How to Remove Makeup from a White Towel

The Logic Verdict

My Take: While she was traveling in Colorado, the Young Living rep deliberately smeared a white towel with Savvy Minerals foundation, blush, mascara, and deep purple shadow, then rinsed everything out on camera. The pigments slid off under cool water, and a single pump of Thieves Foaming Hand Soap (or the dish/laundry versions) erased the faint cast. Start with a fast cold flush, then only add the mild Thieves soap if you still see shadowing—no bleach bath required.

The Science

Savvy Minerals makeup relies on mineral pigments (mica, iron oxides, titanium dioxide) suspended in lightweight oils. Those particles cling to only the top loops of cotton terry. Cool water keeps waxes from melting deeper into the pile, and Thieves soap adds plant-based surfactants (decyl glucoside, coco-betaine) plus essential-oil solvents that break the cosmetic binders. Because the formula is pH-neutral and sulfate-free, it releases the stain without roughing up the towel fibers or stripping finishes.

Step-by-Step Removal

1. Flush immediately. Hold the stained section under a steady stream of cool water and stretch the towel so the water pushes pigment out of the loops instead of deeper into them.
2. Massage the fibers. Keep rinsing while rubbing the towel against itself. You should already see mascara and foundation rinsing away without any detergent.
3. Spot treat leftovers. If there is still a rosy cast, pump a small amount of Thieves Foaming Hand Soap (or a drop of Thieves dish/laundry soap) onto the damp area and gently work it in with your fingertips for 30 seconds.
4. Rinse and inspect. Rinse again until the water runs clear, wring the towel out, and compare it to an unstained section. Only launder as usual after the spot is visibly clean so you do not set any residue in the dryer.

Parts & Tools

• Young Living Thieves Foaming Hand Soap (Amazon) – The exact gentle soap she pumps over the stain.
• Young Living Thieves Dish Soap (Amazon) – Backup option she calls out if you prefer liquid dish soap over the foaming dispenser.

What NOT To Do

• Don’t jump straight to chlorine bleach—hot, alkaline bleach can yellow cotton loops and was never needed in the demo.
• Don’t let the towel sit in the hamper; once makeup dries, the waxes re-harden and take scrubbing to remove.
• Don’t scrub with a colored rag, which can transfer dye onto your towel while you work the soap in.

Resources

• Young Living Thieves Foaming Hand Soap (Amazon)
• Young Living Thieves Dish Soap (Amazon)