What's your criteria for keeping or decluttering a skincare product?
One of the easiest ways to decide whether to keep or declutter is the scent; there are certain scents that I just can’t deal with having on my face all day long, so those get passed along quickly!
It’s not often, but if a product seems like it might be causing me to break out, then I’ll set it aside for awhile before revisiting (if I dare), but if it happens a second time, see ya! I’m more inclined to finish skincare products that work decently than declutter, and I haven’t come across a lot of skincare products that feel like they’re doing NOTHING at all (e.g. a moisturizer may promise 4,000 things to me, none of which are readily detected, but it still hydrates well).
— Christine
That “off” smell when they’ve turned.
Anything that causes redness, irritation, or a breakout, obviously. Sometimes I will put the product aside to see if I can tolerate it in a different season or I will try it on a different part of my body (acids work really well as underarm deodorant). However, I really want to simplify my routine so if an “off label” use adds extra work, I will just empty the package and recycle it.
I declutter mostly products that cause me irritation or other bad effects, to the point I cannot even use them as a foot cream.
If I don’t enjoy the product that much, I just repurpose for the body. If I don’t like a cleanser, I use it as body wash. If I don’t like a moisturizer or SPF (maybe it’s too greasy for me), I use it as a hand cream on the go. If I don’t like a treatment, or it piles under my makeup, I just use it on my body.
Let me make one thing clear; if anything irritates or breaks my skin out, it goes back. I am not averse to returning such a product if this happens early on from the time I purchase it.
Otherwise, if I see that something is ineffective even after using it for awhile, I’ll throw it out.
I definitely declutter a skincare item if it has a scent -even a botanical one, as they are such an irritant to my skin. I tend to stay away from the brand after experiencing a product with scent in it.
I also declutter it when I feel it’s not working or adding to any redness I experience on my cheeks too.
Expiration date! This is one item I seriously keep an eye on ‘how long I’ve had it.’ Since I usually only use Lazlo or LeMer I’m pretty safe but I have deviated with Dior and had to let go some and some Somerville, just because I don’t reach for them.
Is it working for me, do I like it and am I using it? Keep it.
Do I hate it, does it hate me, or is it going unusued and cluttering up my space? 86 it.