Good? To the last drop!
Cosmetics companies saw revenues in excess of $62 billion in revenues in 2016. That's because people are spending more and more on skin care and cosmetics each year. In fact, the Washington Post reports that women are choosing cosmetics and skin care over clothes more and more.
Those statistics sound about right to me. Someone once commented to me that you can put almost any clothing on an attractive person and they'll look great. So, we're all trying to start with the most attractive versions of ourselves by caring for our skin and honing our makeup skills. But still... we're spending BILLIONS?
Here's one way to make sure you're getting the most for your money. If we're spending that much, let's at least make sure we get that much value!
Look for products that come in containers that you can completely empty. Pump bottles and fancy serum dispensers are convenient and look nice on your vanity. But often, they're sealed shut so you can't be sure it's totally empty. I find that tubs and tubes are easiest for making sure you've really gotten every last drop. Tubes can be deceiving!
You think you've squeeeezed everything out of there, but cut it in half and see how much you might've thrown away!
A few tips
This tube was fairly small, so I could just cut it in half and use that little spatula to reach even the corners in the top half. If you have a larger tube (like shampoo or conditioner), you might have to make 2 cuts to be able to reach.
Cut the tube straight across and not leave any jagged edges that can hurt you. Scrape anything that's left in the top half down into the bottom half if you're not able to use it all up straight away. Now you can use the top half as a makeshift lid for the bottom half (you might have to bend/fold one of the sides in a little on the bottom) so you can save it for later.
I'm usually able to get at least 2 more applications out of tubes like this. That translates into real benefits to me by:
Giving me extra time to replace
Saving me anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars, depending on the price of the product
Decreasing the amount of (recyclable or not) waste I'm generating