Soft cotton and water would work well too.

People use wipes because they're convenient. The "juice" is 0.1% of the product and exists for its mild natural anti-bacterial properties. It isn't sticky like you're imagining, in fact if not told you would assume it was 100% water.

In general I think soft cotton and water is a great idea. I am contrasting Waterwipes against other "chemical" wipes on the market which often promote diaper rash and cannot be used on the face (e.g. Huggies, Pampers, supermarket own brand wipes).