Spring Cleaning by Week - Week One
It’s now March and spring still seems so far away, but with the longer days, and exposure to more sunshine, my energy is starting to pick up. Although I really do love winter, I’m hankering for a change.
This year, I had the urge to nest during the transition from fall to winter. It was a subconscious desire I believe stemmed from knowing that the days of spending a whole lot of time indoors was coming (in addition to the covid upswing). As we approach the transition to spring, I’m starting to feel that urge again. This time, I feel the need to clear out of our hibernation mode of the last 3 months. When five people spend most of their time inside and don’t leave for school or work, things tend to get dustier and messier, faster and to a greater extent. My mood (currently not good) is also an indication to get my environment in order and simplify before the warmer days arrive and I completely abandon living inside for spending my days out!
Instead of jumping head-long into a major spring cleaning so early in the season (and abandoning it before spring even gets here because I’m overwhelmed), I decided to do a small purge each week. This way, when spring cleaning time does come and we can open up the house to the outdoors, I won’t be working around stuff that has no business being in our life.
Every Friday, I’ll be updating this blog post, documenting the small task accomplished that week. I encourage you to do this with me. I promise, it’ll involve bite sized pieces. As usual, the public accountability will keep me on track as well.
Week 1: Skin Care and Toiletries
The brief:
Go through all your products and look for the image of an open wide mouthed container and a number with M next to it (pictured above). It indicates how many months it’s good after it’s been opened. I’m pretty sure you’re okay if you’re a bit over that (use the sniff test to know for sure). Toss out all the products you know you’re never going to use. Better yet, keep only the ones you use regularly.
Read on for details on:
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This week, I was staring at one of our bathroom cabinets and was trying to figure out how, for someone who rarely wears make-up, has a non-existent “skin care routine”, and basically washes her face with a bar of soap (I kid. I don’t even use that), I could have so many little bottles of lotions and potions? I transitioned my gaze to the mirror, where upon taking a closer look, thought I *should* probably adopt some form of skincare. Ah. That’s right. This is where it starts. It’s musing like this that lead to doing some research, buying the stuff, using it for a week, getting lazy, and finally abandoning the whole ritual. There you go. Another few bottles on the shelf, collecting dust. Perhaps, this year I break that cycle. Perhaps.
As I was picking through the products on the shelf, I noticed the image of an open lidded jar with the 9M symbol on my foundation bottle. I suspected this was an expiration date and my web search confirmed it. I don’t even want to tell you when this was purchased and opened (but I will). It wasn’t during the pandemic. I can also assure you it was before our short stint in Utah (2018) *gasp*. I am also ashamed to admit I wore it once or twice this summer even though I thought it smelled kind of *off*.
Throwing out any liquid products which are several years past the expiration date is a safe bet, however, I am skeptical of the dates that manufacturers claim a product expires since they are essentially deciding when the product should be repurchased *ca-ching*. A few months past expiry shouldn’t be a big deal when it comes to liquid products. I’ll trust my nose going forward. For pressed powders and dry media, I am not too concerned. It’s the waters and oils in the liquid things that go rancid over time.
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The expense!!! For those of us who use them once in a blue moon, it’s not worth it. For those who use them regularly, this is a bananas amount of money, people!!! After my most recent close look in the mirror, I started researching skincare products (again) and one blogger said $130 for a whole set of skin care products that lasts for a month is “affordable”. Um, what? Have you lost your ever-loving mind?!? That stuff better make my skin look like its 12 year old version for $130/month!?!
There are options for those who treat themselves once in a while and/or don’t have that kind of money to spend. These options are even better for those who are budget conscious and have a regular twice a day routine.
Cleaning and moisturizing:
Witch hazel
Aloe
lemon juice
egg
coconut oil
honey
coffee ground
oatmeal
sugar
salt
bentonite clay
baking soda
Listed above are a few of the ingredients you can find around the house or otherwise readily available online or at natural grocers. There are plenty of resources on the web where you can find which combination of the above ingredients would work well for whatever skin issues plague you. My current thrown together concoctions are:
Cleansing and exfoliating: paste of coffee grounds, baking soda, honey, and coconut oil.
Astringent/Toner: Witch hazel (Thayer’s brand)
Moisturizer: Coconut oil
Setting Spray: A solution of Witch hazel and Aloe Vera Gel mixed into a small spray bottle. (Only if/when I wear make-up)
All this is well under $15/month in supplies and my skin feels pretty darn good. This way, in a couple of days, when I lose interest in this and resume washing my face with only water because yet another thing to do is too much, I won’t feel bad for abandoning expensive products, with the bonus of not having extra stuff sitting in our cabinet.
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Make-up is something I’d like to keep on hand, but I wear it only once every two or three months (if even that). I’m very apprehensive about putting anything on my skin that might have chemicals that’ll get absorbed into my body. This past summer I tossed all the sunscreens that had anything other than zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as their active ingredients. On my brown complexion, the products that remain give off a white cast that doesn’t look great. In order to counteract this cast, I started applying a light touch of bronzer. It worked well.
This is also when I discovered that loose powder mineral foundations have the same oxides in their ingredients as these better-for-you topical sunscreens. They also have minimal number of ingredients and a longer shelf life (2 to 3 years) because of the lack of perishable liquid ingredients (which also means no preservatives needed). I have a pot of the loose powder mineral foundation that’s WAY older than 2 or 3 years and it works, and smells, just as it did when I first opened it. Key is to ensure your brushes remain clean and don’t become bacterial havens.
Going forward, I will be sticking to lose powder mineral foundations. The one I’ve settled on only has 5 ingredients. The only negative about these foundations is that it takes time to rub and buff them onto your skin so they don’t have a powdery look (they start out as powders but take on a liquid look once blended with your skin oils). If done right, they rival even the most expensive liquid foundations. Using the witch hazel and aloe solution as a setting spray adds an additional glow while giving your make-up some staying power.Description text goes here
Most people go through the expense of all these products for the sake of staving off the aging process, but the best way of doing this is prevention. Protect your skin from the sun with a physical barrier and avoid being outside on the days the sun is the strongest, eat healthy food, drink lots of water, and get regular exercise. The rest is up to genetics, ancestry, and melanin levels. Also, remember you’re getting better with age. You’re smarter, wiser, and more confident. All qualities that are much more attractive than what’s on the surface. Additionally -- as that smarter, wiser, and more confident human, you’re becoming – you realize that those who are going to judge you based on your outsides aren’t really worth considering.
The work of the first week of cleaning has resulted in a big purge of lotions and other potions and a much more informed consumer. I forced myself to take a closer look into what my habits are and what will work for my personality, lifestyle, and budget. I hope you found this helpful and join me in living a simpler, slower, and more basic life. Stay tuned for I’m drawn to deal with for week two!
I’m always learning so if anyone has any suggestions for budget friendly and healthy alternatives, I’m here for it!
