Neutrogena Recalls Thousands of Packs of Its Popular Makeup Remover Wipes Due to Infectious Bacteria

According to the statistics shared by BG Falcon Media, nearly 74% of American women like to wear makeup. Makeup, for these women, and countless others across the globe, is another name for dopamine. They start their day by smothering their faces with palettes of colors, by smudging their lips and their eyelids with things that would give them a camera-worthy glow. However, once the day wraps up, this color palette turns into a burdensome crown that needs to be taken off; otherwise, the chemicals lurking in these cosmetics will latch onto their skin, sneak within their body, and do bad things. That’s why women use makeup remover wipes. Today, however, there’s a horrifying plot twist in this makeup story.

Even the wipes, which were supposed to mop up the chemicals in your skin, have turned bonkers, thanks to some notorious bacterial ghosts that have contaminated these wipes. According to a recent report published by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Neutrogena’s popular Makeup Remover Ultra-Soft Cleansing Towelettes have been recalled due to a potential contamination with a harmful pathogen.

The recall was initiated voluntarily in the “cosmetics” product category by Kenvue Brands LLC on 19th September 2025. “During an internal investigation, the firm discovered that the product tested positive for Pluralibacter gergoviae,” the FDA described in the recall report. The recalled product was distributed in four states: Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The product included 12 packages per case, with one pack containing 25 wipes. 1,312 cases were recalled, each with the code information “LOT 1835U6325A.”

In conversation with PEOPLE, Kenvue clearly stated that "the health and safety of the consumers who use our products is our top priority." This recall, they noted, is an isolated case, most likely impacted by procedural deficiencies. This doesn’t mean for sure that all these wipes are contaminated with bacteria. The recall, they said, has been issued “out of an abundance of caution.”

The bacterial ghosts believed to be hiding in these wipes, called “Pluralibacter gergoviae,” are commonly found in skincare, cosmetic, and cleaning products, according to Melbec Microbiology. Previously, this bacterium has been isolated from items like maize, grapes, coffee beans, spring water, fruit flies, pink bollworms, eye creams, children’s shampoo, skin creams, and hand cleaning pastes, apart from cleansing wipes, such as in this case. This bacterium is an “opportunistic pathogen” that is very unlikely to affect healthy people, but it can cause infections in people who have weakened immune systems, such as children, pregnant women, or the elderly.

As per the FDA report, this recall is classified as a “Class II recall,” which means the use of or exposure to this product may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” but the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote. The current status of the recall is “ongoing,” which implies that the next time you pull out a wipe to scrub off that mascara laced with party wine, remember to refer to the list of recent cosmetic recalls, because, in that case, the wipe could do more contamination than cleansing for you. Another tip to be noted, according to a make-up artist on Reddit, is to remember that a make-up remover wipe is “meant for removing makeup, not for cleansing the skin.”