Your bathroom and vanity are probably loaded with old beauty products that you don’t use anymore or shouldn’t use as they most likely are expired depending on how long you’ve used the item. It might seem daunting to purge your makeup and beauty products but doing this will give you the opportunity to get rid of old products and the chance to organize what you keep.
The best way to start is by removing all your beauty and makeup products from where you store them, then lay everything out on a white towel that will give you clear space to assess what you have. After collecting all your items organize them into categories like makeup, skincare, face skincare products, and hair products.
Once you’ve organized the sub-categories, you can start by tossing items that you haven’t used in longer than two years as most beauty products have an average shelf life of two years. If you’re not using a product for such a long time you might as well toss it as it’s rare you might start using it anytime soon.
The remaining products should be tested for quality to determine what other items might need to be thrown away based on the texture, color, or smell. You can check products that appear to be separating by shaking the component to mix the ingredients and if they don’t combine remaining separated or not spreading evenly, they should probably be tossed. If you have multiples of certain items like red lipsticks, you might want to cut back on the less-used options as you’re unlikely to use them more in the future.
The next step is organizing what you have left so you can find everything you’ll need in one place with one of the best options being clear organizing containers that you don’t have to dig through to find. Like the purging process, you’ll want to organize your products based on their purpose.
Train cases or makeup cases are a great storage solution for those on the go that you can get in a variety of sizes to suit your stock of beauty and makeup products. Skincare products containing certain ingredients like retinol and vitamin C should be stored in a cool, dry place without contact with sunlight that can render these key ingredients inactive that are best stored in a closet or drawer.
For those with a big makeup collection, you can separate the different products for the face, lips, and eyes. One of the most important makeup items to purge frequently is mascara as they typically have a short shelf life of 90 days the dark packaging creates a breeding ground for bacteria that is being applied near your eyes and is contaminated every time you use it.
If you find any unused items that you know you probably won’t need in the future, you can donate it to your local charity but it’s best to research which donation center will accept them. Some charities also offer a tax-deductible receipt for your donation that you can file for the following tax season.
Purging your beauty and makeup items might leave you without a certain product that can give you the chance to consider replacing your old product with a sustainable alternative. There is a great variety of sustainable beauty and makeup products that will reduce your carbon footprint while looking fabulous.