Tips for Donating Gently Used Cosmetics and Accessories
Hey friend,
Do you love makeup as much as I do? Whether you’re into natural looks or full glam, there’s a good chance some of the products you’ve tried have been a hit or miss. Sometimes, it’s nothing against the product. It can just be that bright red lipstick isn’t as cute as you originally thought, and you prefer nude colors.
What do you end up doing with your cosmetic flops? Some of us return the items, and others toss them in the trash. Even when we get our money back, retailers still dispose of products we’ve opened, even when we’ve only used them once.
We have enough waste in the world. Instead, consider donating gently used cosmetics and accessories. I’ve got some tips to help you do just that.

Tips For Donating Gently Used Cosmetics
Organize Your Makeup Collection
To kick things off, you will have to organize your entire makeup stash. This task may be challenging if you have a few makeup bags full of goods or a whole cosmetics drawer. Remember—you’ll make room for new products while giving old ones a second life.
Gather everything and put it on display in one place, like the kitchen table. Sort all your makeup into three piles—keep, donate, and trash.
When deciding on the parameters of what you want to keep, consider how frequently you use certain products. It may be ready for donation or the trash if you haven’t used it in the last month.
Which Beauty Products Can I Donate?
Plenty of your cosmetics can have a second life. The following gently used beauty products are great to give to charities:
- Lipstick
- Lipliners
- Eyebrow and eyeliner pencils
- Hair products
A great tip for donating gently used cosmetics and accessories is sanitizing them appropriately. You can clean all these products! With lipsticks, you can gingerly cut off the top layer and clean it with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab. Use a cleaned sharpener on any pencils and lipliners before giving them to any charity.
Trash any used lip gloss or mascara, as these can’t be properly sanitized.
Can I Donate Makeup Tools?
Yes, you can donate some of the accessories you use when applying makeup! However, you’ll want to refrain from certain mistakes when donating makeup tools, such as offering used beauty blenders, because it’s difficult to rid them of bacteria.
If you clean your brushes, you can give them to shelters and various charities. Other safe accessories to donate are gently used makeup bags. You can even donate hairbrushes, too!
Pro-Tip
Use warm water and a gentle cleanser to renew those brush bristles!
I hope this process helps you find makeup and accessories you can donate. Some great non-profits to consider are Project Beauty Share, Beauty Bus, and any local shelters. I encourage all of you to get organized and make a difference to help others feel beautiful too!
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Much love, JessXO
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