7 Easy Steps To Declutter Makeup And Skincare Products

Follow these 7 easy steps to declutter makeup and skincare products so you can have a simplified, minimalist bathroom.

Many of us choose to wear makeup, whether that’s every day or on special occasions.

We like to use it as a way of boosting confidence or expressing ourselves.

But the thing is, most of us have way more makeup, skincare products, and toiletries than we can use.

These beauty products don’t last forever and we should regularly go through them to make sure they are still good.

If your vanity, toiletry bag, or bathroom cabinets need a refresh, follow these 7 easy steps to declutter makeup and skincare products today!

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Why you should declutter your makeup and skincare products

Makeup, skincare products, and toiletries are so easy to accumulate!

We buy them at the store thinking they will solve a problem for us or because they will help us feel more beautiful and confident.

Fortunately, many of them do.

But others don’t and we end up storing them in our bathrooms.

Those of us who are constantly on the hunt for the perfect product tend to try out all kinds of different brands and products.

And without realizing it, we fill up our bathroom drawers and cabinets.

When our vanity, makeup bag, and bathroom drawers are overflowing, it makes getting ready in the morning more complicated, stressful, and overwhelming.

At night, we again struggle to find what we’re looking for and have to dig through tons of beauty products.

But more importantly, the biggest reason why you should declutter your makeup and skincare products is because they have a shelf life.

We can only keep these products for a certain amount of time, particularly if they’ve been opened.

We can safely keep some of them for a few years if they’re still sealed, but many beauty products can only be used for a few months to a year at most.

Using them when they’re older may cause breakouts on the skin or even infection.

So it’s essential to regularly reassess what we own to make sure everything is still good and usable.

Follow these 7 easy steps to declutter makeup and skincare products in your bathroom.

How to declutter makeup and skincare products in 7 easy steps

1. Get into the right mindset

It can be overwhelming to start decluttering makeup and skincare products.

These products can be very expensive so we might experience a lot of guilt when getting rid of them.

We don’t want to waste money or be unsustainable and wasteful if we throw something away.

Some items might even be gifts we received, which makes the process even harder.

So before you start purging makeup items and skincare products, be aware that you will probably feel guilty about letting go of them.

That’s normal to feel that way.

But acknowledge that you’re doing yourself and others no good holding on to all your unused or expired beauty products.

Give yourself some grace and forgive yourself that you’ve made mistakes and that you may have to create some waste.

Allow yourself to let go of guilt and start fresh.

2. Take all your makeup, skincare, and toiletries out and separate them into categories

Gather all the beauty products you have from all around your home, whether you store them in one place or different bathrooms and closets.

Make sure to put everything in one place.

Don’t forget about your travel toiletry bags, hotel samples, and backup beauty products.

Once you see everything you have, separate them into different categories: lipsticks, mascaras, moisturizers, foundations, eyeshadow palettes…

That way, you’ll be able to see how much you own in each category.

3. Purge makeup items, skincare products, toiletries, and other beauty products

Now that you have everything in one place and you have clear categories, it’s time to start purging each one of them.

Here are some things you should declutter right now:

Anything you’ve not used in the past year. You’re very unlikely to use it again and it will probably expire by then.
Anything that didn’t work for you and your skin. If it made you break out, you will never want to use it again. So why keep it?

Some of the best things to get rid of when you declutter makeup and skincare products are things that didn't work for you.

Expired products. Check the expiration dates and get rid of anything that’s expired. You should also check the little label showing how long we can keep a product after it’s been opened. Sometimes, we can keep products for a little longer, but be reasonable and don’t keep them if they’ve been open for many years.
Products that have changed texture, color, or smell. If you notice that some of your products don’t have the same color, smell, or texture as before, you shouldn’t use them. Get rid of them immediately.
Free samples you know you won’t use. Many of us collect samples we got for free in hotels or at the pharmacy, but are we realistically going to use them all up? Some of us are. But others aren’t. If you know you won’t use them up, don’t keep them.
Products with harmful chemicals. Your health is the most important thing you have, so let them go.
Broken or damaged tools. If you have makeup and skincare tools like sponges or brushes that have seen better days, now may be the time to let them go.
Duplicate items you won’t have the time to use before the expiration date. If you have excessive beauty products, give them away before they expire so someone else can use them.

