Ways to Repurpose Beauty Products

Do you have seldom used/almost expired beauty products, or maybe just ones that don’t do it for you? If you’re like me, wastefulness bothers you and you wish you could find another use for your beauty products.

Donation is an option of course, but the majority of organizations actually require beauty products to be unused. I’ll link you to those at the end of the post though if that’s an option for you!

Now before you go all Marie Kondo on your collection, try these first.

Serums, Toners, Essences

• Make your own sheet masks with these from Amazon.
• Put toner into a spray bottle to spritz when you feel the need for hydration and refreshment.
• Don’t let your face have all the fun. Apply serums to your décolletage.
• Sounds weird but some toners can be great for refreshing underarms by making your pitty’s PH less hospitable to bacteria. I’ve used Pixi Glow Tonic and Dermae Radiance Toner for this with good luck.

Night Cream, Day Cream

• Use rich creams to moisturize your feet
• Use as a body moisturizer. Nothing is more luxurious than using expired (gifted) Sisley Paris night cream on your butt, trust me.
• Use thicker creams to moisturize heels, knees and elbows before sunless tanning
• Apply an extra thick layer and wear as a hydrating mask.

Oils

• Use to calm static in your hair, hydrate dry ends and tame flyaways
• Create a hot oil treatment for damaged hair.
• Mix a few drops into your body moisturizer for extra hydration
• Use as an oil cleanser. Apply to dry face, massage, then remove with a hot wash cloth.
• Massage into cuticles and nails

Concealer

• If too light, use as an eyeshadow primer.
• If too dark for your under eye area, try using as a foundation. That’s what I did with my Milk Makeup concealer.
• Mix with a moisturizer to create a tinted moisturizer.
• Use as an adjuster to lighten or darken foundations that aren’t quite the perfect match.

Setting Spray

• Use to dampen/rewet a beauty sponge to set while you apply makeup
• Spray onto an angled liner brush before dipping into shadow to create a budge proof liquid line

Lipstick

• Use as a cream blush, either straight or mixed with a bit of moisturizer
• Try as a cream eyeshadow

Eyeshadow

• Depending on your hair color, use as a quick root touch up or to fill in receding hair lines
• Cooler tone shadows can be used as brow powders and in some cases, contour powders
• Wet a brush and create a liner

Hair Products

• Silicone based serums can be great for adding sheen to shins when wearing dresses or skirts
• Moisturize hands and add subtle sheen to nails. I’ve done this on photoshoots for models without a fresh manicure with my Verb Ghost Oil.
• Dry shampoo can be deodorant if you believe in yourself. I especially like puffing the Aveda Shampure under my arms and let’s be honest, boobs, during the summer.
• Gel on a toothbrush will keep brows in ship shape. I’ve been meaning to get this one specifically for that purpose.

Places to Donate Beauty Products

• Dress For Success: unused, unopened beauty products
• Women’s shelters: unused and often gently used. Find your local shelters here
• Project Beauty Share: unused or gently used beauty products but please read their restrictions here
• The Beauty Bus: unused, new beauty products
• Appalachian Wildlife Rescue: donated used mascara wands for animals.

I hope this gave you some ideas for how to repurpose your beauty products. Let me know if there are any organizations that accept gently used beauty products that I didn’t list here or some uses I may not have thought of!