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A Fast, Gentle Way to Take off Makeup: La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Removing Wipes

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Eyes and lips are the two toughest areas to remove waterproof makeup without damaging or irritating the skin. They’ve got thin skin, meaning that these delicate areas are especially sensitive to rubbing. La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover Wipes ($9.99, amazon.com) claim to clean, refresh and nourish the delicate eye and lip area with a luscious 6-oil blend of olive, jojoba, sesame, grapeseed, vitamin E and lavender. The company sent over a sample, so I got to give them a try.

Olive Oil

Many think olive oil works to clean skin because it's close to sebum and will, in theory, dissolve it.
Many think olive oil works to clean skin because it’s close to sebum and will, in theory, dissolve it.

Olea Europea fruit oil or Olive oil  contains oleic acid (omega-9) fatty acids. It is not considered an essential fatty acid because the human body can produce a limited amount of it. Since it is similar to our skins sebum, it’s a good moisturizer and many think it’s likely to be a good cleaner because of the “like dissolves like” principle in chemistry.

And it might be a good cleaner in another way. Oleic acid has been said to have bactericidal properties. An experiment in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology studied oleic acid, and its bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in mice. They found oleic acid can inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria at a dose that did not show any toxicity to human sebocytes, suggesting a promising approach against MRSA by boosting bactericidal activities of fatty acids.

Olive oil also acts as an antioxidant. In 2000, a study in Journal of Dermatological Science looked at olive oil’s antioxidant activity on ultraviolet-induced skin cancer in mice. The results suggest that daily topical application of olive oil after sun bathing may delay and reduce ultraviolet induced skin cancer development in human skin. Researchers thought olive oil might work as an anticarcinogenic agent by reducing reactive oxygen species induced 8-OHdG which is responsible for gene mutation.

Jojoba Seed Oil

Jojoba is another oil that's close to the skin's natural sebum and so works as a great moisturizer.
Jojoba is another oil that’s close to the skin’s natural sebum, and so works as a great moisturizer.

Jojoba Seed oil comes from the perennial shrub,Simmondsia Chinensis. Along with being a moisturizer, it can also be used as a soft cleanser. Jojoba oil uses the Oil Cleansing Method based on the aforementioned chemical concept that “like dissolves like” meaning that the oil on your skin would dissolve in an oil-based formula. Research studies have shown that jojoba seed oil may also have medicinal properties.

An experiment in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology studied the wound healing effects of jojoba seed oil found it has low cytotoxic effects suggesting that it is safe for external and internal application. Data also showed that jojoba oil also induced an increase of wound repair capabilities of fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Something interesting found in this study is that jojoba seed oil activates the PI3K–Akt–mTOR pathway in both keratinocytes and fibroblasts, increasing wound healing (Journal of Ethnopharmacology). mTOR is also found to upregulate expression of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins (Experimental Dermatology). Experimental Dermatology studied mTOR and its therapeutic target for treatment of keloids and excessive scars and concluded that mTOR has an important role in regulation of cell cycle and the expression of fibronectin, collagen and alpha-SMA.

Sesame Seed Oil

Sesame seeds
Sesame seed oil’s linoleic acid keeps skin soft, and studies show that its oleic might also work as an antibacterial agent against gram-positive bacteria.

Sesamum Indicum seed oil or sesame seed oil has one of the highest oil contents of any seed. It contains fatty acids: linoleic and oleic acids. Linoleic acid act as emollients to help moisturize, soften and smooth skin by filling in the spaces between skin cells (Harvard Health Publications).

Like olive oil, sesame oil contains oleic acid. A study in Fitoterapia evaluated the antibacterial activity of linoleic and oleic acids isolated from the plant Helichrysum pedunculatum. In the experiment, linoleic acid inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacterial species and oleic acid was active against three of the Gram-positive bacteria (Fitoterapia).

According to Pharmacognosy Reviews sesame oil is said to resists 30% of UV rays compared to 20% from coconut, peanut, olive and cottonseed oils. But another study found that it might not be the best UV-protection for barrier-disrupted skin. The Journal of Dermatological Science studied lipid ingredients in moisturizers that modulate skin responses in barrier-disrupted human skin. The study evaluated three major lipid ingredients: cholesterol, linoleic and a synthetic ceramide. Researchers concluded that cholesterol can protect barrier-disrupted skin against UV-damage, while linoleic acid or the synthetic ceramide has potential to aggravate the damage.

Personal Use and Opinion

I found that these wipes were gentle and super refreshing.
I found that these wipes were gentle and super refreshing.

I have been using the La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover Wipes for a week now, and I love them! They work beautifully after wearing makeup all day. The wipes were convenient, gentle, and non-irritating. I pressed the wipes on my eyes and lips for a few seconds and wiped away the makeup effortlessly. It was not directed on the packaging, but I also used it to remove makeup from the rest of my face as well. As expected, the wipes were non-drying and left my skin feeling smooth and conditioned.

Bottom Line

La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover Wipes contain olive oil, jojoba seed oil, and sesame oil. Olive oil contains oleic acid and beneficial antioxidants to give it antibacterial properties, and may delay or reduce skin cancer development. Jojoba seed oil has wound healing effects and was found to upregulate expression of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins. Sesame seed oil contains olive oleic and linoleic acids giving it antibacterial properties. La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover Wipes utilizes the oil cleansing method and I found that it took my makeup off gently.

 

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