How to Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine

Now that spring has finally sprung, it’s time to get a head start on that spring clean. And, while we’re all about dusting the house, washing the windows, and breaking out the big guns for those bathrooms, we much prefer to think of spring cleaning in terms of our beauty routines. Since spring is the season associated with renewal, there’s no better time than now to take stock of your current routine, get rid of the old and make room for the new!

Time to Toss

If it’s been awhile since you took a long hard look at the products you’ve been stashing in your routine, set aside some time to get this done—stat! Typically, your favorite beauty and skin care products can last anywhere between six months to one year. Some products will state their expiration date on the packaging but others may not. For those, use a permanent marker to write the date you bought the product somewhere on it. When you’re taking stock, first check these dates, if any of your products have passed their prime give them a new home…in the garbage.

The Wardrobe Rule

If you’re the kind of gal who likes to collect beauty products, chances are you have lots that you’ve barely used, haven’t opened, or didn’t actually like after all. For these products you’ll want to follow what we call the Wardrobe Rule. When you’re cleaning your closet the best piece of advice is to ask yourself if you wore a piece of clothing over the last year, if the answer is no then it’s probably time to remove it from your wardrobe by either donating, selling, or throwing away—depending on the state of the garment. The same rule can be applied to your beauty stash. If you have non-expired products that you haven’t used—and don’t see yourself using—or ones you didn’t really love, consider giving them away. Friends and family almost always love getting freebies and unexpired, unopen products can always find a new home by being donated. This helps to not only keep your beauty routine less cluttered, it also helps to make room for those new products you’ve been itching to get your hands on!

Make Sure You Have the Basics

Often when our beauty arsenal is packed with old, unused, and unloved products, it can feel overwhelming to develop a routine that you can stay loyal to. This can cause you to skip steps you may need in your current routine. By clearing out the clutter you can focus on the steps that are absolute must-haves—read: a great cleanser, moisturizer, broad-spectrum SPF, you get the idea!

To help you figure out the products you should absolutely include in your routine as we head into spring, read this!