From Beauty Hoarding to Conscious Consumption: The Rise of Project Pan

Over-consumption is real, and it is taking over our lives as well as our planet. If you haven’t heard of it yet, let me open your eyes to the trendy movement known as Project Pan. 

Project Pan is an internet movement designed to motivate the beauty community to “hit pan.” What exactly does that mean? Too often nowadays, we are overpurchasing products that have been advertised to achieve the stereotypical idea of beauty. 

Advertisers set traps filled with language such as “Use this for dewy, flawless skin!” or “Hyperpigmentation? We got you!” Not only do many of these products end up not working for their intended purpose, but they also end up at the bottom of drawers, completely forgotten, or right into the trash. 

Overconsumption is a constant problem in countries everywhere, but especially within the beauty industry. According to Business Waste, anywhere from 20% to 40% of cosmetic products end up as waste. To second that point, the USA alone creates about 9 billion units of plastic in cosmetics alone. 

The beauty industry overall contributes a lot to the massive amounts of waste on our planet, with the rise of fast fashion and microtrends, but cosmetics alone do plenty of damage. Many of the products we purchase may not be cruelty-free. According to Cruelty-Free International, 192.1 million animals were used for testing in 2015, and that number has only increased, much of it being for cosmetic testing. Overconsumption of beauty products hurts not only our planet but also the animals and organisms that live within it. 

Project Pan focuses on the importance of intentional spending in the beauty world, but also on finishing what you started. Individuals should try to “hit pan,” meaning to use the entirety of their beauty product, before making another purchase. 

This movement aims to help individuals save their money instead of feeling the rush of buying new products as soon as they hit the shelves. Project Pan promotes mindful consumption, which can be implemented in all aspects of life. It can also help us to appreciate the existing products we have and let them serve their full potential. 

So, how do you start a Project Pan? Taking inventory is always the best place to start. Take into account what you have and how you plan on using it. Set goals to ensure you can finish the product successfully without purchasing the next one. Perhaps, just start with one step of your routine, such as shampoo. Don’t purchase any new shampoos until you have successfully finished off all the shampoo you have currently taking up space. 

It’s also helpful to rotate products. If you’re eager to try something new, tell yourself you can purchase it once you have finished the previous products. Track your progress and see how many empty pans you can collect. Once you have your collection, recycle them or make sure they make it to a sustainable source after being used. 

If a product isn’t for you, try your best to return it or donate it! Plenty of places locally and on the internet will take opened products for others to use, a generous alternative to throwing the product away. 

My roommates and I started our Project Pan a few months ago. We all throw our empty pans into one big box. Slowly as the months have gone by, our box has now reached the point where it is overflowing. We have been able to trade and share products that the others have been wanting to try and it has ultimately brought us all closer. 

It can be difficult at first to discipline yourself and not fall into the trap of following new trends. When it comes down to it, though, we don’t need to always have it all. Instead of focusing on all the things we want to purchase, let’s focus on what matters: aiding our planet and ourselves in minimizing our overconsumption.

• #trends
• beauty
• college
• environment
• overconsumption
• projectpan