It’s been a solid six weeks since I took the plunge and ditched body soap, face soap, makeup remover, and shaving cream in favor of the Norwex body cloth. Am I still using the cloth? Do I still love it as much as I did when I wrote my original post? Keep on reading to find out!
The simple answer to whether or not I’m still using the body cloth is yes…and no. I am still using it for one function, but not for the others. I’ll break down how the body cloth ended up working out long-term for each of its proposed uses:
Body Soap
I was in complete awe of how well the body cloth worked in place of body soap until I hit week three. My skin started drying out in places I’ve never had an issue with before, like my arms. I figured that maybe I was just scrubbing too hard with the cloth, and I was willing to continue giving it a chance. Then, a large pimple popped up on my chest. Then a few more on my arm. That was a hard pass for me. I have never struggled with pimples on my chest, back, or arms, and I don’t want to start now. I’m not sure what went wrong, but I’m not sticking around to find out! Body soap is back in action in my shower.
Face Soap
My face had a similar reaction to the skin on the rest of my body after I hit week three. I broke out along my jaw line and cheek, and the skin in that area was pretty dry. I stopped using the body cloth and started using an oil cleanser/beauty bar combo on my face, and the dry, broken out patches totally cleared up within three days. I consulted with Tracy over at Trellis Beauty, and she theorized that the cloth was somehow messing with my skin’s pH balance or microbiome. She suggested that it would probably be fine for me to use the cloth periodically for a good exfoliation or if I was traveling and didn’t want to pack soap, but it is obviously out for daily use.
Makeup Remover
I am still loving my body cloth for makeup removal! I’m no longer using it to wash makeup off my entire face since it was causing me to break out, but I am still using it to remove the makeup around my eyes. It does a much better job than the eye makeup remover and cotton balls/q-tips I used previously, and I love that it is zero waste compared to my previous option. The cloth is very gentle around my eyes and hasn’t caused any irritation. Hooray! I am super pleased with this function still.
Shaving Cream
I never experienced any issues with using the cloth in place of shaving cream. However, prior to using the cloth, I would just shave with my body soap after I lathered up. So, since I’m using body soap again, I’ve just gone back to shaving with my body soap. But I wouldn’t hesitate to use the cloth in place of shaving cream if I needed to!
So, there you have it: The skinny on the long-term effectiveness of my body cloth. I highly recommend it for makeup removal, and I wouldn’t necessarily discourage anyone from trying out its other functions. It may not react with your body the same way it did with mine!
If you’ve tried the body cloth, please share your experience in the comments. I’d love to hear the positives and the negatives!
xoxo Laura
I have never tried it but heard all positive things. Especially with removing makeup!
Leslie, if you have interest in checking out any of the Norwex products I would love to assist you! 😊
http://katrinawilliams.norwex.biz
I used it for the first time 2 days ago and now my back looks like I laid on a bed of nails. The bumps are flat and not itching but it is pretty worrisome. Stopping use for a week to see if it clears.
Huh, I’ve never tried it, but based on what you said Tracy’s suggestion sounds reasonable that the issues you experienced after using it steadily were probably related to pH or microbiome. It does sound like a good option though for short-term or supplemental skin care.
I honestly forgot that Norwex has “skin care” products. I was gifted a cleaning set which I hope to put to use soon! Happy you can still use the cloth for something versus having to rid yourself of it altogether. Great (and honest!) review!.
If you have interest in checkout any of the Norwex products I would love to assist you! 😊
http://katrinawilliams.norwex.biz
Hi Laura, I am a Norwex Consultant and have been using the body cloth for over 2 yrs now & have not used body wash/face wash the entire time. I will say that I do miss the body wash smell sometimes, however I still use my favorite lotion after my shower 🙂 . I also stopped using body wash/soap on my daughter around the same time and it has definitely helped her skin and cleared up the minor eczema patches she used to get.
Thank you for your review and your follow up!
Blessings to you!
So glad the body cloth is working for you, Raini! I am all about anything that can help us consume less and ditch chemicals!
I use the cloth in a similar way as you, for some things I love it and for others I prefer the products I get from my esthetician! I work out regularly in the morning, and like to remove some of the oils that have built up overnight right when I wake up, but I don’t want to use my morning routine products twice! I use the cloth right before I head to the gym and my regular products in the shower afterwards! I also like to keep one at my work to clear up my t zone when it gets a little oily.
Thanks for doing a follow-up post, I was curious as to how the cloth would pair with acne-prone skin!
Thanks for sharing about your experience and routine, Heather! I am very intrigued by keeping a cloth at work for touch ups…I had never thought about that before! Do you wet it, or do you just use it dry to blot oil from your t-zone? I’m afraid it would mess up my makeup!
