Laurel of Leaves

getting back to my roots: my journey in true health and natural living

Natural Beauty

The Best Natural Make-up Remover

Many people asked me about natural eye make-up remover when I posted about washing my face with honey. I mentioned that straight up honey is a great way to remove your make-up at the end of the day. But hopefully you didn’t smear it onto your eyelids & eyelashes. I mean, I suppose you could do that, but I wouldn’t recommend it!

Use honey as a natural make-up remover

(And ps-did you ever notice what a strange word ‘make-up’ is? A vague verb that’s evolved into a noun to reference artificial colors we smear on our face. Just thought I’d throw that out there.)

So if you’ve embarked into the crunchy world on any level, you’ve heard about the nasty chemicals in personal care products (like shampoo and face soap that strips your skin of natural oils — hence the honey I use instead). Make-up is another chemical-filled culprit. For the longest time I searched for natural brands online and at the health food store, but I was never satisfied with the ingredients list or the price tag. So when we traveled to New Zealand last year I just gave up make-up all together. No sense taking up precious space in the backpack with carcinogenic frivolities.

Anyway, I did just recently come across a great company called 100% Pure that uses fruit & vegetable pigments to color their products and I’ve been really impressed with their products. Check them out if you like. Or test the chemical content of your current make-up at the EWG’s SkinDeep Cosmetics Database.

100% Pure make-up

Removing Your Eye Make-up Sans Chemicals

But this is supposed to be a post on eye make-up remover! So moving on . . . once you’ve applied your hopefully now natural eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara, I’ve found the best way to take it off at night is with coconut oil. Of course! The one thing I can’t live without in my kitchen OR my bathroom.

Just take a very small amount of coconut oil on your fingers. And I do mean small, people. Start with a very light layer. Gently spread it on your eyelids and eyelashes. Be careful not to spread it in your eyeball. Common sense, I know, but I just wanted to cover all the bases.

Applying coconut oil as a natural eye make-up remover

Yikes. Talk about a hot mess with that hair. It must have been a long day.

Anywhoo. Next, take a small square of toilet paper, a cotton ball, a cotton pad, or a rag that you don’t mind getting dirty, and gently wipe away the coconut oil, and watch in amazement as it takes your makeup along with it. If I had used more brightly colored eyeshadow (and more of it) you would see an even more dramatic change.

The evidence: coconut oil as a natural eye make-up remover

Added bonus? The coconut oil is phenomenal for your skin. Using it around your eyes will help firm up the skin in this area and prevent wrinkles in the long run. And while you’re at it, spread it over the rest of your face once you’ve washed with honey (or another natural face cleanser) to reduce red spots and balance your skin’s natural oil production. No more flaky dry skin OR greasy oily skin!

The Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept It

So here’s the challenge. If you don’t already have a big tub of coconut oil in your house, buy one today. Just do it. There are about 94758494858 uses for the stuff. So don’t put it off a day longer.

Next, use it to remove your eye make-up after all your wild parties this weekend. You know the ones. Where you show up with 14 layers of color on your eyelids and reapply mascara constantly through the night. (Oh, you don’t do that either? Well, I can’t say it’s never happened to me. But removing your daily eye make-up is hunky dory too.)

Then take a picture of the evidence. Yep, I want to see it in all its smeared-off glory. Take a before & after snapshot of how well the coconut oil removes your eye make-up and tag me in a tweet (@LaurelofLeaves) or on Facebook. Let’s spread the word for chemical-free faces! 

Eye Make-Up Remover Using Coconut Oil

This post is linked to Monday Mania, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Your Green Resource, Sunday School

  1. Emma @ Craving Fresh

    March 19, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Oh yay. I’ve run out of my eye make-up remover and was wondering what to do next. I have a big tub of coconut oil so this trick will come in handy. THANKS!

  2. Heba @ My Life in a Pyramid

    March 19, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    What an awesome idea! I use coconut oil for pretty much everything, so this is great to add to the list ;) Btw – I’m hosting the first giveaway on my blog this week! You can enter to win a $25 Miessence voucher for certified organic personal care items or a 30-min consultation with sustainable personal care coach Lacey Swartz (your choice): http://mylifeinapyramid.com/2012/03/enter-to-win-miessence-giveaway-meet-sustainable-personal-care-guru-lacey-swartz/ That post also includes some info about how to choose personal care products, and why choosing carefully is important for health. Please enter and share! Thanks!

