I have just realised what my ‘most-used and repurchased’ beauty item is and it’s this: cotton wool. To be more specific, cotton wool pads. To be even more specific, cotton wool pads by Delon+, available from Costco. I apologise in advance if you have no access to Costco – these are pretty hard to get hold of in the UK otherwise. Although I have spotted them on eBay a few times…

You might think that I’m crazy devoting a whole post to my cotton wool, but it’s such an important part of my beauty regime – and this particular cotton wool pad is more of a ‘tool’ than just a disposable cleansing aid. The Denon+ pads are double sided  – one side is totally smooth, the other has a mesh facing providing a rougher surface. Whilst the smooth side is perfect for gentle cleansing, the ‘rough’ provides the perfect tool for gentle exfoliation as you remove cleanser. I really feel that it makes a difference to the way in which I remove my makeup before bed. If I can’t be bothered to use rinse-off cleansers then using these double-sided pads makes me feel as though I’ve had a more thorough clean. I say ‘feel as though’ but actually, I know so – the rough side seems to collect over twice the amount of dirt and makeup as the smooth.

At the risk of sounding like a woman from an American ‘infomercial’, the pads are also excellent at taking off nail polish. The mesh side really does seem to give a bit of grip and grit to the process. I go through a ridiculous amount of these cotton pads, and I really notice the difference if I use a different type of cotton wool pad. These ones are extremely absorbent with loads of fluffy layers inside, but the outside layers are smooth and fibre-free. The edges are sealed, so you never get those annoying bits of lint and fluff on your face.

Now that I’ve sung the praises of these little beauties (which, incidentally, cost a fraction of the price of supermarket pads) I feel bad, because they aren’t easy to track down. But if you know someone who goes regularly to Costco then ask them nicely if they’ll pick you some up – you get 100 rounds per pack and 8 packs in a box, so enough cotton wool to keep you going for months!

If anyone has a similar cotton wool pad that I should put to the test as a readily available alternative, please let me know and I’ll post up the details once I’ve ‘compared and contrasted’!