Minimalism, Minimalism

5 Things I No Longer Buy

mindbeautysimplicity

My journey through minimalism has been a wild ride. A few months ago, I began to question it all together & try to find a healthy balance without feeling too extreme. This resulted in relabeling myself as an essentialist. If you’d like to read about that reflection, click here. But I think the best way to go moving forward is not to have a heavy label & just take a few aspects & apply to my life as I see fit. Intentional living has taught me to be smarter with my money & spending choices. And there are still quite a few items I no longer or rarely purchase because they are either pointless or serve no useful purpose for my lifestyle.

Cotton Pads or Makeup Remover Wipes

When you are an avid makeup lover like myself, you have to come up with a skin care routine & way to remove said makeup at the end of the day. In the past, I would always be repurchasing either those 100 pack cotton pads or the one time use Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes. These items are ways to remove makeup & other dirt off your face but at what cost? Not only was it money spent monthly (which slowly adds up) ; but the discarding of one use wipes or pads is detrimental to the environment. They are not compostable & just linger in landfills for decades. If I had not found an easier & more sustainable alternative, I’d still be using them honestly. But I discovered a light facial cleanser by Cera Ve & a damp washcloth does just the trick. You can also use a liquid makeup remover on a cloth if you have stubborn makeup to remove. I’m able to place the cloth in the washing machine & reuse it hundreds of times.

Aluminum Foil

A common cooking tool to place on pans or cover food I no longer or rarely purchase. I tend to use alternative methods like reusable cooking sheets that are more silicon material & Pyrex glass containers with silicone lids. I have had moments where I purchase it sometimes either because someone is looking for it (like a guest) or during the holidays for heavy baking. Otherwise I’m trying not to use this type of item because I find it so wasteful & although it’s only a few dollars, every penny counts.

Dry Shampoo

This has been a recent change from my hair care routine. I used to use dry shampoo quite often specifically the Batiste one. My reasonings for ditching this product is because it honestly made my hair more greasy. I’d much rather just wash my hair fully if it needs to be washed. These quick fixes used on a regular basis just messes with the hair’s chemistry. And I swear my hair became trained to need that product at one point. I’m not saying I’d never use this type of product in a pinch, but on a regular basis, I’m not looking to own it any longer.

Cheap Costume Jewelry

My jewelry “collection” consists of maybe 3 necklaces, a few pairs of earrings & 2 bracelets. I tend to wear the same pieces every single day. And I’ve decided not to spend money on those trendy, cheap costume jewelry you find at stores like Forever 21. I stick to department stores or jewelry stores that sell real diamonds or golds. My skin has turned green way too many times to go back to the cheap stuff. Plus, since I don’t wear different pieces too often, I feel like I can treat myself to a more luxurious addition to the mini collection.

Scented Body Washes

This one kind of makes me sad because who doesn’t love to smell good? I will ocassionally go back to an old favorite like Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea body wash or some coconut scented cream. But every single time I do, my skin becomes dry, itchy or has red bumps all over the place. No thank you!

What are some items you no longer buy?

-B

Published by mindbeautysimplicity

45 thoughts on “5 Things I No Longer Buy”

      1. the fact I don’t like change that supposed to say like I did not stop buying anything. Funny because my hubby says the same thing sometimes I need to stop. And sorry dear if I heart you. It’s great to post.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I don’t buy cotton pads or makeup wipes either because similarly I learned about how wasteful they were so I bought 2 MakeUp Erasers & reusable cotton rounds instead.
    I do want to get reusable cooking sheets because my partner uses aluminum foil all the time!

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  4. I use reusable eye pads and face wipes; basically, it’s just cloth, lol. But it’s my little part in helping the environment. I wonder if my scented body washes impact my dry skin? I’ll try an alternative to find out.

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  5. Definitely relate to a few of these! I gave up facewipes/cotton pads ages ago and just use a face cloth, I also have some reusable ‘cotton’ pads too. I found dry shampoo made my scalp awful and dry so I stopped using that too and my hair is way healthier for it!
    Amy x
    callmeamy.co.uk

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  8. This was an interesting read, thanks for sharing! My boyfriend doesn’t buy paper towels, so I’ve started to swap them out for small towels. I used to think I couldn’t live without paper towels, but the transition has been pretty seamless and helps me save money too!

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  9. I stopped buying cheap costume jewellery a while ago, it went discoloured and I hardly ever wore it so stopped bothering!

    I’m getting better as I get older to stop buying tat.

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  10. I stopped buying from Bath and Body works but I still use scented body wash. I switched brands though and use Korres now which is so much better for my skin. Bath and Body works also makes my skin dry and itchy.

    I’ve never used dry shampoo and always wondered what that would be like. My hair is in bad shape as it is so I should probably avoid dry shampoo altogether.

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  11. good list — really makes you think of the items you might mindlessly add to your shopping list but you could potentially do without those items. for a long time I went without aluminum foil simply because I thought it was unnecessary and then I started buying it and now I do.. but I use it sparingly so the box I have lasts me months. there’s definitely a lot that we can all cut out — and when we do we are not just saving money we are also helping the environment.

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  12. I prefer not buying anything that doesn’t last for example buy sterling silver jewelry lasts longer. Would love to switch from wipes to reusable makeup pads. Will make a list to buy more reusable gadgets for the kitchen and personal care.
    .

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  17. I never thought of replacing my Aluminum foil as we use it so infrequently, but it is something I will have to replace. Thank you for recommending what you use, as it was an ‘oh yeah, I could replace that’ moment for me. Do you have a particular brand of reusable cooking sheets you use?

    I no longer buy cupcake cases, as I have the silicone ones. I don’t buy kitchen rolls anymore either and opt for reusable towels instead.

    Thank you for sharing! I loved your alternative suggestions. 😊

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  20. I stopped using makeup remover wipes too. Cleansing balms or oils are now my go-to products for removing my makeup. I also stopped buying cheap jewelry. Fine jewelry holds its value and is a lot more elegant.

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  21. This was definitely interesting! I also have an issue with aromatic shower gels so I have stopped using them.
    I have also stopped using makeup that much. I only have one maskara, two eye pencils and 1 lipstick. But usually I only wear my suncream.

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  22. I love this- I am currently in this mindset, buying quality products, definitely no more bath and body works products (over it), they are way over fragranced! I haven’t gotten into the reusable makeup remover pads but I am strongly considering buying some and trying them out.

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  23. I stopped buying cheap cosmetic jewellery a long time ago, it just isn’t fit for purpose. I have also reduced massively the amount of cotton pads I buy, in fact I can’t remember the last time I purchased any.

    Amy x

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