The Bathroom Cupboard
It's time to declutter your bathroom cupboard
The bathroom cupboard
Most bathroom cupboards are filled with skincare, make-up, hair products and medicines. It can be challenging to declutter these items because they usually cost quite a bit, and throwing away unfinished things feels wrong. I recently went through mine after realising how many of the same products I have opened. A habit of mine is to replace something before it's finished, but then I get too excited to use the new product, and I end up leaving the old product with a little bit left in it; this is definitely something I am working on.
So, did you know all these items have a use-by date? On the back of products is a little symbol showing how long they last once opened, usually displayed in months. This is important because some things can lose effectiveness and expire. Take sunscreen, for example; if it sits in your cupboard for too long, it will start to smell and turn yellow and won't protect your skin as effectively as sunscreen in date. Just the other day, I applied fake tan for an event and saw it had turned quite green after sitting in my cupboard for over a year. I decided to rinse it off rather than risk looking like Shrek.
Here are some signs that products may be expired
- A bad smell
- The colour has changed
- The product has separated
- The texture has changed
- There are mould spots
Here's an example of the symbol used to tell you how long the product will last once opened.
Using products after expiry isn't advised because invisible bacteria can thrive in old products, especially in a humid environment like the bathroom. If you're using expired products that have bacteria, it can cause irritation, rashes, or breakouts.
This is a reminder to sort your bathroom cupboard and get rid of anything old. A trick I use is to write the date on the bottom in the permanent marker when you open something. This is not only a good trick to see how old it is, but it also helps me see how quickly I'm using a product. We all know women's skincare, etc, can be pretty expensive, so this trick can also be beneficial to see how long your $50 serum actually lasts you.
While we're at it, let's look at our medications. As with anything, medicines can also have an expiry date. It is especially important when decluttering that if you come across any expired medication, the safest way to dispose of it is to take it back to a pharmacy, and they'll dispose of it correctly.
The takeaway from all this is to go through your cupboards and throw away anything that's out of date. You don't want bacteria to be festering in your skincare and make-up and causing skin irritations. Also, remember the dating trick with all your future items so you know exactly when you opened them.
