A couple of years ago I started to use Muslin cloths after reading up on what a great addition they are to a cleansing routine when used once or twice a week, they offer gentle exfoliation and they can be machine washed after each use to stop the build of bacteria (a problem on cleansing brushes).
Instructions were to put your cleansing balm on the warm wet cloth and then massage it into the skin to buff away dead skin cells, dirt, oil, and leftover makeup, but I found this far too harsh for my type of skin. The next morning my cheeks and forehead were still red looking so I’d obviously overdone the exfoliation. I also have thread veins around my nose and a couple on my chin so I really need to be gentle in these areas. I then tried putting the cleanser onto my face first and gently rubbing it off with the cloth, this worked a lot better for me but I’m still not a convert.
An alternative to the muslin cloth is something I’m sure we’ve all got in our houses, a good old fashioned flannel. If you’ve ever bought a set of towels you will have put the flannels in the back of the cupboard thinking you’ll never use them. It’s been well documented that the Duchess of Cambridge uses a flannel as part of her cleansing regime and her skin always looks good. Just make sure you buy a good quality cloth with soft fibres and I recommend washing in the machine after each use and then drying in the tumble dryer to soften them up. I now use a flannel a couple of times a week to wipe off my cleanser and my skin always feels so clean afterwards.
However, my real favourite and current “go to” essential are the reusable bamboo pads. These are washable and much better for the environment than cotton wool pads.
Whatever you chose, please, just never leave your makeup on overnight!