I have a confession to make. I love wipes. All kinds. All sizes. All functions. All of them.

I like them for cleansing. I like them for toning. I especially like them for removing my makeup. And why is this a confession you may ask? It’s a long story, but in the skincare world, wipes are often frowned upon with disdain, scoffed at by experts, scorned at by beauty therapists and the like. You can’t cleanse your face with a face wipe. It doesn’t clean properly. It pulls at the skin. It’s cheap. Quite simply, it’s not permissible, often taboo, in fact. But alas, I do. And I love it. And, I’m not alone.

Recently, I was chatting to my beauty editor comrades and I gleaned a little insight into the ol’ facial wipe. In what was a beauty confessional of sorts, it seems we are all like-minded when it comes to ye humble wipe, it’s just not spoken about. Like sex. Or girly stuff (not much, anyway). Yes, it seems even those in the know, so to speak, all indulge in a little face wiping from time to time (read: a lot of the time). There is just something so supremely fresh and clean about smoothing a cool, damp, hygienic, sometimes-cucumber-spiked towelette over your face. It’s cleaning 101. Even the ritual of wiping is synonymous with cleanliness. And skincare is very much a tactile practise, so the touch and feel of product is imperative to any routine.

Despite being much maligned in the beauty narrative, I believe the wipe is a valuable tool in your skincare arsenal. Of course, it shouldn’t be the only step in your cleansing regime (unless you’ve had a few too many late-night Negroni’s, then it will suffice), and you should follow with either a gel, cream or foam-based cleanser. Remember, a double cleanse is imperative to shiny, sparkling skin; so use a facial wipe first to slough away the superficial layer of the day’s dirt, then follow up with your choice of cleanser. And voila: so fresh, so clean skin.

Here, three of my favourite wipes to fulfil the first step of your cleansing duties. Get wipin’.
Swisspers Micellar & Coconut Water Facial Wipes, $6. SHOP NOW
Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads, $35.
SHOP NOW.
Ole Henriksen Truth On The Glow Cleansing Cloths, $15. SHOP NOW