Lip scrubs are good for exfoliating dead skin cells. They help improve lip health and make your lips look fresh. Lip scrubs can be used once or twice a week as overuse may irritate the delicate skin.
Though I regularly use moisturizer for my lips, I have become lazy or conveniently forgotten about the lip scrubs I was initially using when they were new. Now that they have expired, I did not have the heart to throw them away. I don’t like to unnecessarily waste anything, so I try to use the expired products in other ways.
Check for spoilage: Unless it is a really bad brand, make-up normally doesn’t spoil easily even after its expiry date. But, it is always better to check for strange smells, colour changes or mould, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Check ingredients: Ingredients like sugar, honey, flower extracts, etc. won’t harbour bacteria even past the expiry date. But, it is always better to check for ingredients that may get toxic after expiry.
Check for irritation: Always apply a little of the expired product on a small skin area to check for irritation or discomfort.
There are many ways to use expired hair conditioners, but what can we do with a lip scrub that has passed its expiry date? Well, you can use it to pamper yourself. Seriously!
If you’ve been on your feet all day, you need to relax. Activities like gardening, cooking, doing the laundry, etc., barefoot, can be exhausting for yourself as well as for your feet. A quick pampering session will leave you relaxed and rejuvenate you. I’ve tried it. Not only are my heels already less rough after their first scrub; I also feel relaxed.
After using caution as mentioned above, I decided to use my expired lip scrubs on my cracked heels. Considering that I walk barefoot quite often, my feet are not smooth, but I’m hoping they get there to some extent. They were quite bad (as you can see in the ‘BEFORE’ image as compared to the ‘AFTER’ image) but are looking better now.
I also applied my expired lip balm after drying my feet up. Yup, one lip balm was kept along with the lip scrubs and I hadn’t realized that they were lip balms until it was too late. So, now I have a few expired products that I can use for a quick pampering session at home. 😉
The pampering session begins!
I am aware that many of you prefer throwing away expired products. But, an expiry date doesn’t necessarily mean that the product has spoiled or rotten. It just means that the product is not as effective as it was during its heyday. It means that the product is not able to achieve what it was meant to achieve. For example, a face moisturizer is meant to soften your face skin and make it smooth. Once it has expired, it may or may not function the same way. But that does not mean that it cannot be used for other purposes, especially when the container is almost full.
Honestly, I despise wastage and, therefore, find ways to use expired products as much as possible; with caution, of course. I remember the days when we had no products, days when finances were not good, wartime, pandemic months, etc., when we had to live with what we had and without the regular purchase of new market-bought products. Maybe that was when I realized that the use of too many products and waste should both be minimized as much as possible. So, when minimizing wastage includes pampering yourself, why not save your money? Right? 😉
Secret tip: You can also apply the expired lip scrub onto your underarms and wash while bathing to reduce body odour during the day.
Are you also someone who tries to use expired products in other ways? Give us a tip.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
34 Comments
That’s a really cool tip. I’ll definitely try it!
Wow, what an idea! I despise throwing away my things. I loved your tips. I do like to follow these as I am good at purchasing than in using.
These kind of posts by you are my favourite type. How to upcycle expired products. I guess we all have a ton of these and it doesn’t harm that we can extract some use from them, instead of just discarding them.
Wow! That’s a great way to use expired lip scrubs, of course after a skin test first. I think I will also prefer to use it as underarm scrub. I think that’d work well.
This was absolutely new to me. I generally keep a check on the dates given that I get many as part of PR. I try to use up most of giveaway to people who are enthusiasts like me. But I haven’t tried using expired . This hack seems to be doing the trick
Wow!! It’s new to use lip scrubs to foot. I am definitely going to use it
I love this idea! I never thought of using expired lip scrubs for my feet. Such a smart way to reduce waste and still get some self-care in. Definitely trying this soon!
I saw your reel and I am thankful to you. As I used to throw it away. Nowadays my heels have many cracks and your tips will be helpful. Even I applied too. Thank you for the tips.
That’s an amazing way to re use it. But I have never used any lip scrubbers. I use some home remedy to scrub and that seems to work just fine for me.
WIth an ultra sensitive skin, I usually just throw out expired products. I am tempted to try them on the feet though. Thanks for the tip, Cindy.
I too try something like this especially to cover up my few naughty grey hairs which always pop up when I need to go out , otherwise I dont even see them. I use my kajal pencil to cover up them up. 2 secs job and all perfect. Small tips can save in a big way.
Oh that’s a good trick.
This is such a smart and practical idea! I never thought of using expired lip scrubs for my feet, but it makes so much sense. Love how you focus on minimizing waste while also getting some self-care in. Definitely going to try this next time. Thanks for the tip!
Any time, Neha!
These are important tips to follow when reapplying expired lip scrubs in various ways. Any of my expired scrubs go on my foot before finally throwing.
This is a great tip. I dislike wastage too and often end up giving away stuff I don’t need. Expired shampoos can also be used for soaking.
I have one such trick too, where I use expired body wash and shampoos for home mani-pedis. This is another clever idea! I never would have thought to repurpose expired lip scrubs this way. It’s great to find sustainable beauty hacks instead of just tossing products out, hai na? I saw your Insta post on this first and was curious to read the whole post. Great way to rope in users to check out the full post ha btw.
Hehehe! Every day is a learning process.. I’m trying to implement this bit this year, let’s see… 😉
Hey, that’s very innovative way to use even expired product!
This quite an interesting use of lip scrub – and I will definitely check out your post on expired conditioner – because I invariably end up having quite a bit of it.
Absolutely right. If it can be used, why not. Thanks for this idea. Must try.
Sure, Janaki!
I checked your reel on this. I’ve always used all my expired and old creams for feet and elbows. But I checked out your expired hair conditioner’s use. Sounds like a good scrub for skin and lingerie. Keeping that in mind now, especially when travelling.
That’s awesome, Ambica!
Loved this post. Never really thought about using expired products this way. I always assumed they were completely useless and just tossed them out. This is such a smart hack—definitely going to keep it in mind next time.
Thank you, Anjali!
So smart! I would just throw expired products, especially cosmetics. Didn’t realize they could be used for such things! That tip of using expired lip balm (I have a few, mostly gifted, coz I don’t buy lip balm) is amazing. Will use them on my cracked heels!
Thank you, Ratna!
Using a lip scrub for cracked feet is a winner, Cindy. I do not even like to throw away things. If it is a favourite lipstick and the butt has vanished, I use a lip brush and discard only when it is over. Drying nail paints can be revived with acetone. My favourite scrub is yoghurt with sugar. it gives an instant glow to your face. You can use it all over the body as well. Sometimes I use it with fresh aloe vera or honey.
I’m someone who holds on to expired makeup products simply because I can’t bring myself to throw them away. This blog was incredibly helpful for me! It would be amazing if you could curate more posts on repurposing other expired products as well. 😀🙈
Sure, do read my post on expired hair conditioners, Pinki! Thank you.
Using them to pamper my tired feet sounds like a fantastic idea. After soaking my feet in warm water, applying the scrub to my heels, and following up with a pumice stone, my feet feel rejuvenated. Applying an expired lip balm afterward adds that extra moisture. It’s a great way to give new life to old products and treat myself at the same time.
Useful tips
Thanks, Aishwariya, tried and tested.