I’ve been looking for a truly honest review like yours all over the internet! I felt like I was the o Kyle one in the whole world who had an issue with the Norwex cloth. I went to a Norwex party and was gifted a body cloth and makeup cloth. I was full in wanting to try because I struggle still as an almost 40 year old with acne! Well I gave both clothes a shot, but I broke out in a rash not just on my face but my body as well. Turns out I’m allergic to polyester which is what the microfiber is made of, my husband is also allergic so sadly the clothes go in the trash for my family, I’m not even going to attempt them on my super sensitive children. Thank you for your review, beware if you are allergic to polyester!!!!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Fran! You are not alone! I have a friend who is not able to wear/use polyester and other similar fabrics for that same reason.
So sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you! PLEASE don’t throw them in the trash though!! Return them to the Norwex rep that gifted them to you so they can be recycled through the wonderful recycling program Norwex offers! Part of Norwex mission is to reduce our impact on the environment so I’d hate to see them head to the landfill
Thank you for sharing about the recycling program, Katrina! I had not heard of that!
You’re most welcome 😊
Hi, I have been using the body cloths for 3 months now. I did experience some drying but then used the exfoliating bath mitt and resolved the issue. Previously I was very limited on what I could use as I break out in hives with most products. I was down to white dove as a soap and shave cream but over the winter the hives started with that also. Probably due to my age I don’t deal with breakouts (49) and I personally noticed that after the gym, I didn’t smell that bad when I was drenched in sweat unlike my husband who reeked and uses soap. Since I hike and backpack, the body cloths will continue to be used so when I am out for a few days and can’t shower, I can clean up and feel better 🙂
Heather, that is awesome that the body cloths are working so well for you! That’s good to know that the exfoliating mitt seems to help with dryness!
I love the feel of the body cloth!!! It is so incredibly soft on my skin. However, it is too harsh for my eye area. I broke out with horrible dry patches around my eyes that caused my eyes to swell! The first time it happened, I thought it was just allergies. Once they cleared up, I tried to cloth again and sure enough, the dry patches came back!!!! I loved being able to wipe my makeup off so easily, but it is just not going to work for me.
Brenda, be sure your cloth is very wet if you choose to try it on your eye area again! The microfiber is a great at exfoliating and occasionally it can be a bit much for the sensitive area around the eyes. Also, I find it helpful to hold the wetted cloth on the eye area for a few seconds to loosen eye makeup prior to gently wiping it away
So sorry to hear that, Brenda! It caused dry spots in certain areas for me too.
Brenda, I am a Norwex consultant and I have both the body cloth and the makeup removal cloths. The makeup removal cloths are better for your face. Actually, I have the bath mitt, which I love, the body cloths and the makeup removal cloths. These cloths feel like suede. You have to thoroughly wet them and then wring them out. Then hold the cloth against your face placing more emphasis on your eyes where you have mascara, eyeliner, etc. After a few second, then start removing your makeup and it just melts away. If you are interested in buying the makeup removal cloths and do not have a Norwex rep that you currently use, please check out my page at lisawalker1912.norwex/biz.
I have a few Norwex cloths for cleaning the house that I absolutely love, even years later, but I haven’t tried they body clothes. I appreciate your honest review.
If you’d like to give one a try let me know! I’m happy to gift you a cloth to check out for yourself 🙂
I actually am experiencing a rash on my face and neck and stomach from a body cloth. I googled about it and found your blog because I was wondering if other people experienced the same thing. I like the cloths for the house just now for the body. Hoping this clears up ASAP!!
So sorry, Betsy! Hope it clears up quickly!!
I used the body and face cloths for about five weeks, mostly while traveling this winter, then the rash rather suddenly “blossomed” and I had to stop. In one day, large areas of my body became covered with a seriously itchy, red rash, from my waist up to my neck and face. I’ve had the rash for a week now, and it seems to be very slow to heal. It’s possible I got the rash because I do have skin that is overly sensitive and maybe the rash is from a combination of the cloths themselves (the polyester? the silver?) with the water I’m using (the places I visited did not have softened water like I have had for the past 12 days here at home), and me possibly rubbing a bit too vigorously (finding it hard to believe water alone could do the job?). So, the good news is that I am pretty sold on using plain water to keep myself clean, but I will be doing it from now on without using any kind of cloth.
So sorry to hear about your rash, Mary! I hope you are healed up now!
Thank you for your honest post. I’ve recently been experiencing red spots and larger blotches on my back and arms mostly. After reading your post I’m wondering if I’m breaking out like this due to using the body cloths faithfully for about a month now. I’ve never had acne before so not sure if that’s what I have.
After reading some other comments about how this cloth could effect my microbiome I’m wondering if that has effected my sudden excessive shedding of hair. Have you experienced this? I’ve also been using the norwex body towel to dry body and hair.
Did your skin clear up after switching back to body wash? How long did it take?
I plan on seeing my doc to confirm that this is what’s happening.
Hi Laura, my experience and reaction is very similar to yours (see my post above under Mary C Wallace). My sister introduced me to the cloths because she has had great success with them in all phases of her life so I was really happy to try them, and am quite bummed that I have had to discontinue using them.