4. What to do with decluttered makeup and skincare products?

Most of us may be tempted to throw these products away.

But try to avoid trashing things and only use this option as a last resort.

If you have empty containers and boxes, see if you can recycle them curbside.

If not, some organizations may have drop-off locations where you can bring your empty containers and they’ll send them for recycling.

That’s worth checking out!

Some nonprofits, like Wands For Wildlife, even collect things like old mascara wands and use them to clean wild animals in wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Unfortunately, we cannot do anything about expired products and products that are too old.

But consider emptying them so you can at least recycle the container and packaging.

If you have any unopened products that are not expired, you could sell the more expensive ones to make some cash.

Or you could donate them to charities or local women’s shelters.

When you declutter makeup and skincare products, make sure you donate what you can to charity.

You can also send them to Project Beauty Share, which provides cosmetics, beauty products, and personal hygiene items to nonprofits helping women and families in need.

Just like other charities, they even accept lightly used products even if they’re open!

Another easy option is to give your decluttered makeup and skincare products to friends or family members.

So there are many ways to responsibly declutter those beauty products and they shouldn’t all go in the trash.

5. Clean your makeup tools and storage containers

Now that you’ve removed the excess, you should have a smaller, curated skincare and makeup collection.

You should only have things you are using now or will use soon.

To start fresh, remember to clean and sterilize all your makeup tools such as brushes and sponges.

Try to do that at least every week if possible.

Also clean the storage containers, vanity, or toiletry bags where you usually store your beauty products.

6. How to organize beauty products?

The best way to store makeup and skincare products is to keep your most used items easily accessible.

Depending on your preferences, you may want to store them on your bathroom counters, in a drawer next to your sink, or anywhere you can reach easily when getting ready.

For backup beauty products, consider storing them away in a basket.

That way, you know exactly where they are when you run out of a product.

I find that makeup is particularly tricky to organize because it features all kinds of small items of all shapes and sizes.

So it’s great to use different storage solutions that will keep them contained and separated.

Here are some makeup storage ideas I love for organizing makeup:

A travel case is a great way to organize your beauty products.

7. Create good habits going forward

Now that you’ve decluttered and organized your makeup and skincare collection, make sure to keep it tidy and clutter-free.

This will simplify your life and save you time and energy!

a) Simplify your skincare and makeup routine

Beauty products expire, so consider simplifying your skincare and makeup routine so you have fewer products to manage day-to-day.

Think about what you need and use often.

It will be easier for you to keep track of the expiration dates and you will even save money by not having to buy so many products and replacements.

b) Use products up before buying them again

Get into the habit of using up all your beauty products before repurchasing them or trying something else.

That way, you won’t have to manage and keep track of all those products and you will have a reasonable number of items in your bathroom.

Plus, this will help reduce waste, be more sustainable, and help the environment!

Win-win!

c) Declutter makeup and skincare products every three months

To keep your inventory low and manageable, schedule a makeup decluttering session every three months.

During that time, some items may have expired or you may have tested some of them and didn’t end up liking them.

So take the time to reassess everything: check the expiration dates and how long products have been open.

Remove anything that’s expired, that is not good anymore, or that you don’t use.

Recycle and give away what you can.

Final thoughts on how to declutter makeup and skincare products

I hope this step-by-step guide on how to declutter makeup and skincare products helped you simplify your beauty products and get rid of the excess.

Among other benefits, you will now be able to get ready in the morning and practice self-care at night without stress and in a calm, serene environment.

How many beauty products have you managed to declutter?

How have you organized your collection?

Please share that with us in the comments!

Don’t forget to share this blog post with your friends so they can efficiently declutter makeup and skincare products in their bathrooms as well.

7 EASY STEPS TO DECLUTTER MAKEUP AND SKINCARE PRODUCTS