5 Waste Reduction Tips for Your Beauty Products

Abbie Stutzer |

Sep 10, 2024

My irritation meter kicks into high gear whenever I run out of a beauty product or waste part of a makeup removal pad. Well, luckily my irritation has inspired me to research ways to save product and get the most out of every item I use on my body. The following beauty waste reduction tips will help you save money, get the most out of the items you buy, and re-purpose seemingly nontraditional beauty stuff for use in your daily routine.

1. Cut up those “empty” containers

If you think that your lotion container doesn’t have any more product, or that your toothpaste is totally out. Think again! With a trusty pair of scissors, you can cut into the container and find product that can last you a few more applications, or brushes.

2. Who needs cotton balls?

I’m betting that you have a few microfiber clothes tucked away in your closet. If so, cut them up and use the pieces to wipe off eye makeup and lipstick. Once you’ve dirtied the cloth, throw ‘em in the washing machine and use them again!

3. Buy one product and make it work as two

Refinery29 suggests these great ideas:

Buy a full-coverage matte foundation and mix it with moisturizer to get different textures. One drop = satin finish. Two drops = BB cream. Three drops = tinted moisturizer.

Use empty (and cleaned) makeup palettes as a container for your products that are near empty. For example, get the very last bits of your favorite lipstick into the clean palette so you can use every last drop of your favorite shade.

Take a cleaned mascara wand (Glamour suggests popping it in the dishwaster) and use it to groom your eyebrows.