Journey to less stuff: the bathroom

I have been a hoarder for as long as I can remember. A true hoarder. As a child, I had a cupboard full of collected boxes, toilet paper rolls, brochures, birthday and Christmas cards. I couldn’t stand to throw anything away. As I’ve moved houses and grown up, I realise that these materials don’t often add value to our lives and getting rid of stuff can be quite liberating! 

So I thought a good place to start was my toiletries cupboard.

The contents of my cupboard

I had multiple deodorants, eye shadows from years ago that I never wear, lipsticks, fake tan, samples, etc.

Tips to cull and organise your toiletries:

1. Take everything out on the floor. In other words, horrify yourself with how much stuff you own that you don’t need!
2. Organise the items into categories: makeup, skin, hair, hygiene.
3. Throw any doubles of the same thing I had 3 mousturisers and 3 mascaras – GONE.
4. Get rid of products older than a year. Old products harbour bacteria and the active ingredients do not have an effect anymore. Plus, if you haven’t used it up in a year, how necessary can it be?
5. Throw out any products with nasty ingredients or chemicals known to be potentially harmful. I got rid of my deodorants containing aluminium (some links to breast cancer) and lotions containing mineral oil (unpurified form has been linked to
   cancer).
6. Place your frequently used items in baskets.  I used one for hair items, one for makeup and one for general hygiene items. This way, you can quickly and easily find what you’re looking for without digging through bags.
7. Voila! Hopefully you have a simplistic and tidier toiletries cupboard.