Makeup Wipes and Crappy Writing

Why mediocre work is better than nothing at all

I came across a skincare post on Instagram the other day condemning the use of makeup wipes. It had some interesting and helpful reasons. For example, the wipes don't fully remove makeup from your face, they are harsh and too strong an exfoliant, and they disrupt the PH balance of your face. I’m sure these points are correct and I am not outright rejecting them, however, a couple of thoughts occurred to me while considering the evil makeup wipe.

If using a makeup wipe is worse than cleansing should I never use them?

The new favorite of skincare gurus is praising the benefits of the “double cleanse”. I am no expert in skincare. I try to wash my face and moisturize. I tossed the Saint Ive’s Apricot Scrub years ago. I am more than willing to use a cleanser rather than a makeup wipe — but only when I have the energy.

My mind has a tendency to think that unless I can do something perfectly it’s not worth doing at all. For someone with the ability to do everything perfectly, maybe this maxim works. For me? Not at all. Attempting to perfect everything is the cause of my greatest struggles in school, especially with writing.

Nobody writes a perfect essay first try. In fact, it is better for a creative to give themselves the flexibility of really crappy work. It can always be improved in a later draft — that is if a first draft exists. One of the ways my therapist helped me hack my writing struggles was to tell me to write the worst paper possible, to mentally give myself permission to write something awful.

This can be a very helpful beginning process when trying to get words on paper. Unfortunately, this process does not always work for me because I still get caught up in perfecting my work.

So how is using makeup wipes and writing papers connected?

Are there better opinions than makeup wipes? Yes of course. Is using a makeup wipe better than going to bed with makeup on your face and waking up with crusty mascara dried to your eyes? I would argue yes.

In the same way, sometimes writing the best paper isn’t possible with the time constraint or brain capacity you are currently functioning with. Is a “C” quality paper better than not turning in anything? It often is.

What I am trying to say is that crappy work that is completed is usually better than no work at all. We are often not told this, or if we are, we don't give ourselves permission to do it.

Just like this post I am writing. Could I make it better? Absolutely! Am I going to? No. I want to spend Thanksgiving with my family instead of working on a post that I procrastinated. So instead I offer you this little piece of insight that I have discovered.

Sometimes all we have the energy for is to clean our face with a makeup wipe.

That’s okay. In the future, there is always the possibility for a 10 step skincare routine. It doesn’t have to be now. Just do something, put a little work in, write an awful paper. It’s not the end of the world — there is room for improvement.