Since the World Health Organization declared an official end of Covid-19 as a public health emergency, the focus for beauty enthusiasts has shifted from stay-at-home ritualistic skincare routines to preparation for fully active nightlife festivities involving smoky eye makeup and cherry lips.

In fact, on July 29, lipsticks were once again flying off the shelves during National Lipstick Day, as the biggest names in beauty slashed prices of the mood-boosting, beauty enhancing accessory by nearly half. And along with this uptick in makeup sales, the market for cosmetics wipes is growing. Fact.MR reports that the cosmetics wipes market value is expected to reach nearly $950 million in 2032 at a CAGR rate of 5%. The cosmetics wipes market valuation for 2022 was about $581.9 million, the market research firm reports.

From 2017-2021, demand for cosmetic wipes rose 4.3% a year, reaching $565.73 million. Demand for cosmetic wipes has continued to grow, driven mainly by rising disposable incomes and greater consumer spending power. This demand has led consumers to depend convenient products that were once considered non-essential.

Cleansing and makeup removal wipes continue to be the most profitable segment, accounting for 40% of global revenue. Makeup removal wipes serve the dual functionality of cleansing and hydrating skin and restoring natural properties to prevent potential skin disorders. Consequently, major manufacturers are focusing on producing natural makeup removal wipes. During the coming years, this need will drive demand for moisturizing and exfoliating cosmetic wipes as well as nonwoven-based beauty care wipes.

While the category lagged during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly during the lockdown, the cosmetic wipes category is picking up with the restoration of social activities. Liying Qian, head of tissue and hygiene at Euromonitor International, says the category is expected to grow in the next four years. This growth, she says, is a consistent pattern compared to the historical normal, pre-2019 levels, which were in the low-single digit range.

Globally, Western Europe and North America are the largest markets for facial cleansing wipes; in 2022, they made up close to three-quarters of facial cleansing wipes consumption in retail volume, Qian says. Brands like Johnson & Johnson and Neutrogena account for under 20% of the marketshare globally, while private label follows at 13% and digitally-driven, direct-to-consumer brands comprise global marketshare in the single digits.

Conscience-Cleanly Wipes

Neutrogena has been growing marketshare consistently year-over-year, Qian says. In June, the skin care brand partnered with fiber supplier Veocel to transition the production of its market-leading makeup removal wipes to 100% plant-based fibers. The goal of this partnership is to develop a product that has moved on from synthetic materials to an entirely cellulose-based solution. The new wipes utilize Veocel-branded fibers derived from nature and made with renewable wood from sustainably managed and certified forests. The makeup removal wipes can be composted at home in 35 days, eliminating landfill-bound waste.

“The use of makeup removal wipes is often accompanied by a guilty conscience, as they can be used in one minute, but they also end up in the bin after one minute,” explains Miray Acar, head of brand and marketing Europe and Americas, Lenzing Veocel. “With this collaboration with Neutrogena for makeup removal wipes containing 100% Veocel fibers, we want to prove that single-use can be sustainable. It’s great to see consumers making a choice that is not only good for the planet but also good for themselves.”

A recent sustainability survey by Euromonitor found that 66% of global respondents tried to positively impact the environment through their everyday actions in 2022. More global respondents in 2022, specifically 46%, are using sustainable packaging and 31% are buying sustainably produced items compared to the previous year. Sustainability is also carrying over into skin care. When looking for skin care products, about 17% of global respondents sought out environmentally friendly or ethical features.

Last October, Yes To’s Calming Facial Wipes, which have been a fan favorite for years, updated its packaging to cater to consumer demand for sustainability.

The pre-moistened facial wipes—which are formulated with 96% natural ingredients like green tea and aloe to gently remove dirt, sweat and makeup—are plant-based and compostable under both municipal and home conditions. What’s more, Euromonitor’s Voice of the Industry survey found that over half of hygiene industry respondents and roughly two-thirds of beauty and personal care industry respondents said ethical trends, such as being sustainably produced or with recyclable packaging, were very or extremely influential on their 2022 sales.

Multifunctionality and Portability Drive Purchasing Decisions

Aside from sustainability, on-the-go portability in terms of convenience and multifunctionality are key factors driving purchasing decisions to yield more “bang for their buck,” Qian says. She defines multifunctionality as not just a cleansing wipe, but one that has moisturizing, toning and anti-aging properties as well.

MCoBeauty’s Double-Sided Facial Wipes offer cleansing properties on one side and exfoliating micro beads on the other to thoroughly sweep away dead skin cells. Containing vitamins C and E and aloe vera, the wipes were described as non-drying and non-irritating by 92% of users who also said their skin felt clean, refreshed and rejuvenated after use.

Conserving Beauty’s InstaMelt Day Dissolver Wipes contain key ingredients such as helianthus annuus seed oil, jojoba esters, squalane and cannabis sativa seed oil to dissolve all traces of makeup while gently exfoliating to reveal clean, soft and revitalized skin.

The brand’s partner in emissions tracking, Bluebird Climate, calculates each product’s footprint using Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which considers emissions from materials, ingredients, manufacturing, transportation and distribution. A product’s recyclability and degradability is calculated by its waste footprint.

The brand also has a partnership with Provenance to power its sustainability claims. Provenance exists to drive positive change through transparency, protecting shoppers from greenwashing by linking “green” claims to evidence.

InstaMelt is made from the brand’s patented fabric technology, which instantly dissolves after use, leaving no micro-plastic or waste behind housed in home compostable packaging of sachets and cartons.

In September 2021, Nice-Pak Products debuted facial cleaning towelettes designed for easy and effective makeup removal. The company uses plant-based fibers to manufacture these wipes which are 100% sustainable to provide superior cleaning.

In December of that year, Kylie Skin introduced its line of makeup removing wipes. The towelettes, gentle for use on sensitive skin, contain aloe leaf, chamomile and botanicals to help soothe and relieve the skin; cucumber extract to help hydrate and refresh skin; and glycerin to help skin maintain its moisture.

Thursday Plantation made face wipes a part of its tea tree line. Suitable for normal and acne prone skin, they contain copaiba oil and aloe vera to sooth skin.

Meanwhile, Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes-Night Calming are ophthalmologist-tested biodegradable disposable wipes that contain glycerides, phenoxyethanol, sucrose cocoate, PEG-4 laurate and benzoic acid to wipe away dirt, oil and bacteria. The wipes retail for $7.99. Nivea also makes 3-in-1 biodegradable cleansing wipes for normal skin. The biodegradable formula, made from plant-based tissue, removes makeup while cleansing, hydrating and refreshing skin. 

“I think there are many ways to argue how wipes can grow in the future,” says Qian. “It’s an exploding category [and] it serves a purpose that’s hard be replace.”