I’ve used coconut oil as a natural makeup remover for years. Now I use these homemade makeup remover pads as an easy way to clean my face without the mess!
I’ve used coconut oil as a natural makeup remover for years. My only issue with using just coconut oil to take my makeup off is that it usually stain my wash cloth.
Enter my homemade makeup remover pads with coconut oil! The coconut oil and castile soap cleanse and wipe the makeup off my face and the pad can be tossed in the trash. No mess!
I love these makeup remover pads for 2 reasons.
Reason One – When I go to bed I’m usually pretty out of it and the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time in the bathroom washing my face. In other words I’m lazy and these are so easy and quick to use that it doesn’t take but a few seconds to wash my face before bed.
Reason Two – I recently moved and my skin has been DRY. Since I started using these makeup remover pads my face is much more soft and smooth in the mornings.
FAQ
- Do you use reusable cloth pads or cotton pads for this recipe? I have used both, but I really like using reusable pads since they save money and are better for the environment.
- Can I exchange the coconut oil with another oil? Yes, other carrier oils like almond oil or hemp oil are great alternatives to coconut oil.
- Can I leave the essential oils out of this? Yes, this recipe is very effective without the oils.
- How do you make homemade makeup remover pads? Homemade makeup remover pads are easy to make! Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card below to make them yourself.
Homemade Makeup Remover Pads
Ingredients
- 1 – 4 ounce Jar
- Organic Cotton Pads (like this)
- 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons of Fractionated Coconut Oil
- 1 Teaspoon of Castile Soap—I used baby mild
- Distilled Water
- 2–4 Drops of Essential Oils (Optional – Lavender is a great essential oil to use on your skin)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
Instructions
- Place cotton pads in the glass jar.
- In a small bowl mix the fractional coconut oil and castile soap together.
- Pour mixture over cotton pads.
- Press down on the pads so the soap and coconut oil evenly absorb into them.
- Pour distilled water over pads, just enough wet the pads.
- Place the lid on the jar and shake (this helps to evenly distribute the liquid over the pads).
Notes
How To Use: Use one pad at a time to remove makeup from your face. Dispose of pad after use. Keep the lid on the jar to prevent the pads from drying out.
I left out the Eod while I tested this and am glad I did – this recipe stung my eyes like crazy!!! Promptly flushed my eyes and threw it out!
What’s eod stand for?
Essential oil drops?
I use coconut oil mixed with aloe vera,
I use my old cotton tees or camis, cut in small squares, and stacked.
I wash with my bath towels.
I will try your recipe too.
Thanks.
This works great, but its not good for your eyes! It really stings.
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If it stings your eyes, the problem is probably the essential oils. You could try making it without them, and it would be a good idea to make it without the vitamin e oil eather.
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Thank you for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
I use a much easier, more sanitary method … I wet a round cotton pad, place a dropperful of oil on the wet pad (I’m currently using avocado oil and it works great … coconut is too drying for my skin, though I take it internally for it’s health benefits), and swipe across my eyes to remove eye makeup. Easy peasy. I’m all about keeping it simple while still being efficient.
Hi. Great recipie!
Can I exchange the coconut oil with another oil?
Thank you.
What is the cause of these pads molding? Seems a few people have had this issue too. Anyone find a solution? i loved these until they started molding; black spots and smelled awful. i want to keep making them because i really did love them, so tying to figure out what went wrong. Thanks for your input!
I think rosemary antioxidant oil will help increase the shelf life. This post from Mountain Rose Herbs has great tips for naturally preserving handcrafted body care products. https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/5-tips-preserving-handcrafted-natural-bodycare-products
Is there an alternative to Castile soap? Thanks:)
Dear coconut mama :). I am excited to try this but I wanted to know how long does it last?
I live in Trinidad and Tobago…the temperature is quite hot
These little jars are 8 ounces ( 1 cup) not 4 ounces. Thank you for the recipe, my niece gave me a jar of these makeup pads for Christmas and I love them! I can’t wait to bless someone else with a jar!
What is fractionated coconut oil? Is there something special about it for facial use or is it just coconut oil in liquid state?
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I just need something diy for eyebrow makeup. Thanks!junecarl. What is URL?
I have been making this makeup remove for a couple years now and love it.
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I made these for gifts and they are turning black around the edges. Is it mold? What can I do next time?
Make share you use distilled water! If should improve shelf life!
Could I use grapesead oil instead of coconut oil?
it has the mold after a week .. is it suppose to keep in refrigdge?
That’s not normal. Did you use distilled water?
How long are they suppose to last for?!
I just wanted to share some alterations I made and my satisfying results for both me and my 13 y/o daughter. Instead of castle soap, I used Burt’s Bees Baby Bee tear free shampoo and wash. I used tea tree EO and lavender EO (both from Rocky Mountain Oils). I have rosacea and very flaky skin. My daughter has clear skin, but horrible blackheads on her nose and chin (she doesn’t wear makeup). I have seen so much improvement in the redness and itchiness on my face. The blackheads on my daughter’s nose were gone by day 4. I went 2 nights last week without using these wipes (had midterms and was too exhausted to wash my face). My face got so irritated, red, itchy, and flaky. I attribute this flareup to both stress from midterms and not using these wipes to clean my face. Thanks for providing this recipe! It has been a godsend to my self-esteem regarding my rosacea!!