I believe my reaction was a rash rather than acne, and that my skin reacted to the polyester. I used the cloths for over a month (with water only) before the rash appeared, and after a month and a half of water only (no cloths or products), the rash is finally nearly gone. I now don’t use any cleaning product because I am pleasantly surprised at how effective and clean I feel with water only!
Laura, so sorry you have experienced skin irritation and hair shedding! I did not experience hair loss from using the body cloth, but everyone’s skin can react differently, so it’s entirely possible the two could be related. My skin cleared up very quickly (within a week) after I stopped using the body cloth, which made it very obvious that the two were related. But again, everyone’s skin is different! I hope yours clears quickly.
Thanks. I’m starting to think it might be due to over exfoliation from using the solid colored body towel. I really hope it’s not norwex related because I love both the body cloth and towel. 🤞
I’ve been using the Norwex Body Cloths for two years. In March I purchased the gray Norwex Body Cloths and started using them. Not sure what the difference is, but my face has been itchy, red, and dry. The skin just flakes and peels. I actually could not figure out what was going on with my face and was getting ready to make an appointment with the dermatologist. I thought maybe I had food allergies or laundry detergent allergies, but my face was the only thing being affected, so I realized that the cloth was the only thing I had changed up and the timing pointed to the exact time I started using the new cloth. I’m stopping use of the cloth today and hopeful that my face will clear up soon. I love Norwex products and am bummed to not be able to use this cloth. I’m not sure if there is any difference between the gray cloths and the colored ones or if maybe they changed something in how they make them since my last purchase.
Lori, so sorry about your skin irritation! Hope you heal up soon!
I have been struggling with a terrible rash the dermatologist is convinced is eczema but shows on lab results as contact dermititis. I too have a gray body towel and I’m now wondering if that is the cause of all my skin issues. It is the 1 consistent where I’ve been trying everything to help my skin. Soaps, lotions, laundry detergents, and topical medicines.
I Googled norwex cloths and skin breakouts/eczema as I have experienced similar issues. My 12 year old son’s skin broke-out (face, shoulders, back and chest) after using the body cloths. We didn’t realize this was the cause at first, but then I experienced a flareup of my hand eczema after using the envirocloth. Sulfates cause my eczema to flareup and I haven’t had issues/flareups for 5 years. My son’s skin is back to normal since he stopped using the body cloths, and I now use rubber gloves when I use the envirocloth. Thank you for providing this helpful review.
Thanks for the honest review and especially the update. I use all natural soap and shampoo and will stick with it, but I do use the norwex face cloth to remove make-up and so far have loved it! You are right, no mascara left under my eyes in the morning. I haven’t totally given up my Dove for my face, probably mostly because of years and years of habit, but I don’t use it everyday now.
I also am experiencing dry skin and itchiness since using the Norwex wash clothes. I have sensitive skin and allergies to fragrance so did not think there this would be a problem. I have not given them up yet but will most likely have to…
Sorry you’re having that experience, Michelle! I hope it clears up!
I never could wrap my mind around not using bar soap. My face wash has a dual purpose so with aging skin, didn’t want to go without it. I was super skeptical at first. With Working home has come less showers etc because, hey I don’t go anywhere! Lol. So on days I don’t shower, I use the body clothes! Love them. I feel close to shower fresh with just hot water and the body cloth!
I was only using water and a washcloth for my face and that was working well. I switched to the face/body cloth and it’s been going ok. My skin is drier but it’s also drier this time of year so that could be it. No issues on my body. I ordered the mitt so i will see how that goes. And, lol, I ordered the Lysere shower gel. I was surprised to see one on there! I might also try the body lotion.
I LOVE the face and body cloths! After continued use for about 2 months, my excema patches on my face cleared up. I only used the cloth with after and then applied the lysere daily face cream. As with any new face cream it takes a bit for your skin to adjust, but I didn’t not break out at all with the lysere cream!
I completely love all of the products. The cleaning products I’ve had for about 7 or 8 years and have never had an issue with them at all. The face and body cloth I just got about 6 months ago and I love it. I have no problems with dry areas or actually any problems. I still use deodorant only because I’m used to it and my daughter-in-law who got me on to Norwex said that I don’t need the deodorant but we’ll see if I can give that up but as far as body wash no more face wash no more makeup remover no more shaving cream no more I love these products
I’ve been using the body cloth in place of soap for well over a year and have not had any problems. i do use body butter, occasionally, but no more or less than i did before.
I’ve used Norwex face and body cloth for a few years now. I use my face cloth each morning when I wake up, then follow that with my favorite moisturizer. I travel with a Norwex face cloth.
In the shower, I use a face exfoliation cream, then wipe dry with body cloth, I use the body cloth for my body rather than soap, no issues. I use it prior to shaving my legs and feel it results in a closer shave. I love my Norwex cloths!