  3. guybrushlives

    March 25, 2012 at 9:23 am

    Any oil works well! I wash my face and remove makeup with either olive oil or jojoba oil.

    1. Lori Winter

      March 29, 2012 at 4:29 pm

      Good to know! Thanks for the tip. All those oils are fantastic for your skin.

    2. Yankee Homesteader

      September 17, 2012 at 3:14 pm

      I use both of those oils, too! Haven’t tried using coc oil for make-up removal, but it makes sense. Will have to try soon. I do love the coc oil products from Tropical Traditions! Thanks for all the tips!

  4. Your Green Resource – Week Twenty Seven | A Delightful Home

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  6. Andrea @ The Greenbacks Gal

    March 29, 2012 at 9:57 am

    Hi Lori,

    I liked this so well I featured it this week on Your Green Resource – and I pinned it!

    1. Lori Winter

      March 29, 2012 at 4:29 pm

      Thanks Andrea! That’s awesome! Glad you liked the post and thanks for pinning it :)

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  8. jan

    June 5, 2012 at 8:18 pm

    Toilet paper and kleenex both contain wood fibers which may become imbedded in skin. Cloth or cotton wool would be easier on skin.

  9. carol

    June 15, 2012 at 8:43 pm

    Forgive me if this is a repeat… What can be done to remove blackheads from the nose area?

  10. Nicole A

    July 4, 2012 at 5:06 pm

    Wow thanks for this! I’ve been using the Oil Cleansing Method (with I absolutely LOVE) to clean my face but it wasn’t completely taking off my eye makeup. This worked like a charm. I also put a little coconut oil on my skin instead of lotion after the shower and it feels amazing. I am in love with coconut oil!

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  12. Shellie gretah Fraddin

    August 6, 2012 at 8:18 am

    Thank you for your informative website. I love eating and using virgin organic coconut oil after showering, yet never thought of using it to take off my make-up. Great, healthy use of a healthy, chemical- free product. Thanks

  13. Andree

    August 29, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    Love the honey, ACV, and coconut oil. I work in a health food store and amazed at customers who use these products for natural purposes. Was wondering what u use for removing facial makeup. Do you use coconut oil as for the eye or something different.

    1. Lori Winter

      August 31, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      I will typically use coconut oil for my eye makeup, then just use my honey mask cleanser as an all-in-one makeup remover too! (https://www.laurelofleaves.com/2011/09/honey-face-mask-for-clear-glowing-skin/)

  14. Noelle

    September 2, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    Hi. Almond oil also works great to remove makeup while strengthening the skin. Miessence is an Australian company manufacturing natural (possibly all organic, can’t recall) personal hygiene & beauty, household and nutritional products…their lip creme (lipstick) and lip balm are wonderful. Their shampoo and conditioner take a few days to get accustomed to but are fantastic. Their deodorant is great. Haven’t purchased a product I wasn’t satisfied with.
    Haven’t looked at your site apart from the eye makeup removal post so I don’t know if the following applies but if you are interested in what may be the world’s cleanest live source nutritional supplements: Premier Research Labs in TX under Dr. Bob Marshall…
    Blessings

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  17. Christine

    September 11, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    Thank you! We have 2 brown babies who use coconut oil on their hair and skin. I was very excited that this worked on my 13 year olds purple eyeliner that she can’t wear to school;). Glad to have another use for our huge supply!

  18. Mirna

    September 19, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    Do you leave the coconut oil on all day?

  19. Juli

    September 24, 2012 at 5:58 am

    Do i live d coconutoil on my face all day

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  21. Samantha

    December 8, 2012 at 9:53 am

    I am slowly starting to convert all of my household cleaning products and beauty products to homemade ones. I tried the coconut oil last night and loved it! I used refined, pressed coconut oil (because that’s what I had on hand), but does this work better with unrefined, unpressed oil?
    Your eyelashes are beautiful! Did the coconut oil help them grow or do you have another trick?

  22. Jaime

    December 28, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    What are your recommendations of brands for coconut oil, ACV and honey? There are so many brands and different types. What do you use?

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  24. Lisa

    January 11, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    I just discovered coconut oil this week and immediately fell in love with it. I have seriously sensitive skin and found it trying to get natural remedies for my KP (a common skin condition, keratosis pilaris). Now to know I can use it to remove eye makeup remover! I am totally sold! BTW, I love your blog and look forward to reading more!

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