If you’re looking to declutter your life and your personal space, your makeup and beauty bag could be a great first place to start.
Chances are that if you are like most of us, you might still be hanging on to beauty products that you never use any longer, products that you tried a few times but decided you didn’t like, gifted products that you haven’t even opened yet, expired products and samples.
Decluttering your beauty products can have tons of benefits, from more space in your bathroom or dressing table to better skin and an easier time getting ready in the morning. Here are some of the main things to consider if you want to declutter and organize your beauty and makeup products.
Check for Expiration Dates
If you were clearing out the pantry or fridge in your kitchen, food that has gone past its expiration date would usually be the first thing to go. And, it’s the same idea with your beauty products.
Many beauty products have an expiration date on them, but if it doesn’t, you can easily find out online how long each product will usually last before it’s best to throw it out and get a new one.
For example, mini bottles of conditioner and shampoo only last for about three years so if you’re still hoarding the ones you took on vacation five years ago, it’s time for them to go in the trash. Some makeup products can even be dangerous if you use them after their expiration date.
Mascara, for example, can cause a serious eye infection due to the bacteria that it gathers over time.
Use Your Samples
If unused samples are taking up most of your beauty bag, it’s time to put them to use.
If you have a lot of samples and are going to be in need of some new cosmetic and beauty products after clearing out the ones that have gone past their expiration date, you can find a huge list of beauty products here; it’s always worth checking if any of the samples that you try and like are included.
Instead of leaving all your samples hidden away in your beauty bag, put them in strategic places where you are more likely to remember to use them. For example, put shampoo or hair mask samples in your shower where you can easily get to them when you need them.
If you tend to collect a lot of sample and then forget about them, you might be surprised as to just how much money you can save over time by simply using them up.
Recycling
If you’re hanging onto makeup and beauty products that you don’t use because you’d rather that than send them to landfill, the good idea is that you can recycle a lot of it.
Cleaned plastic bottles can be recycled with your normal recycling collection at home, or you could go to a company that accepts empty bottles and offers discounts on their products or even free products in return, such as LUSH, who will give you a face mask on them just for giving five empty pots back to their stores.
Consider What You Use
Many of us are guilty of collecting makeup samples that we either decide not to use or forget about, but it’s not just samples either.
A quick look in your makeup bag might find that you also have full-size products that you didn’t end up using for some reason.
It’s always annoying when it happens but, in some cases, you just might not like a product after purchasing it online, or if it doesn’t feel or look the same as the tester when you get it home.
Luckily, there’s no reason to hold onto these products for no reason or even let them go to waste, since you can donate them to people who’ll make use of them.
Donating Your Unused Beauty Products
Products like moisturizers, soap, lotion, shampoos, conditioners, foundations, and powder cosmetics can be fine to give away as long as they are not past their expiration date.
There are plenty of options to consider when you want to donate your unwanted cosmetics and beauty products. You might want to ask your friends if they could make use of anything in your stash. Or ask local homeless shelters and women’s refuges if they could use any of your items.
These organizations are always looking for donations of anything that could help the people who rely on them and will usually be willing to take the items off your hands.
Many of us are guilty of hanging onto beauty products that are past their expiration date, no longer needed, or simply because we were given them as a sample.
Decluttering and organizing your makeup bag might be the next thing on your list if you’re struggling to find what you need in a sea of items.
