Why is it so bloody hard to remove mascara?

[FoxtrotSkarloey]

Sorry, I’m disproportionately grumpy about this because EVERYTHING WAS FINE until THEY discontinued the Olay Daily Facials I’d used for 20+ years and I still can’t find an alternative which works. (Perhaps I need to be mn fuming!).

I use Max Factor mascara, not waterproof.

I have tried cotton wool pads and washable reusable cotton pads and I find both painful and scratchy.

I have used Garnier Micellar something or other, Nivea cleanser stated to move mascara, Boots basic eye make up remover, Nivea eye make up remover and none of them bloody work. The Nivea even says “no rub” which is a joke. I’m having to rub so hard I’m probably creating extra wrinkles and I’m still left with smudges.

Where am I going wrong? I’m even starting to wonder if I’ve ended up with some fake mascara that’s secretly semi-perm make up!

Another vote for tubing mascara. I just use very warm water to remove. I’m so sensitive to eye make up removers so it’s been a total game changer for me.

Another vote for almond oil on a wet wipe!
I had the same trouble as you, absolute pain to get off and so much scrubbing! Oil works well- you only need a very very small amount’!

Second this, such a lovely product!

I’ve never understood why eye makeup remover actually exists, when Vaseline is cheap, readily available and works perfectly well. It’s what everyone used to use donkeys years ago before the makeup industry started selling us eye makeup remover, which is much more expensive and often stings and some don’t work well anyway. If it ain’t broke….

Tub of coconut oil from the supermarket and damp cotton wool pads take off anything! Just melts off and a tub lasts forever. Very moisturising on the eye area too. Or as mentioned almond jojoba/any oil really. There's no need to spend ££ on branded products.

I find that Vaseline/coconut oil just spreads mascara around and my eyes end up raw and irritated. that’s why @ConcernedBookworm

Yep that is the same principle as Vaseline I think…I haven’t tried coconut oil but it’s effectively the same, I just gently rub a little bit in and slightly dampen a cottton wool pad and it swipes straight off. I learnt the technique from my mum and she said she learnt it from her mum. Takes a few seconds.

fair enough!

I use Optase from Boots, I saw a very good influencer on instagram say we make sure we use the right stuff for eye drops, contact lenses etc but not remover. So this is a eye specialist brand, a bit expensive but gets rid of waterproof stuff and doesn’t sting my eye yes

Baby oil

Erase your face clothes. Water only, press against your eye for a few seconds then wipe away, everything comes off and no products needed. They can be washed and reused too. I buy mine locally but let me see if I can find a link

amazon have them

The important thing is to use it on a pad not on tissue paper. That was the game changer for me!