makeup remover that will never burn or sting your eyes?

VOTARY cleansing oil doesn't sting your eyes and gets to work gently and effectively as a makeup remover for sensitive eyes.

For a lot of people the cleansing stage of a skincare routine can be uncomfortable. Often cleansers that are labelled 'sensitive' or 'natural' can cause stinging or burning sensations in your eyes.

Why do so many people find that cleansers and makeup removers hurt their eyes?

The answer is in the ingredients that the cleansing products are made from, and in the way those ingredients act on your skin and eyes to remove makeup.

So what’s in a normal makeup remover?

Makeup removers rely on a combination of solvents, emulsifiers and surfactants to dissolve and remove makeup.

Solvents like Isohexadecane are commonly used - it’s an inexpensive chemical made from petroleum. It is very effective at dissolving makeup but it can really sting your eyes.

Emulsifiers and surfactants likePPG-26-Buteth-26 and various kinds of Sodium Sulphates are also common ingredients. These are chemicals that help the oil and water components of the cleanser and your makeup to mix and then help them rinse easily off your skin with water. Unfortunately these emulsifiers and surfactants are also really good at mixing the dissolved makeup with the water in your eyes which causes them to sting.

What to avoid in your makeup remover

  1. The solvent ingredients in the makeup removers sting your eyes
  2. The surfactant (soap) ingredients in the makeup removers allow dissolved makeup to mix with the water or tears in your eyes. That stingsandit leaves a weird foggy film in your eyes so you can’t see clearly.

Why are VOTARY cleansing oils different?

VOTARY cleansing oils are made from 100% natural plant oils, with no added solvents or surfactants. The natural plant oils are brilliant at dissolving makeup - even the most stubborn waterproof mascara! This means VOTARY cleansing oils work brilliantly as a makeup remover for sensitive eyes.

Because oil and water don't mix, VOTARY's pure plant Cleansing Oils won’t get dissolved in the water in your eyes.

As there are no surfactants or emulsifiers in VOTARY Cleansing Oils they won’t just 'rinse off’. Instead every full size cleansing oil comes with a 100% cotton face cloth.

How to use a VOTARY cleansing oil

Step 1: Massage 2 - 3 pumps of cleansing oil onto your palm of your hands. Spread between your palms then apply to your face. Start with your cheeks, then your nose, mouth and jawline and finally your eyes.

Step 2: Take the clean face cloth and soak it in hand-hot water, wring the cloth out and put it over your face. Breathe in and allow the steam to penetrate your pores. (Your eyes will not sting or burn and there’s no cloudy effect on your vision either.)

Step 3: Gently wipe everything away.

Step 4: Repeat if necessary.

Choosing the right VOTARY cleansing oil

There are 3 different VOTARY Cleansing Oils, formulated for different skin types. Discover each cleansing oil here and how to choose the best one for your skin type.

Award-winning Rose Geranium Cleansing Oil is a cult favourite among makeup artists, beauty editors and actors (because it is so effective at removing makeup!) - it's a great place to start if you're new to oil cleansing and suits most skin types.

Makeup remover : The reviews are in!

Here are some typical reviews for VOTARY Cleansing Oils:

“Wonderful luxurious feeling cleanser. Leaves skin feeling so clean and fresh yet perfectly nourished and moisturised. The best thing about this cleanser is you can use it on irritated skin, take it right around your eyes and over your eyelids and it doesn’t sting. Great for my dry and sensitive skin.”

VOTARY Customer via Cult Beauty

"This is sensational! cleans off every last drop of makeup, including stubborn waterproof mascara. Leaves my skin feeling the cleanest it has in ages! and the flannel is pure luxury. thank you votary!"

Nicola, VOTARY Customer

Watch VOTARY co-founder Arabella Preston:

How to do an oil cleanse