Why We Love Hoarding Beauty Products

Raise your hands if you’ve ever brought skincare or beauty products because “you just had to try it”... Yes, you! Raise your hand. 

We’ve all been there: seen a product that claims to magically turn your skin into that of a movie star, and instantly add it to your basket. Next thing you know, it's been delivered, you’re applying it every evening only to find that your regular moisturiser works just as well. Alas, you have another plastic bottle to add to your ever-growing skincare collection of products we probably will never use again.

Sound familiar? Don't worry, We think it's fair to say any self-proclaimed beauty lover (or beauty hoarder) can sympathise. But why do we have the impulse to constantly purchase new products when the ones we already have work just as well? We investigated the reasons we start hoarding beauty products. Take a look:

Brand Loyalty

New research has discovered that, if adequately rewarded, women are more likely to stay loyal to a brand than men. Of the 1000 adults surveyed, 68% of women said that getting rewards from a brand makes them stay longer, and not switch to competitors, versus 53% of men. 

It's easy to understand hoarding beauty products when you have a favourite brand since naturally, you will want to try out their newest products to see if it lives up to your current favourites. And if that brand offers you a discount code you can even more easily justify purchasing yet another product.

Keep Skincare Simple

We are consistently bombarded with skincare gurus everywhere recommending hundreds of products that will supposedly change our life. It’s hard to resist buying a product, especially if everyone is raving about it. But before you go hoarding skincare, remember that a good routine doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact, all you need is a few products that really work for your skin. 

In reality, you just need two cleansers if you wear makeup (a balm to remove the makeup and a cream cleanser after) or one if you don’t. Add in a good moisturiser to target your particular skin concerns whether that be acne, oil prevention or hydration and fine lines. A good scrub to use twice a week and remove any dead skin cells and an eye cream to moisturise your under-eyes. Take a look at our guide for the best skincare routine for your age to nail down the key products you need.

Our tip to spot hoarding beauty products is to create a small space in your bathroom cupboard or shelf to keep all of your essential products, therefore, they will always be visible to you and you’re not going to forget about the serum that you brought a year ago and tried once!

Skincare Does Expire

While waiting to only use that expensive pot of moisturiser for special occasions might seem like the logical thing to do, it may leave you short-changed. Reality check - skincare and beauty products expire! 

On the back of every pot, tube or pump you have, there will be a little jar symbol with a number inside which will tell you, from the date you open it - how long you should keep it for. Therefore, hoarding skincare or beauty of all your favourite expensive products might not be the best idea, as after the use-by date the product could become less effective, the ingredients could potentially split, or the ingredients age and the aroma changes. 

At the end of the day, you’ve brought the expensive moisturiser, so enjoy it and reap the rewards on your skin using it, before you run to the next ‘miracle cure’ to add to your beauty hoarder drawer.

Hoarding is a Sustainability Nightmare 

If you have found yourself becoming a true beauty hoarder, here is something you should know. The beauty industry is responsible for producing 120 billion units of packaging globally. Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled and about 12% incinerated and all the rest - 79% ended up in landfills, dumps or in the natural environment. 

Sure, purchasing products that are made more sustainable may be an answer - avoiding plastic packaging and opting for more recyclable materials. But the problem lies with hoarding and over purchasing products that you simply don't need. 

Unless a product is really causing your skin harm, you should wait until you have finished it to re-purchase or buy an alternative. We have to change our mindset if we want to make a difference.

How To Stop Hoarding Skincare

Skincare should be an enjoyable routine for people to start and end their day in the right way, all while protecting your skin as you do with your body every day in eating nutritional foods. However, realising that you may be a compulsive skincare hoarder is an initial step to preventing the problem from getting any worse… Plus, it's going to save you a hell of a lot of money in the long-term too. 

Figure out what your essentials are and re-purchase those, but only once you have finished the one you are currently using. Check the use-by dates on your products and get rid of any that are gathering dust - just make sure you recycle them correctly. 

But most importantly, stop “waiting for a rainy day” to use your products, there is no time like the present… especially when you have spent a small fortune to use them!

Check out our post on what TikTok skincare ingredients we’re leaving in 2021 to stop yourself from adding them to your beauty hoarder pile.