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Have you ever taken a hard look at your expenses and realized you spend WAY too much on serums? hair care? makeup? Ugh... Drunk Elephant why must you be so expensive!
I have goals, and those goals require down payments, savings, and start-up money so I can't be spending all my money on designer skincare no matter how glowy my skin or how silky my hair.
So I had to compromise. I went through my arsenal and found which beauty products were worth the splurge for me and which beauty products I could afford to skimp on without costing me my "glow".
Truth be told that only ended up saving me a few dollars here and there mainly because I would go through my drugstore and cheaper beauty products quicker than I did my higher-end products.
So once again, I turned to my credit card bill and found a category of items I absolutely blew through month after month: Disposables.
Since swapping out disposable products with reusable ones I've not only seen my savings potential increase but it's also been a space-saving help (No keeping bulky containers).
What's even better is I won't need to replace these items for possibly YEARS to come, so if you need to balance out your expensive skincare regimen try my swaps below!
The 5 Self-Care items I Swapped
01. Make-Up Remover Wipes
I used to get a twin-pack of Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Wipes for around $9, once a month. Instead, I invested in The Orginal Makeup Eraser.
Not only do they remove 99% of my makeup using only lukewarm water but they are super gentle on my skin. Click here for a full review!
I made this swap back in January so I have seen the savings and I know that they will continue to add up while reducing waste. Win-Win.
02. Cotton balls
Since quarantine started and nail salons closed I had to start doing my own manicures and pedicures so I very quickly went through my supply of cotton balls since my at-home colors chip a lot faster than my salon gels.
So I applied the same reasoning I did to the makeup remover wipes and opted to go reusable. Well, reusable logic doesn't work as well for acetone.
Acetone on a re-usable round WILL get the nail polish off but the nail polish won't come off the round in the washer.
So I set out to find another option, and while I am a little late to the world of peel-off base coats this is definitely the best thing I have found to date to help minimize waste and help me save.
Peel-off base coats have made quarantine nails hassle-free AND waste-free. While there are a TON out there the best one by far is ÃœNT. Don't believe me? Check out Simply Nailogical's video where she tests out multiple peel-off bases.
3. Cotton Swabs
The biggest off-label use for cotton swabs is to clean your ear canal. STOP. You're only pushing earwax further into your ear. But if you MUST use these to clean your outer ear check out Last Swab. They look just like a regular old Q-tip and work great just wash with soap and warm water and you're ready to go!
- Use code: TheFineRefine for 10% off -
I mainly use cotton swabs as a magical make-up eraser to correct mistakes.
For the last couple of months, I've been using the better, sustainable alternative: watercolor pens.
Fill a watercolor pen with Micellar Water and turn it into a makeup remover pen. It works like a charm!
4. Cotton Rounds
There is absolutely no reason to create so much waste.
Cotton rounds can be easily replaced with reusable cotton rounds for all of your toner needs.
Add some Micellar Water and remove your eye makeup easily as well!
Throw them in a mesh bag with the rest of your laundry at the end of the week and you're done!
Related: How to Find your Power Colors
5. Pads and Tampons
Pads and tampons, who?
The amount of space and money I have saved by switching to cups, discs, and period underwear is unbelievable.
As a woman with a heavy flow, I would go through bags and bags of period products every month.
They're also not cheap so I would hoard them any time I saw a sale going on.
So after some trial and error, I found my perfect period combo: The Diva Cup and Thinx Period Underwear.
I use the Diva Cup and Thinx underwear the first heavier 2 days, Diva cup by itself on days 3 and 4, and then just Thinx underwear on day 5.
There is a learning curve when it comes to using the cup or disc, but hey they are MUCH more comfortable than tampons.
It's not hard to do your small part. Limiting waste in your home benefits not only your pocket and the environment but ALSO helps maximize precious bathroom real estate!
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