We’ve all been there; you’re on a budget and suddenly everything that you rely on is running out: your expensive foundation, salon shampoo, favorite hand soap from Bath and Body Works. Here are a few “life hacks” to make the essentials last longer:
Skin Foundation
It’s going to be a sad day when my Bobbi Brown foundation runs out, but until then I’m making it last longer by saving it for social occasions. When I put it on, I also mix a pump of foundation with a pump of SPF 15 facial moisturizer to make it go further. The moisturizer makes my foundation go on smoothly without drying or caking, and I won’t need to buy more for a while thanks to this trick.
Shampoo and Liquid Hand Soap
Oh no! Your shampoo or hand soap is about to run out, and you won’t be able to buy more until next week! No problem, just add water and shake. This works exceptionally well with Bath and Body Works hand soap; this stuff is expensive and there’s no need to go through it so fast with a good dose of water on hand. I make a habit of filling my soap bottles all the way to the top once they are half used up, so I rarely worry about running out while waiting for the next sale.
Laundry Detergent and Dishwasher Soap
Here’s a little secret: most companies who make detergent and dishwasher soap are going to tell you to use more product than you need because they want you to spend more money. For laundry detergent, even half of the recommended amount could be too much. Excess detergent can cause skin irritations, pollutes our water, and costs you extra.
Modern dishwashers use far less water than they used to, which also means you can use less product here and your dishes will be just as clean.
Shaving Cream or Gel
It’s easy to go through shaving products fast, so consider using a cheap bottle of conditioner to shave your legs instead. I actually completely switched over to using conditioner for shaving because it works better for me than other products, it lasts longer (a little bit goes a long way), and it tends to be less expensive.
Razors
The cartridges for my Venus razor are pricey, so I do whatever I can to extend the life of the blades so they stay sharper longer. Many people make the mistake of leaving their razor in the shower, but this is a bad idea because the moisture of the shower will cause the razor blade to dull faster. Take the razor blade out of the shower, make sure it is dry, and coat the blades in baby oil to keep it protected from moisture between showers.
Perfume
There are two ways to make your perfume last longer. The first way is to realize that your nose becomes desensitized to your perfume quickly, so even if other people can smell your scent, you won’t be able to smell a thing. This realization will keep you from spraying on too much perfume, thus making your supply last longer. The second thing you can do is apply lotion to the areas you are intending to coat with perfume, because perfume will cling better to an oily surface. The scent will now last longer so you won’t have to spritz multiple times throughout the day.
I hope these tips were useful! Feel free to post a comment about your own favorite tips for extending the life of your products!