How To Repurpose Skincare Products You No Longer Want

While it would be great if every skincare product we bought suited our skin, this is sadly not the case for most of us.

I can’t count the number of products I’ve tried that in description seem perfect, but in actuality have not worked for me at all. And the worst thing about it is that it feels like such a waste! You have all these perfectly good – sometimes brand new – products and you can’t do anything with them … or can you?

Repurposing your unwanted skincare products is an excellent way to continue using these items, even if they’re not compatible with the skin on your face. Here are just a few things you can do with the skincare products you no longer use…

What options do you have before repurposing?

GIVE TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

While a particular skincare product might not work for you, there’s a big chance it could work for someone else. Ask around to see if any of your friends and relatives would be interested in receiving these items.

DONATE

Not all charities or shelters will accept partially used products, but there are plenty that do! Contact local organisations to see if they’re in need of hygiene products.

NOTE: It’s always best to phone in advance (just in case they are unable to accept skincare donations).

6 WAYS TO REPURPOSE YOUR UNWANTED SKINCARE PRODUCTS:

1. Use facial oils for your hair and scalp

I’m a massive fan of facial oils, but I recognise that not everyone has the same opinion! If you’ve bought a face oil that you find too heavy on your skin, or that you just don’t use, it might be worth applying it to your hair instead.

Certain oils, like jojoba, provide benefits for both your hair and skin so don’t be too hasty in throwing them away. Massaging a bit of this oil through the ends of your hair gives it moisture and stops it feeling so brittle. Applying it to the top of your head prevents dandruff and has been thought to strengthen your hair too!

2. Wash your makeup brushes with unwanted cleansers

Instead of splashing out on specialised brush-cleaning products, why not use a facial cleanser instead. These are designed to be gentle on the skin so you know they’re going to be gentle on your brushes too!

Simply squeeze a bit of your cleanser onto the end of the brush, rub it into the bristles and watch the makeup melt away. You can also use this for other beauty tools like sponges and facial rollers … basically anything that would benefit from being cleaned!

3. Turn your moisturiser into hand cream

Moisturisers are one of those skincare products that can be a bit hit-or-miss. If you’ve got one that really doesn’t agree with your skin, try using it as a hand cream instead.

The skin on our hands is more durable than the skin on our face, so a rich moisturiser is less likely to cause any irritation here. If you’re still not convinced, perhaps try it on your feet. Our feet never receive as much attention as they deserve!

RELATED READ: Foot Care 101: A Step-by-Step Guide To Soft, Pretty Feet

4. Use chemical exfoliants on your body

It happens to the best of us. Sometimes you’re sure a chemical exfoliant is going to work for you. But you buy it, try it out, and – unfortunately – it turns out that your skin hates it.

Just because it doesn’t work on your face doesn’t mean it won’t work on your body though. Chemical exfoliants, like lactic and glycolic acid, are perfect for sloughing off dead skin cells on your arms, legs, chest and back. If you suffer with skin conditions, such as body acne or keratosis pilaris, you might even find that exfoliating acids are a sufficiently gentle way to clear them up.

5. Substitute your shaving gel for cleansing oil/balm

If your cleansing oil is breaking you out, you might need to find another use for it. The easiest and most practical way to do this is to use it in place of your shaving gel/cream.

Apply onto dry skin (otherwise the oil will wash away) and shave as you normally would. Once you’re done, rinse it off and your legs will be left feeling super smooth!

6. Use mineral facial sunscreens on your body

The main downside of using mineral sunscreens is the white cast. This might not be a dealbreaker for everyone, especially if this is able to be covered with makeup. For some, however, this can render the sunscreen unusable.

Rather than chucking it away, use it on areas that still need to be protected, but might not necessarily be on show. Face sunscreens are formulated to be gentle and non-irritating, so if you’re someone with dry skin or an inflammatory skin condition like eczema, a facial sun cream might actually work better on your body than the regular sort.

These are some of my favourite ways to repurpose unwanted skincare products, do you have any other suggestions? If so, let me know in the comments.