On any given day, I'd estimate that I go through three cotton pads for the sake of my beauty regimen. I'd never actually thought that much about it, until I did the math: In the span of one year I throw upwards of 1,000 cotton pads. That, multiplied by the span of a lifetime, is a *lot. *While I'd like to think the rest of my routine is rather sustainable (thanks in big part to the strides the beauty industry, generally speaking, is creating in that direction), the cotton ball conundrum nevertheless has to be hacked. And though I know reusable cotton pads exist, I have always been skeptical: Because how secure is it, actually, to recycle and reuse something which's sole purpose is to get dirt, grime, and bacteria from my skin?As soon as I discovered just how nasty it is to double dip using a cosmetics removing wipe, then I had to know for certain. A lot."Indoor facial cotton rounds are a terrific way to help sustain the earth, but you need to be certain that you wash them properly," he states. And no, he does not mean"wash them" how you probably wash your makeup brushes (AKA never)--he suggests that they actually, really require a regular rinse and lather. "Look at them such as mini towels, and treat them as you'd deal with any towel or wash cloth. Use them only once, and wash them together with your other linens." He suggests sticking with fragrance free detergent, such as Tide Free (which, bonus, has a neutral pH to make it gentle on the skin) and utilizing a minimum amount once you wash. "Be sure not to overload your washer with detergent, as overdosing can lead to detergent to become trapped within the fibers of your fabrics can cause direct irritation of the skin."While tossing reusable cotton rounds at the wash rather than tossing them in the garbage (or keeping them around for multiple makeup removals) may add yet another step to your beauty"to-do" list, it's got double duty benefits for skin and the surroundings. And what could be better than that?makeup remover pads