Trouble with Toiletries
Even if you don’t have kids in school, September often feels like the start of a new year. It’s a good time to set some new goals and start with a clean slate. Toiletries and make up are top on my list to get to this month. I have a hard time passing up a deal and that usually means I must buy multiple. Olaplex system was on sale at Nordstrom, so I had to buy three boxes, a brand I love was on clearance at Target, so I had to grab that too and I’m embarrassed to note all of the deals I’ve snatched up at Costco.
I’m learning that they aren’t deals if we don’t use them. I recently pulled out a lotion that I loved the scent so much I only wanted to use it for a special occasion. Apparently I don’t have a lot of special occasions because when I finally went to use it, there wasn’t a scent. Huge waste of money, space to just store it and overall energy.
Equally embarrassing, I have so many shampoos ready and waiting that I grabbed one from my stockpile, not paying much attention to it- just seeing that it was good for thinning hair. After several days, I noticed my normally dry hair seemed greasy. Come to find out, what I had been using as shampoo was actually just a treatment for thinning hair. It suddenly made sense as to why it didn’t suds up when I washed my hair.
When I grabbed that hair gel at Target because it was on clearance, therefore it must be a good deal and it’s a brand I like, I need to give it a little more thought and consideration. Clearance was still pretty expensive since it was a luxury brand. I grabbed two of them and put it in my stockpile. By time I tried it, I discovered I didn’t even like the product. Instead of saving money with the clearance hair gel, I just wasted it. Eyeliner is another trouble spot for me, I’m realizing. I feel like I need to have a few on hand, it’ll save me time and money, or so I’ve told myself. They don’t save money when you don’t use them before they dry up.
So, this is a good month to go through my toiletries and make up and do some serious weeding. Not only because these items are past their prime, but I recently read that a study in the UK found that 90% of beauty products (especially sponge blenders) have E. coli and Staphylococci which can lead to skin infections and worse. Add that we usually keep make-up products in an environment that is ideal for growth- warm and damp bathrooms.
- Concealer: one year
- Cream blush: one year
- Eyeliner: three months
- Eyeliner pencil: two years
- Eyeshadow: one year
- Foundation: one year
- Lip balm: one to five years
- Lip gloss: one year
- Lipstick: two years
- Liquid eyeliner: three months
- Mascara: three months
- Nail polish: one year
- Powder blush: two years
- Bar soap: 18 months to three years
- Bath oil: one year
- Body bleaches and depilatories: six months
- Body lotion: two years
- Body wash: three years
- Deodorant: one to two years
- Disposable razors: every five to seven shaves
- Eye cream: one year
- Face cream: two years
- Hairbrush: one year
- Hair gel: two to three years
- Hair spray: two to three years
- Loofah: six months
- Makeup sponge: one month
- Medications: check the label
- Mouthwash: three years from the manufacture date
- Nail polish remover: indefinitely
- Perfume: one to two years
- Shampoo and conditioner: two to three years
- Shaving cream: two years
- Sunscreen: three years
- Toothbrush: three months
- Tooth-whitening strips: 13 months
With the above expiration list, I think I’ll be doing some make-up shopping in the near future. A good lesson for me, to be pickier about purchases in the future. It isn’t a deal if it expires before I can use it or it isn’t something that I absolutely love. Quality over quantity every time. Worst case, it might be an extra trip to the store or another couple of clicks online, but so worth it in the long run.