budget living

Reducing Makeup and Skincare Costs

Reducing Makeup and Skincare Costs

I don’t think of myself as someone who spends a significant amount of money on makeup and skincare products. I buy very few products compared to most people that I know. Moreover, I don’t ever buy anything that’s particularly expensive. Nevertheless, I recently realized that this is an area where I could learn to declutter and reduce spending in order to save both the money and the environment.

A Zero Waste Life in Thirty Days

This thought process came about because I’m reading “A Zero Waste Life in Thirty Days” by Anita Vandyke. She started trying to live a zero waste life in order to save money. Eventually, she also become passionate about the environment. In this book, she shares different types of reducing your waste throughout your life. She includes makeup and skincare products in this process.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Vandyke talks about how we often buy beauty products because we want to feel better about ourselves. Society tells us looking better is the key. Then, when they don’t make us happier, we buy new products. Obviously, this doesn’t work.

That’s not the only way that ending comparisons to others applies to this topic, though. As I said, I don’t really think of myself as someone who spends a lot in this area. I buy only a handful of inexpensive products. Almost everyone I know uses more products and each one costs more than what I spend. However, that’s not the point. Who cares if I spend less than others if I’m still spending more than I need to? So, let’s stop the comparison all around.

How to Reduce Makeup and Skincare Costs

Vandyke’s number one tip is to use up what you have. I used to be so good about this. I still am when it comes to soaps and skincare. However, I’ve started buying more lipstick, eyeshadow, and mascara than I really need. I do stick to the “container system,” meaning that I never buy more than fits in the one container that I use for these products. Still, I could afford to work through what I have now before purchasing anything hew again. So, that’s step one.

Here are some other tips from the book that I plan to implement:

  • Declutter what I really won’t use. I always think I’m going to use lotion and then I never do. I don’t buy it myself, so getting rid of it doesn’t save money. However, it will save space so I can more easily see the products that I actually do use.
  • See if I can swap any new products with friends. What do I need? What can I swap? As long as the products are new, this is a great option for both of us.
  • DIY certain beauty and skincare products. I probably won’t do all of these. For example, Vandyke provides a recipe for DOY deodorant and I’m unlikely to slather deodorant on my body with a wooden spoon. However, certain tips are terrific. For example, I’m taking her advice to immediately stop buying shaving gel and use coconut oil instead. That’s better for me, the environment, and even my bank account. I will also DIY body scrubs.

This might not be a huge area of my budget. However, cutting back anywhere increases savings. I can do this. Can you?

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