How to Live With Fewer Products and Still Feel Like A Million Bucks

Ladies, we have a problem with cosmetics and makeup products.

I know we do because I had this problem up until a couple of years ago. It was one area of my life that I was tired of dealing with. I had way too many beauty products. And the biggest question was this: were these products even doing what I needed them to do?

When I found out I had an autoimmune disease, one of the things to change (other than my diet and what I put in my body) was what I put on the outside of my body. The amount of chemicals and products a woman puts on her body is astounding.

A survey revealed that the average woman puts on 12 products. These products are filled with about 168 chemicals/ingredients. This survey was done a few years ago and I’m pretty sure we have more products now – a cream for this, a lotion for that, and a lipstick for every occasion.

But now that we have these products, do we need them? Do we need that eye cream, face cream, body cream, and hair cream? How many eye shadows do we really use? And about the shower… do I need all of those products coating my hair?

As I navigated my way through my autoimmune disease and corrected my diet (omitted grains and sugars) I also did the same with my beauty products. I didn’t need hormone disrupters, phthalates, titanium dioxide, or any other chemical I couldn’t pronounce. I didn’t know if these chemicals contributed to my health issues, but I sure wasn’t going to wait to find out.

I needed a change.

Being minimalist, I already had my closet and house the way I wanted it. I was at peace. But one of the last to change was my makeup and body care products. So, I dove into that challenge with gusto and haven’t looked back.

Here’s how you can have a minimalist makeup and body care routine and still feel like a beauty queen.

Minimize the Makeup: I know, this is hard. But, you don’t need a 32-color eyeshadow palette. I thought I needed all the colors too. Turns out, after years of storing that makeup, I still only regularly wore two colors: dark brown and light brown. That’s it. I tossed the rest and haven’t missed them since.

I have one mascara, one foundation (I don’t wear powder or concealer) one lip gloss, and one lipstick. I also have one eyebrow pencil and one eyeliner. It all fits neatly into a small plastic container in my drawer by my sink.

Nothing is on the counter; it all fits in the container. I still don’t need three different colors of mascara or five lipsticks. Just one and done. Makeup is also generally good for six months to a year or two. How many items do you have whose expiration date is way over that?

I’m not anti-makeup in the least. I love wearing makeup. I just wear a whole lot less of it, and I wear what I have rather than holding onto makeup I thought I wore but didn’t.

Can the Creams: I don’t do five lotions for my face. It wasn’t making a difference and I was tired of spending the money. It’s a racket, in my opinion.

I don’t have an eye cream, I don’t have a face cream, and I don’t have a neck and chest cream. I don’t have a morning cream or a night cream. I have one face cream for my face for morning and night. If I need sunscreen, I’ll add that first, but I don’t wear it every day.

If there’s a face cream with SPF in it that you like, great. Use that. But I also use my daily face cream at night and I know I don’t need SPF at night.

SPF should be reserved all on its own if you know you’re going to be in the sun. I don’t want the extra chemicals that come with the SPF label, so that’s why I don’t use it in my face cream. My face cream is also organic, with all-natural ingredients.

As for body lotion, I use an organic one as well. Just one. That’s it. I don’t use body sprays, and generally, no extra perfumes. Sometimes the smells give me a headache, so that’s part of the reason. It’s nice not to have to apply ten different products the moment I get out of the shower. I use one lotion and life is good.

Shake off extra shampoo: I realize these are actions that contradict what we’ve been “told” but we don’t need various shampoos and conditioners. We need one. I use one shampoo and one conditioner and sometimes, I don’t even use conditioner. Why? I don’t want the products on my hair.

But, as a long-haired woman, I get the need to detangle hair. So, if I use conditioner, I use it sparingly: only on the ends of my hair.

I don’t use oils, or any other “treatments”; no extra stuff. If you want to get healthy, if you want to save money, if you want to live minimally, omit the extra products. It’s as simple as that. If you can’t read the ingredients on the back of the shampoo bottle, you may have the wrong shampoo.

I also don’t use gel, mousse, or any other hair care products. Just a little bit of hair spray when I need it. My hair is rather easy to style, and I know lots of women “need” extra products to rein in their mop. I get that. But, maybe ease up on the products. Maybe give yourself an extra day or two of a “no product” day.

As you read through this, you may realize this isn’t for you. Maybe it seems too extreme. Maybe there’s no way you can give up all of your lotions and creams. Maybe you like having all the things.

If that’s the case, try this: try taking out all of the excess products, boxing them up, and living without them for two weeks. So, that means minimal makeup, minimal body and hair care products, and give it a go (or a no-go, as it were) for 14 days.

At the end of that time, check in on yourself. Are your mornings quick? Does it take you half the time to get ready? How are you feeling? Do you feel just as clean without the products? Have you noticed your hair care/ body care expenses are way down?

Everyone’s version of minimalism is slightly different. And that’s okay. What works for me may be too restrictive for you. Or maybe, it’s not stringent enough! Maybe you want to minimize but need a few extra products. That’s fine. There is no right or wrong way.

The whole point is to lessen your load, lighten up your routine, ditch the products you don’t need, and live a freeing life.

Even if you don’t minimize your body products for health reasons, but instead minimize your makeup for minimalistic reasons, the outcome is the same: you’ll have less to deal with and your body and mind will thank you. (Your wallet will, too.)

My makeup and body care routine is so simple, and carefree, yet I still feel like a million bucks. That’s more time to spend with my family or doing things that bring value to my life.

That’s a win/win in my beauty book.

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About the Author: Heather Spiva is freelance writer from Northern California with a penchant for minimalism, vintage clothing, and coffee. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. Her husband and two grown sons are the loves of her life.