10 Products I've Stopped Buying: Beauty Edition

I remember when I was in high school and I got my first job. I was so excited to buy the things I hadn't been able to afford before, and I wanted to try so many makeup and beauty products.
For years I had a large collection of hair, face and body products cluttering up my bedroom and bathroom. It seemed like I was always expanding my collection, yet I never found a product that I loved enough to stop searching for something better.

Then about three years ago I started to use coconut oil for my face and body. I was so amazed that one simple product could do so much for me- I was using it for shaving, moisturizing, hair treatment, makeup removal... the list goes on. And just like that- something clicked. I began to see the value in natural, simple products that I can use in a variety of ways, as well as simple alternative products that are better for my health and my budget.

I have a few reasons for wanting to make these changes:

My health- as I get older, I'm becoming more wary of the chemicals I'm putting on and in my body.
My wallet- buying a different product for everything in my beauty routine gets expensive.
The environment- the chemicals and micro-beads in these products end up in our oceans and waterways, and the packaging contributes to needless waste.
My efforts to go cruelty-free- I don't want to give money to companies that test on animals.

Here are ten beauty products that I no longer buy:

1. Tooth whitening products

I have used white strips and other whitening products in the past. They caused my gums to recede in spots and made my teeth sensitive. Now I use baking soda. A little bit on a wet toothbrush polishes off tooth stains and doesn't cause any nasty side-effects.

2. Shaving cream

Rather than buying an extra product (usually in a container that can't be recycled), I use coconut oil or my regular soap.

3. Acne spot treatment

I have mild acne and hormonal breakouts. Rather than paying for an expensive and harsh acne treatment (which has never done much for me anyway), I use tea tree oil before bed. This dries out my breakouts and helps them heal faster. Plus I'm a sucker for the medicinal smell.

4. Makeup remover

5. Facial cleanser

Numbers four and five go together; I don't buy makeup remover because the products I use to wash my face also effectively remove makeup. I use a mixture of three parts jojoba oil to one part castor oil to cleanse my face at the end of the day. Using the proper oil for your skin type doesn't strip your skin's natural oils like most commercial products do. Instead, it restores your skin's natural oil production so you are less likely to end up with clogged pores. This switch has also allowed me to stop using moisturizer on my face. Since the oil cleansing method doesn't strip the natural oils from my face, it doesn't need to be replenished.

6. Dry shampoo

I used to love using Batiste dry shampoo. I thought it was a dream product. But then I read about different women who had lost clumps of hair from regular use of the same product, and I got scared. After some reading, I found out that these products clog your hair follicles and can cause your hair to fall out if you use them even a few times a week (which is exactly what I was doing- every other day was dry shampoo day). So I bought a different style of dry shampoo from Lush- No Drought Dry Shampoo. It comes in a shaker bottle and has ingredients that I can pronounce (and many of which I can find in my home). So although I technically DID buy this product, when it is gone I will create a variation of it at home.

Here is a recipe that I'm planning to try out once my bottle from Lush is all used up.

7. Toner

Toner is something I only use sometimes, when my face is breaking out and I feel it needs a little extra help in getting its balance back. I have used both witch hazel and apple cider vinegar (depending on which I have in the house at the time) and they work equally well on my skin. They are also way less harsh than the toners I've used in the past. I just put some on a cotton pad and dab it all over.

8. Sugar/Body Scrubs

I've bought lots of different scrubs in the past, sort of as a little indulgence. However, they never seemed to last long, and I was always disappointed at how little bang I got for my buck. I've recently started to make my own scrubs with ingredients I already have in the house, and I don't feel guilty slathering them on liberally, because they're so cheap and I make them in single-use batches.

Here are some examples of the types of scrubs I like to make at home:

Three-ingredient coffee sugar scrub

Vanilla Sugar Scrub

9. Feminine Hygiene Products

This one is technically a lie- I've switched from traditional hygiene products to a Diva Cup, which I will be replacing every year or so. However, this has eliminated the need to purchase pads, tampons and pantyliners every month, and it is a FAR superior product in just about every way. Seriously, if you haven't tried out a menstrual cup, I encourage you to do so. And while you're at it, do some research on the chemicals that you are exposed to when you use standard pads and tampons. I won't get into it in this post because I don't want to dampen the mood.

If you are interested in learning more about menstrual cups but aren't sure where to start, here
is a link to a very informative YouTube channel called Precious Star Pads; she reviews different cup brands and gives lots of advice on all things period and female health-related.

10. Eyeliner/Brow Fillers

These ones are in the same category because I have replaced them with the same simple product: eye shadow. I used to have three brow products, 5-10 eyeliners, and several eye shadow palettes at one time. Since I've simplified my routine, I can use one simple neutral shadow palette for all three uses. I'm not saying that this is a solution for everyone- depending on your style, colour palette and beauty routine, this might not be an attractive option for you. But for me, having one versatile product makes my morning routine and travel infinitely easier.

My goal is to completely eliminate scented, unnatural beauty products and only purchase cruelty-free makeup. Next on the chopping block is shampoo/conditioner and toothpaste. I'll be sharing updates as I try out different recipes until I find some that fit.