The brilliant way to get your face *really* clean without using a cleanser

Nothing is more frustrating at the end of the day than coming to the sink to thoroughly cleanse away your makeup, only to have a flesh-toned foundation residue left on your towel when you pat your complexion dry. Despite your best intentions, some sudsers still don’t break down makeup completely, which is why washing with a cloth can be helpful. That, and washcloths can be a gentle way to exfoliate excess dead skin.

The problem? Because of the way many are spun together, they can be rough on your delicate facial skin, creating unnecessary redness. Enter, the face cleansing mitt, many of which are made from microfibers or silks to help attract the pigments from your foundation and sweep them away very gently.

There’s an important distinction to make when shopping for your mitt of choice, however. While some are targeted to helping dissolve makeup, others are better suited to sloughing dead skin. You should not be using an exfoliation mitt every time you meet the sink, but rather try it a couple of times a week and increase frequency as your skin adjusts. “The advantages over using a cotton cloth is more thorough cleansing, removing more residue and impurities than a cotton cloth,” says Judith Nural, founder of MicrodermaMitt. “By cleaning out the pores, this also results in the pores appearing to be smaller.”

If you’re using an ultra-soft micro-fiber mitt that’s specifically designed to pick up the pigments from your makeup, however, it is safe to use every day of the week. Because many of the materials of these mitts differ widely—some are best used wet while others need a splash of water—check the instructions on the one you choose to make sure you’re reaping the maximum benefits.

Whether you’re exfoliating or removing makeup, wash your mitt with a mild soap and hang it to dry so that it doesn’t harbor any bacteria. Then head for bed, feeling great about the fact that you’ve ditched the disposable makeup wipe step and are saving the world one facial cleanse at a time.

Ready to give face cleansing mitts a try? Scroll down for gentle scrubbers. Your (stinkin’ soft) skin will thank you.

Shop exfoliating and makeup-removing mitts

Sephora Collection Smooth Finisher Exfoliating Bath Mitt $10

MicrodermaMitt Exfoliating Face Mitt $30

jane iredale Magic Mitt $15

Omorovicza Cleansing Mitt $15

Sarah Chapman Professional Cleansing Mitts $28

The Makeup Mitty® $39

The Cleanse Off Mitt $8

Dermstore Makeup Eraser $20

Face Halo, 3 Pk $22

Once your face is clean, finish off with a whipped moisturizer or a non-greasy formula made for oily skin.