Goal 81. Streamline Personal care products

Hey Guys!

Wow, was I exhausted from writing after doing it every single day in October. But it is good to be back, working on my goals.

One of the goals that I have known I needed to get to work on for a long time was my personal care products. There are a few reasons for this:

1. they were overflowing my bathroom, and even threatening to overflow my overflow box
2. a lot of them didn't work, so I needed to find some that did
3. I had a LOT of old stuff, that also didn't work

I think I am a selective hoarder and my weak spot seems to be in the bathroom. Weird!

But seriously guys, I had potions and lotions from 5 years ago that I had stopped using and for some reason held on to. I had old lipsticks (like when am I going to wear cranberry?!) and bits of old makeup, and even some broken nail files. All useless. 

One of the major things that happened that allowed me to actually throw all this junk away was finding products I really like. After about a year of struggling with my hair I finally got a haircut and the hairstylist recommended a shampoo. Although I had been using salon-level products, I hadn't noticed any difference between them and super cheap products. But when I started using the recommended one, my hair started looking so much better! It is light, shiny and I no longer think I need to colour it. I noticed that my hair looks way better when I use a shampoo that doesn't contain SLS, so maybe try that if you're having problems. Or try asking a hairstylist or even a friend with really good hair for a recommendation. 

I also have found an easy-peasy skin care regime. And this one is so cheap! I finally listened to the advice my mom gave me in 7th grade and have started using Spectro-Jel as my cleanser and moisturizer. It is gentle, but actually washes away the impurities. Great for the dry weather we get here in Edmonton. And I also use a witch hazel astringent. I find that this really helps brighten and tighten my skin, again without being too harsh. 

Lastly I have broken my ban against bar soap. On the recommendation from this site I tried out Kiss my Face Olive Oil soap and I love it! It works much better for me than body wash and a loofah does, and I don't feel weird sharing it with my husband because it doesn't really have a scent. 

So now the overflow box is empty and has been turned into my gift wrap station from my christmas countdown! Win!

I realize that I will probably never really stop experimenting with new products, especially as fashion changes, products get discontinued, and my needs change. But at least now I don't have a huge backlog, and actually have some products that I like enough to replace when their empty! And I am even more committed to just getting rid of the stuff that doesn't work for me! Everything fits well in my bathroom now and has its own place, so hopefully keeping myself within these limits will help me stop all the hoarding! And my mornings can be just a bit simpler. 

How do you deal with personal care products?