PB Approved: What Is A Mitty? Learn About Take My Face Off.
Image courtesy of Take My Face Off.
1. Owner Name?
Amanda McIntosh.
2. What is your background with makeup?
I have always loved makeup. Starting at the age of 14, I pestered my mom about it constantly. I think she was afraid that other moms would judge her if I were the youngest girl wearing makeup, and I wound up internalizing a lot of her worry about others’ perceptions. When I finally started wearing makeup, I focused on subtlety and looking natural. I’m still terrified of blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick! My skin freaked out in my late teens while I was studying at a serious, very non-glamorous conservatory for classical music. My peer group did NOT wear makeup. As a result, I put huge pressure on myself to make it look like I wasn’t wearing foundation or cover-up. There was no YouTube back then: it was all trial and error. Delving into makeup techniques helped me manage my stress about my appearance, but it was also a meditative artistic outlet. If my skin hadn’t turned on me, I don’t know if I would have allowed myself to get so interested in something my friends saw as “frivolous."
3. Brand Name?
Take My Face Off.
4. Where are you located?
We do most of our work in the Los Angeles area. I work with several contractors in the city, and I work from my home office near Pasadena. Most of our sewing is done in a small town in Utah. The farming industry in that region collapsed in the 1990s, and we employ home sewers who want to stay in their community.
5. Tell us about Take My Face Off?
At first, I was just looking for a better washcloth. My love of makeup had turned into a love of skincare, and I was trying a new routine that relied on washcloths. After about a week, my skin was hurting—it's so rough. I had this gross row of terrycloth squares drying on my shower curtain rod all the time—so ugly. I had my lightbulb moment: (1) almost everyone owns washcloths, (2) almost everyone hates washcloths, and (3) making a better washcloth isn't rocket science (turns out it was, but that’s another story). As I learned about the beauty industry, I was appalled by the number of brands that offered disposable, sample-sized, and overly packaged products. It seemed like they were trying to create mountains of trash. I quickly re-framed my project; I would reinvent the washcloth, but it would be so convenient, so elegant, and so effective that people would choose it over disposable wipes, swabs, and rounds. Replacing a washcloth was a fun project but replacing millions of disposables became a life mission. After over a year of research, I hired a wonderful designer who created the brand look, I sewed a lot of prototypes at home, and went to a massive trade show. I had no clue what I was doing. That led to a co-branded product with Sephora, and it’s been a wild ride ever since.
Image courtesy of Take My Face Off.
6. Tell us, what is a Mitty?
Mitty’s are small finger or hand mitts that we make out of this wonderful Korean plush. I chose the plush because it seems to make skincare liquids work better and go farther. It doesn’t tug the skin, and it lasts through thousands of washes. Mitty’s are shaped like water droplets, which is cute and distinctive, but also represents conservation of resources and cleansing. The two sides become two different cleansing tools: a rounded end and a pointy end. We call the pointy end the Mitty Detailer, and it’s great for the lash line and small areas.
7. And, why is this better than using cotton?
From an environmental perspective, you can literally replace thousands of cotton balls with one Mitty. Cotton is a really “dirty” crop, but even if it were “clean," all single-use items are environmental nightmares. No matter their source, they have to be processed, packaged, transported, and disposed of. Fewer disposable products mean less industrial pollution. From a consumer standpoint, it’s a much better user experience. The fibers are smaller and smoother than cotton fibers. Cotton is really good at absorbing, but not so good at cleaning. Cotton hogs the skincare fluid, trapping it inside the fibers, where it’s not helping your skin and then the cotton get tossed in the trash. The fibers are less absorbent and keep the fluid close to the surface of the mitt. This means you use less liquid. The Mitty feels “wetter,” more of the fluid is available to help your skin, and the rubbing process is smoother (more lubricated). Also, the fibers grab grime without tugging skin. You’re saving money because you don’t use as much skincare fluid, you don’t have to buy cotton balls, the Mitty works better as a delivery mechanism, and your skin is calmer because the process is gentler. On top of that, it’s faster and more thorough.
8. Tell us about the organizations you donate to and how this works?
Wipes are a big problem for waterways and oceans, so this is where we focused a lot of our giving. We started by donating to the Ocean Conservancy, because we love its Trash Free Seas initiative. Since then, we’ve partnered with Heal the Bay in Southern California. There are other organizations that focus on pollinator habitats (cotton pesticides are bad for pollinators) and organizations that support LGBTQ concerns. The way this usually works is that we donate a portion of our sales during a specified time frame. However sometimes, we’ve just made one-off donations. I’ve been working on a larger plan for some time. At this point, most of the Mitty’s out there are near the beginning of their “life cycle.” I’m creating a program that will let people recycle their Mitty’s when they’re worn out. For plastics, metal, and cardboard, recycling isn’t great (since most of them end up in a landfill). It’s not the same for fabrics because most fabric is recyclable, and there’s a big demand for recycled fiber. It’s actually one of the best ways to make the garment industry less “dirty.” I’m going to give people options for recycling their Mitty’s. There will be directories to recycling stations, as well as the option to return Mitty’s to me for recycling; postage paid. Mitty’s are small, but the program is a big opportunity to educate people about the best ways to dispose of their used clothing and textiles.
Image courtesy of Take My Face Off.
9. What is your motto in life?I
I’m a recovering perfectionist, so my motto is, “Done is better than good.” I’m always trying to make my operation nicer, greener, better. I wish it were perfect. If I had waited for perfect, however, I wouldn’t have gotten past the prototype phase, and Mitty’s wouldn’t be out there keeping disposables out of landfills and the ocean. Maybe my second motto is “there’s never a perfect time to start.” You just have to dive in.
10. Website info?
https://www.takemyfaceoff.com/
11. Social Media info?
https://www.instagram.com/takemyfaceoff/?hl=en
Interview by Alison Hernon, Editor-In-Chief, PhotoBook Magazine.
Beauty With A Cause highlights designers who support a cause such as sustainability, charities, fair trade and organic products.
