Although she didn’t have sensitive skin, Amanda McIntosh noticed that washcloths were rubbing her skin raw. She had recently discovered oil cleansing and needed something to wipe off the cleanser. Cotton balls weren’t an option, makeup remover wipes made her break out, and she found washcloths to be rough, clumsy, and ugly.

“At first, I assumed I just needed to find the right washcloth, but then I couldn’t find it,” says McIntosh. “I decided to create a better one. And then the more I dug into the beauty industry, the more I realized what the world really needed was an alternative to disposables. My goal then became creating something that was so useful, effective, and attractive that people would willingly give up their cotton balls, wipes, and washcloths, of course.”

This led to the creation of Take My Face Off, a line of ultra-gentle cleansing mitts (known as Mittys) that are good for skin and the environment. Available in a range of sizes, colors, and shapes, the mittys are ultra-soft washcloths made from a fancy Korean plush that is recyclable. They fit on a hand or finger and last for years. As McIntosh developed the brand, she also learned more about beauty-related pollution, which inspired her to offer reusable products that would enable customers to ditch disposables.

All Take My Face Off products make it easy for consumers to improve their skin and the planet at the same time. McIntosh is a founding member of The F Project, a social impact initiative aimed at raising the profile and economic success of female founders, and her company collaborates with and donates to organizations such as Heal the Bay, the Pollinator Partnership, the Trevor Project, and many others.

“I’m disappointed when I see brands engaging in “greenwashing,” especially when those brands have significant resources,” says McIntosh. “I don’t want the customer doing all of the hard work with each purchase. Skincare choices should be fun. I’m grateful for the consumers who take the time, because without them, brands aren't going to make the difficult changes. To summarize, I want to help create a new definition of luxury that doesn’t involve bulk, weight, and useless packaging. Less can be more if you do it right.”

We chatted with McIntosh, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, future plans, and more.

When was Take My Face Off founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?

I started working on the idea in 2015 and we launched in 2016. The name came to me out of the blue as I was driving (most of my best ideas happen in the car—since I have young children, it can be the only time I’m alone without a task at hand). I had been searching for a name that was fun and easily understandable. I grew up in Northeast Texas, which is a lot more like the South than the Southwest. The accents, the vocabulary, and the mindset have a lot in common with parts of Georgia or Tennessee. “Let me go take my face off” or “wait a minute while I put my face on” are phrases I heard a lot from neighbors or older relatives (my mom was too cosmopolitan to say something like that!)

The name popped into my head in my favorite great-aunt’s accent. Immediately, I knew it was meant to be! I started trying the name on to see if I liked it, seeing how people reacted when I said, “I’m with ‘Take My Face Off.’” It’s amazing how many people would nod as if they had already heard of us! The reactions were pretty consistent—men were alarmed or amused by the name as they assumed I was referring to the violent action movie “Face Off.” Women tended to be amused or delighted. Everyone remembered the name, which I realized was an incredible asset.

Incidentally, my husband hated the name—seriously hated it. However, as he watched people’s reactions, he had to admit he was dead wrong. He now uses the name “Take My Face Off” as evidence that I am always right and he is always wrong.

Tell us more about your products and what makes them special.

I started off with the fabric. No one had approached skin care from the vantage point of “What fabric do I really want to use on my skin?” or “What fabric makes my skincare products work better?” We’ve all been using cotton balls and terry cloth for so long without asking why. One of the first things I noticed in my product testing was that cotton is actually terrible for skin care. It hogs and traps all of the liquid, but doesn't do the real work. Instead of helping your skin, the liquid is held back in the fibers, which are kind of scratchy and not suited to cleansing.

I realized I wanted something that was less absorbent so that it would take in less fabric, but make that liquid more available to skin. Mittys distribute the skincare products more evenly around the skin. After I found my ideal skincare fabric, I looked at the shape from the standpoint of function and attractiveness. I knew a mitt was more useful and gave more control, but mitts are so ugly, clumsy, and they don’t fit all hand sizes.

I wound up with a different kind of mitt that fits just on fingertips. You adjust the fit by adding or taking out a finger as needed. Additionally, we have a lovely pointy tip that is my favorite cleansing tool in the world. We call it the Mitty Detailer and it’s amazing for the lash line. It worked out that a droplet shape was functional, versatile, adorable, and it even represented our main selling points: resource conservation and gentle cleansing.

Do you have a hero product?

Our hero is the Mitty Mini in black. It was the first thing to catch a retailer’s eye and I think that's because the look of it makes it very clear what it does. The black color and tiny size help people understand immediately that it’s a great tool for removing eye makeup.

What are your favorite products from the line?

My personal favorite (and our second best-seller) is the Makeup Mitty. It’s a little bigger, but it still has the signature point tip. I can use a damp one with a cleanser to get a whole face of makeup and sunscreen off, and the tip stays hygienic for eye makeup removal at the end. When I travel, I bring one of those and wash it by hand at the sink. It’s ready to reuse by my next cleaning session.

Where are your products sold?

We just launched a special set at QVC that I’m really proud of. Remember that for me, Take My Face Off is an environmental mission, but I knew that to do the greatest good, the product had to fly on its own merits (not just because it’s “greener.”) The fact that we launched at QVC, which is all about superior products at a good value, is a major triumph. We didn’t even have to talk about the planet—there was so much to say about how Mittys are just a better way to cleanse skin and apply skincare.

It’s the lowest price we’ve ever been able to offer and it’s a great introduction to the product. It offers one of the larger Makeup Mittys to use on your full face or for removing masks. Then we have a pink Mini, a black Mini, and a platinum Mini. While some people use one per day (then toss them all in the laundry), other people like to use the colors for special tasks—pink to remove lipstick, black to take off eye makeup, and platinum for applying toner.

Besides the special four-piece set at QVC, we also have single packs and sets on Amazon, some beauty specialty stores, and our own website.

What's next for the brand?

My big goal for this year is to really focus on communicating more with customers like me—women 40+ who have been left out of a lot of skincare conversations. A lot of them think beauty and skin care are just for younger women. Some are relying on old-fashioned skincare myths and many think they don’t need to wash their faces if they’re not wearing makeup. I want to talk about skin health as much as I talk about the planet and eliminating disposables.

For more information and to purchase, visit the website and follow on Instagram: @takemyfaceoff

[Images courtesy of Take My Face Off]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk