Sometimes product design can start with a magazine article. I read about an international study, according to which every woman uses an average of three cotton pads a day, i.e. more than 1000 per year. I personally use six. Three in the morning, three in the evening. I may touch up the make-up already done with the moistened edge of a new pad. There are more than three billion women in the world, a large proportion in developing countries. The population is growing everywhere. I saw in my eyes huge, useless mountains of waste. Cotton and industrially produced synthetic fibers used as material strain our environment in many ways, from manufacturing to use and ending up as waste. I wondered for a long time whether we can replace this product and, if so, how to take care of material purchases, product durability and biodegradability.
Could the product not produce waste? Would the suitable material for this perhaps already exist? Could we manufacture facial cleansing pads with a cellulose fiber?
From idea to prototypes
I discussed it with my German friend and colleague Anna. We tried different materials and tested the idea of long-lasting cotton pads for facial cleansing, which at the time no one was making yet. We found some, crocheted and sewn, durable fabric pads, the challenge of which is always a slow drying time. After our long planning and testing process, we ended up with a highly absorbent, washable, even cooking-resistant cellulose fiber. This material also dries very quickly after use. The product had to be able to compete with synthetic and very cheap cotton pads internationally, meaning the total production costs must not rise too high. Custoomers also required packings to be ecological and easy to pack, use and finally dispose of the product. This is how a washable face cleaning cloth, a durable cotton pad, was born.
How long can I use one box of Eco Pads?
We sell pads in a box of 12 and in several different colors. I myself boil a week’s cloths all at once to clean them and use them again. One box lasts me about four months.
Is it biowaste
When I finally give up on the product, I dispose of it in the green plant pot – Yes! I press a small cloth with the tip of a knife into the soil and there it acts as a leveler of soil moisture until it completely dries out. And no waste at all (bio-waste at most). The cost is less than 20 € per year. You can get a package to test from our store for 6.80 €. Take a look Eco Pads