How to organize your Skincare Samples.
Are your drawers, cabinets, and makeup bags full of skincare samples? Do you find them at the bottom of your purse or bag? Or maybe you have them in shoeboxes? If you are overwhelmed with large amounts of skincare samples, keep reading. I am sharing my method of organizing sample size products.
Do you love to get skincare samples? I’ll be honest. I love them; it is a fantastic way to try a new product or discover if a product is to your liking before you invest your money on it. Haven’t you bought a product and tried it only to figure out that you just don’t like it, or it’s not suited for your skin. This has happened to me numerous times and will probably happen again, but it is the reason that I rather find a product in sample size to try before I purchase it.
I love skincare and makeup, and since I am also a blogger, I have a few subscription boxes that keep me supplied with all sorts of skincare samples for me to try. Currently, I subscribe to Allure Beauty Box and NewBeauty Test Tube boxes. It used to be six subscription boxes, But that’s a different topic to address in another blog post. The number of samples can quickly get out of hand and take over your storage spaces. I mean, not only do you get them in subscription boxes, but you also have them added to your shopping bag at your favorite makeup counters, dermatologist, or bath and body shop. Plus, all the travel-size toiletry that you have taken from hotels during vacations or business trips. Now you have accumulated so many that you might not be able to use them all up even in one year. By the way, in my house, my husband was a significant contributor to the ample supply of soaps and travel size shampoo, conditioner, lotions, and shower gel that we had and have.
Why we love sample size
So why are we so attracted to mini, samples, or travel size products? Maybe if we understand why we want them, we can take care of not adding to our clutter.
- They are cute – adorable
- can’t resist something for free
- excited to try a new product
- love or like the product and the small size is great for traveling
Now that we know why we collect them and hold on to them let’s organize them. My organizing method is simple, and it allows me to declutter quick and easy when I need to keep the clutter under control and use the products and samples before they expire (and yes, samples do expire). I usually declutter once a month.
My system to organize my sample size skincare and travel size toiletry
Step One – control the amount
Stop taking toiletry and samples that you know you will not use or do not like. Also asked whoever is keeping you overstocked, in my case hubby, not to bring hotel toiletry home.
Step two – gather
Grab a large basket, tray, box, any type of container, and go on a hunt. Gather all your sample size skincare and toiletry items from everywhere you have them stashed. Then find a place where you can sit comfy and relaxed and you have the space to sort, I do this on my makeup vanity counter or sometimes even on my bed.
Step three – sort and declutter
Pile one trash – everything that has expired or is no good any longer, you can do this as you sort.
Pile two gifts – items that you know you will not use or do not like, but you can pass on to a friend or relative. ( The recipient of my overflow of samples is usually my sister.)
Pile three – skincare products that will expire in the next two months.
Pile four – all other skincare products
Pile five – hair product and all other toiletries
Step four – take action
Pile one into your trash bin.
Pile two – action depends whether you will hand-deliver or you need to mail out the gifts. If the products are for a person you see often, you can place the samples in a gift bag and give them to your friend or relative the next time you see them. Still, if you need to mail it (this is what I do), I keep a box on a shelf in my closet, and as I acquire the samples, I put into the box the ones that I will be passing along. When the box is full or every two months, whichever comes first, I close the package up and mail it out. I then place a new box on the shelf, and the cycle begins again.
Pile three – store these samples alongside the skincare items that you are currently using, your daily skincare products. The reason being is that you will be able to incorporate them into your morning and evening skincare routine and be able to use the samples before they expire, I mean isn’t this the goal of obtaining the samples, to use or try them. I use a pretty Crystal Bowl on my vanity so that I can add a new sample to my am or pm routine in between my regular skincare product, by having them where they can be seen you are not likely to forget to use them.
Pile four – I store these samples with my overstock/backups of skincare products, which are store by categories, i.e., face wash, serums, oils, moisturizers, toners, etc.
Pile five – I store these samples with my regular size products and use them up either before I open a new bottle of my current favorite or in between use of whatever product I am using at the time. Shampoo, conditioner, hair lotions and potions, body lotions, oils, soaps, body wash, etc. these also get stored with reg size products, it makes it easier to use them up and know what you have.
Step five – admire your work
Admire your declutter and enjoy using and trying out all your samples instead of having them take up spaces.
To sum up
The reason why I store and organize my samples by categories in with regular size products vs. having a group in itself as samples or even one like travel is that it is more efficient to find what I want when I need it. It also ensures I get to use the product and try it out before it goes bad. For example, let’s say you are packing for a trip; it is easier and quicker to find a travel size shampoo in with the shampoos vs. rummaging through a large pile of all different mixed kinds of product stored under the categories of samples or travel.
I would also like to point out that you can donate your unwanted sample size products, shampoo, soaps, lotions, etc. along with full-size products to emergency shelter, long-term stay organizations, homeless shelters, and even orphanages.
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