You know you’ve done it. You’re at an expo, and there’s something particularly cool being handed out. Something you really want for your jersey pocket (ALL your jersey pockets), and it’s just sitting there. Free. You start to perspire maybe, and you walk a little too fast toward the table. But your mom’s voice shutters into your thoughts,”Don’t be greedy. One is all you need. Be polite.” So you do what any self-respecting adult would do. You walk up to the table nonchalantly, pick up a few items around the thing you want. Study them carefully. Pick up the thing you want, turn it over, pretend to read the ingredients. Put it down. Talk to the kind lady sitting in the booth. Smile. Pick up the thing you really want, and walk off. Then, you watch the clock and make the rounds of the expo again before you return to the booth at a shift-change, and grab a few more.
This was my tactic on the day I discovered Action Wipes. Single packets gleamed in silver piles, tempting me with their shininess and oh-so-portable packaging. Maybe I ended up with one. Maybe a few more. It all happened so fast.
Consider, then, my fervor when Action Wipes contacted me about their return to the market. Because not only are Action Wipes a local to SLO company, which means they’re kind of a big deal, they’re also a downright cool product (and I mean that in the most literal way). For a while, I, and many cyclists like me, wondered where Action Wipes had gone because once you use them, you’re ruined for any alternatives. In fact, they nearly disappeared from the market altogether thanks to a distribution deal gone bad (you can read all about the story of their ordeal on their official blog). So hearing from them again was like being rescued by a cruise ship after 27 days in a life raft–er, well, maybe that’s an overstatement. It was more like being able to take a shower after a week of camping. Either way, it was cool.
So What Are Action Wipes?
Imagine a baby wipe. Now stop imagining a baby wipe because Action Wipes are way different. Each cloth measures 9″x10″, which means that you can clean your entire body using just one wipe. And instead of that sort of icky wet feeling that lingers with baby wipes, Action Wipes actually build a slight lather that then dries–leaving nothing behind but a soft, for lack of a better term, powder-like feeling that seems to keep working for hours. You feel dry just moments after a full wipe-down with them, and their Tea Tree and Eucalyptus scent eliminates any hint of odor.
They’re also quite strong, so they won’t tear at all. In fact, Action Wipes are so strong that you can throw them in your washing machine and repurpose them for other things. I like to use mine as chain cleaners since they pick up so much of the grit on the chain, yet they’re thin enough to fit between cogs in the cassette. The folks at Action Wipes have actually come up with a list of ways that you can reuse these handy cloths after they’re dry. We’re talking everything from coffee filters to emergency splints. Why should you repurpose these? Because studies have shown that it makes you genuinely more awesome, and no wipes (not even the ones advertised as such) are actually flushable.
Portability
You can buy these in two different packages: singles pouches and a 30-sheet dispenser pack. The singles fit easily into a jersey pocket, pouch, or saddle bag, so you can have one handy whenever you decide to stop. But the coolest thing about carrying them with you on the bike is their usefulness. If you hit the asphalt, you can use a wipe to clean you up, and even tie around you as a make-shift bandage (I like to carry one I’ve already washed for this purpose). Take it to the next level by adding another product from Action Wipe’s sister company, TheraBee, the Healing Honey Stick. I’ll talk more at length about this in the near future, but this honey stick is the size of a normal chapstick, so it takes up very little space in your kit. But its anti-bacterial properties not only work to keep your road rash from getting infected, it will also help to heal and soothe it in the process. With the stick and the wipes in your jersey pockets, you’ve basically got an all-in-one emergency kit.
Ingredients
By now, you can probably tell that I really like Action Wipes. Not only because they honestly work to keep you dry and smelling good after a long bike ride, but they’re also made with integrity. There’s nothing in them that I worry about. I grabbed the ingredients list from the Action Wipes website, and posted it for you here, so you can stop worrying too:
- Water
- Leuconostoc/Sorbus aucuparia fruit ferment filtrat (preservative derived from the berries of the Rowan shrub)
- Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate (coconut oil derived emollient, surfactant and preservative)
- Capryl Glucoside (sugarcane derived surfactant)
- Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Oil
- Eucalyptus Radiata (Eucalyptus) Oil
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil
- Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang) Oil
- Gluconolactone (and) Sodium Benzoate* (an ECOCERT approved preservative boost that provides broad- spectrum protection of the plant based ingredients and improves skin moisture content. It is non-sensitizing and non-irritating)
There’s no alcohol, which can dry your skin out, no parabens, which can cause cancer, or other harsh chemicals. They’re made right here in California. They’re American. And they’re pretty dang pure.
Some Ideas
If you’re a commuter, or you just like to smell nice when you’re hugging your friends after a race, you’ll be happy with Action Wipes. But they go beyond even the usual cyclists uses. You know campers and kayakers use them, but what about new moms? Yep. Even the quickest shower when you’re home alone with an infant can seem like the greatest of impossibilities. Action Wipes can help you feel like you haven’t spent so much time lounging in yoga pants and praying that your baby just goes to sleep already. Everyone can use these things.
My Verdict
I’m a big fan of Action Wipes, in case you couldn’t tell by my review. Not only are they responsibly made, but they also just plain work. They clean you up, and they’re portable. Plain and simple. In fact, they’re so simple that we made a 15 second, Instagram friendly video telling you all the key things you need to know about Action Wipes. Check it out below!
Want to try some? You can buy Action Wipes directly from the company’s website. Sets of single packets start at $16.85 and dispenser packs are $24.00, but sign up for their newsletter and you can grab a discount code. Of course, you should also ask for them at your local bike shop. Finally, look for Action Wipes at Sea Otter Classic, where they’ll be offering clean up booths. Pretty sweet, right?
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