Thank you for your comment. I am wanting to make something like this for my preteen sons face. This I think will be perfect.
I think this would be a great Christmas present! Maybe part of a set of other products, like your scrub! I also see a recipe for a body wash here, maybe adding some aloe vera juice. I like lemongrass essential oil, or grapefruit, but the lavender is great for a bedtime routine.
Do not use on eyes. I just used coconut oil and soap and it burns. Soap =bad for eyes.
I live in Ecuador. Can I not use virgin coconut oil, maybe a reduced quantity. the oil is always liquid here and frankly I use it daily on my face after toning with ACV.
I had baby shampoo on hand and it doesn’t burn my eyes!! Thank you saving money and healthier for me!
To the one who mentioned stinging the eyes-its the Castile soap. Play around with it. You want just enough soap to keep solution from being so oily but not so much that it stings! Its a fine line.
First off, i want to say thank you for sharing this. I have very sensitive skin and it has helped me a lot.
I didn’t have fractionated coconut oil so i used extra virgin coconut oil. Still does the same thing and yes it did become solid, however when applied to skin the oil melts and makes the pads more pliable. Also i didn’t have the distilled water. To be honest i didn’t know how distilled it should be, so instead i used rose water.
My pads became three in one! Cleansing (castile soap), coconut oil (moisturizer), and rose water (toner). Also adding the rose water really helped with the mould issue, as in, there was none. I made these over a month ago and they’re still good. Hope this helps and keep up the good work, much appreciated 🙂
I’m confused about the jar size. One place you say to use a 4 ounce size in another place you say to use a pint size jar which is 16 ounces. I used the 4 ounce but it seemed like too much liquid for that small amount of pads that will fit in the 4 ounce jar..
I saw a wipes recipe requotinh Coconut oil baby shampoo salt honey do you know how much or each item?
Hi,
Congrats on the recipe. I’m from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, and I’ve just began thinking about adding more natural and diy stuff to my life.
Industrialized stuff is not good at all, and the less I use, the better for me.
I just wanted to ask you about some ideas that I had, but still didn’t put in practice, so maybe you can help me out.
1- Could I add the coconut oil to the soap, so that I can make one of those oily soaps to remove make up? Do you have a clue on how to do it?
2- Do you think if I keep a mix of coconut oil and water in a bottle, in my bathroom, it could work as a Make up remover?
3- I’ve found a recipe of diy lip balm and diy cuticle oil, but by your knowledge, does the beeswax hold the coconut oil properly? I mean, maybe it won’t be enough to keep the coconut oil solid, do you understand me?
Well, sorry for so many questions,
Sucess and best regards,
Diana
To answer question 2, no it won’t, because the coconut oil and water won’t mix, and will just separate.
Hope this helps
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The written instructions say 2 1/2 tbs of oil and the graphic below it says 1 1/2 tbs of coconut oil. Which is it? Thanks!
I am considering purchasing a Berkley Water Filter. If I purchase one from the add on your site is there any additional savings?
Please advise.
Thank you,
Marlene
Hi! I can’t wit to try these. Question–when you say to pour water at the end just enough to wet the pads, how much water should I see in the jar? Are you just wetting them or should they be soaking in the mixture?
Hi Rose! You want the pads to be wet but you shouldn’t see a lot of excess water around them. Hope this answers your questions. 🙂
Is there a need to rinse after use?
I don’t rinse after I use them. I just use the cotton pad to clean my face then I go to bed. 🙂
Could Almond oil be substituted for the coconut oil? I have an abundance of Almond oil on hand.
Yes, it’ll work just fine. 🙂
How long do you think these pads will last for?
Just made these and love them, except they burn your eyes when removing eye make up. I wonder if I leave the EO’s out will it still burn?? I have a daughter who is disabled and uses make up remover pads a lot. This is a very cost effective alternative for me (if I can make them to remove eye make up with out burning). Thanks for the receipe!!
Oh bummer! I only used two drops of YL Lavender. No burning here.
It would be important to use therapeutic grade essential oils and not cheaper oils that have been cut extracted using chemicals or diluted with alcohol etc. Looks like Young Living oil in the picture and that is what I would use
I just use water and coconut oil. I put a drop of oil on a damp cotton pad and wipe, everything comes off without the need for soap and my face feels fabulous. Granted I only wear blush and mascara so it might be different for those wearing more makeup. But, experiment, it’s fun!
See comment below in response to your stinging the eyes….
Why do you use fractionated oil and not virgin oil? Could I use virgin oil for the pads? Would there be any difference?
You can use virgin coconut oil but you’ll have to melt it, mix it with the soap and water, then quickly pour it over the pads before it hardens again.
Fractionated coconut oil is easier to use since it doesn’t harden and it’s great for people who have issues with using coconut oil on their face.