Why did I choose to talk about cosmetics?
After more than a year of working from home, we are slowly moving back to our offices in Singapore. I bet some of us have already forgotten why we own so many of the same cosmetic products.
I wanted to share the alternatives available before we get down to buying new makeup and skincare for work.
Stock take and declutter
More often than not, we own more products than we need. Hence, the first step that we can do is to take stock of how many items we own and try to reduce the number of products.
After more than a year of working from home, some of the products have already expired. It is important to ensure that you do not use expired products because the preservatives are already gone and bacteria will start to grow. Throw away expired products and before you start purchasing new ones, keep three things in mind.
- What is the purpose of this product?
- Do I need this product?
- How often do I use this? Will I be able to finish this before the expiry date?
What are the alternatives? Refills vs Less or no packaging
Do you know that there are great products in stores such as Scoop that sell a wide range of beauty products? I used to buy packets and packets of sheet masks and have too many different masks, including sleeping masks. I recently found that I could buy organic clay from Scoop and reuse my cosmetic bottle for rose water. With this combination, I could buy an amount I know I could use up before expiry. This reduces the guilt of wasting money on products that I want to try but am not sure if I will like them.
Other than Clays for Skin, there are other items such as soap bars, deodorant bars, and lip balms in store as well.
Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle.
Out of convenience, most of us discard the expired product along with its packaging in the bin.
However, if we could reuse the packaging, such as buying refills or repurposing them for other uses, we could extend the lifecycle of one-time-use products.
If recycling and repurposing are not possible, consider recycling them in-store. However, most products containing mirrors are usually unsuitable for recycling, as they contain a reflective coating painted at the back, making recycling impossible.
You must clean the bottles/ containers thoroughly before dropping them into the recycling bin. Failure to do so might contaminate the other recyclables — which will result in them being incinerated instead.
Brands such as Kiehls, Innisfree, and The Body Shop reward their customers for recycling items. Do check out their Website to find out more.
We can save a lot of money whilst doing a part to zero waste movement. I hope that this helps you in your decision-making process and inspires you to kickstart in taking baby steps to stand up for the planet that we live in.
