This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see the disclaimer here.
Today, we are diving into our cosmetics drawer. You know, that place where you stash endless product samples, beauty creams that you tried once and forgot about, and lipstick after lipstick after lipstick? It’s time to clean it out. I don’t wear much make-up, but somehow my cupboard was still overloaded with these things, particularly different face creams and moisturizers in my quest for eternal youth. After spending a few minutes pulling everything out I realized I already had a lifetime supply available and I vowed to myself I would not buy even one more until I used it up. About 3 years later I have depleted the face creams, but still have not bought any make-up. My cupboard is sooooooo much more manageable and when I pledged to use what I had, I stopped buying all those products that are in plastic bottles and sealed with plastic packaging. I count that as a win.
Today’s Challenge: Go through your cosmetics. Toss the ones that are super outdated and not safe to use (Some brands partner with Terracycle for recycling or you can purchase a zero waste box to get rid of all of them at once). If you come across something that is still usable, but know you won’t personally use it, then make a donation to a friend or women’s shelter. For example, I have very acne prone skin and some of the products I tried made me break out. I know I won’t use the products in the future so I found someone that would.
Everything that you do plan to keep should be organized into categories: cleansers, moisturizers, anti-aging creams, acne treatments, eye make-up, lipstick, foundations/bronzers, tools (tweezers, eyelash curlers, brushes etc), and whatever other products you have on hand. I have a bunch of free make-up bags that I received as gifts when I purchased cosmetics and I use them to hold different categories, but you could also use jars or small dishes to separate and organize. When I get low on a product, I first look into my stash and use what I have. If you don’t have a lot of cosmetics, then you could use this same process to organize other personal care products like deodorants, lotions, hair products and tooth care items. Tomorrow we’ll talk about what to do when you run out, but for now work on organizing what you have so you can shop your home first!
→ Back to the Plastic Challenge Homepage
