Getting Organized at Home: Beauty Bag Edition

Contrary to popular belief, the Spring season isn’t the only time of year that should be devoted to deep cleaning your house. Part of efficiently getting organized at home means constantly dedicating some time to go through any built up clutter that’s accumulated throughout the weeks, months, and years, and keeping only what serves you. 

And this doesn’t just apply to your bedroom or other common areas in your household either. It also applies to the often overlooked areas of your household, like your toiletry closet or makeup bag, for instance.

When’s the last time you went through your beauty bag? If you’re unable to remember, fear not. This article on getting organized at home is sure to help you as it relates to cleaning up your cosmetics.

When you’re ready, follow these organization tips to cleaning up your beauty bag!

First, Clear the Clutter

In the same way you’d start by clearing the clutter in your home, you should also do so with the items in your beauty bag. Unfortunately, knowing which products are best to give up can be tricky, as expiration dates aren’t normally listed on the products labeling due to regulation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Although they’re typically listed with a Period After Opening (PAO) symbol, an indication of expiration can still be difficult to pinpoint unless you’re regularly keeping track of the months you use the product upon opening it. 

Luckily, there are a few different ways to spot whether or not a product has passed its prime. To simplify your stuff and determine which of your beauty products are good to keep, consider the following signs of expiration:

• Separation of Formula: If the formulation of the cosmetic is different from how it looked when you first purchased it, it’s likely expired. When this happens, there will likely be a separation of the formula or a change in the color. Be aware of these signs as you begin to clear the clutter.

• Change in Smell: In case the separation of the product formula isn’t telling you enough, you can also check the smell of the product. Regardless of if the product is scented or not, a smell of any kind can reveal a lot about the current state of the formula. If a smell develops in a non-comedogenic item, take that as a sign to get rid of it entirely. The same holds true if you notice a difference in fragrance of a comedogenic item.

Replace the Necessities

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the clutter and any expired products that have been taking up extra space, you can focus on the fun part of the organization process: replacing the necessities.

Generally speaking, most cosmetic products—whether it be skincare or makeup—tend to expire within a year’s time. Continuous use of expired items like these can lead to skin issues like inflammation, irritation, and even acne. This makes the replacement of these products an imperative step to not only the organization system, but also your health and well-being. 

That said, be sure to regularly replace any and all items that are a required part of your daily life and beauty regimen. While it may be tempting to hold on to expensive spot treatments for your skin, especially if barely used, it’s essential that even those get replaced with acne products that are equipped to truly treat your complexion. Trust me, it’s for your own wellness and safety.

Separate Products by Category 

Once you’ve finished replacing the necessities, it’s time to separate your beauty bag products by category as this will truly allow you to get organized at home. 

To do this, you’ll want to divide your beauty products by category: skincare, makeup, hair care. Following this organized system will help you to make sense of the items that are essential and non-essential to your daily life and stay organized for longer periods of time. As an added bonus, it’ll also make it much easier to access when you want to actually use these products.

When it comes to your skincare products, categorize your items into morning routine and night routine products. Your morning routine may contain products like a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Your nighttime routine, on the other hand, may vary with additional use of specific products like acne spot cream or an overnight face mask. In any case, be sure to categorize accordingly and organize them in their own storage station.

For your makeup, start by separating each item by purpose. In other words, put your mascaras with your other mascaras, your foundation with the rest of your liquid skin cosmetics, and so on. After this, choose which exact items you’d like to have on display or on hand when you finally get ready to do your makeup. These products should ideally be ones that you use more often than the rest, but ultimately, it’s totally up to you and your preference.

As for your hair care, simply divide products by everyday shower materials and post-shower hair care as this will allow you to set the stage in your bathroom at home. Rather than reorganize post-shower products back into your beauty bag, consider setting up your supplies on a  lazy susan for your bathroom vanity. This will allow you to save counter space and seamlessly grab any products needed at your own convenience.