A recent survey revealed that women spend nearly $4,000/per year on beauty products. The majority of that spend is on skin care products. It seems that the constant quest to look younger and have perfect skin leads to thousands of dollars in purchases that goes largely unused. The best we can hope for is to age gracefully and decluttering your skin care routine is a great place to start.
I recently organized my bathroom. This was quite a feat. I emptied the cabinets under the vanity and went through the bins of product in my linen closet. Here is what I discovered:
Unused Skin Care Products
In the bins and bags of products I uncovered, I realized that I had never used 50% of them. I purchased them because they were "on sale" at Ulta or because they were recommended by a friend. They were impulse buys that didn't benefit me in any way. Most of them didn't even suit my skin type or skin care goals.
Expired Products
75% of the products I pulled out were expired. Did you know that most beauty products only have a two-year shelf life if they are unopened? If they are opened, cut that in half to only one year. Based on that alone, most of the products went into the trash.
Unsuitable Products
Another observation I made as I was filling up the trash can with thousands of dollars of wasted product was that most of them did not suit me. They were either for the wrong type of skin, not age appropriate, or a crappy brand with toxic ingredients.
I knew that I needed to make a change, both for my skin and for my wallet. It was time to level up my skin care routine.
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Steps to a Simple and Effective Skin Care Routine
I followed these four simple steps to declutter my skin care routine. My skin is happy and my bathroom cabinets are now beautifully organized.
Step 1: Throw Everything Away
I know it is difficult to throw away unused products. Chances are they are expired and not good for your skin anyway. Just grab a trash bag and throw them out. If you follow these steps, this will be the last time you will have to do this.
Step 2: Consult with an Expert
Stop listening to advertisements that make unreasonable promises. No, that product won't make you look 10 years younger or magically make your pores invisible. They are lying to get you to buy the product. Rely on an actual trained esthetician who has studied skin and how to maintain its vitality. My go-to for all things skin is my friend, Alayne White. Alayne has 20+ years of skin care experience. From her website, you can schedule a free skin chat where she learns about your skin and your skin care goals and recommends the perfect products. She will suggest 3-6 products...that's it!
Step 3: Purchase the Skin Care Products for You
Based on the recommendations of your esthetician, purchase the skin care kit that suits you. You won't need additional products, so don't buy stuff you don't need. Use the same products and reorder when needed. Many times, we purchase additional, unnecessary products that diminish the effectiveness of the prescribed skin care routine. Purchase the recommended products- nothing more and nothing less.
Step 4: Use the Products
They won't work if you don't use them. After consulting with Alayne, my skin care routine now consists of:
- cleanser
- toner
- serum
- moisturizer
Morning and night, I follow these steps religiously. And, guess what!? My skin is looking bright and luminous these days. I don't add steps and I don't get lazy and subtract steps. All of the products work together to deliver results. And four products takes up a very small space in my medicine cabinet. One acrylic tray holds everything I need for flawless skin.
I am absolutely amazed that I went from several bins of products that didn't work to a four product skin care routine that is easy to stick to and super effective. The products are beautifully packaged, so they look great displayed on a vanity in a lovely marble tray.
If you are interested in reaching out to Alayne, I strongly encourage you to do so. And if you decide to purchase anything from her store, use this link to save $5 on any purchase.