StainMatrix
Stain category
Cosmetics
Cosmetic stains consist of pigments in an oil or wax binder. Resist rubbing — it drives pigment deeper into the weave. Use a grease-cutting surfactant to break the binder first, then flush the pigment outward.
Key rule
Micellar water or a tiny drop of dish soap on a white cloth. Blot outward, not in circles.
4 stains in this category
The chemistry behind cosmetics
Cosmetic stains consist of pigment particles suspended in an oil or wax binder, sometimes with film-forming polymers from foundations and mascaras. Grease-cutting dish soap breaks the oil binder to release the pigment, which is then flushed outward in the rinse; rubbing the stain first only drives pigment deeper into the weave.
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