Let’s talk about how to save big bucks by using up every last drop of your lotion. It’s aggravating when you know that you have an inch (or more) of a perfectly good product at the bottom of the bottle but can’t get at it.
I’ve read about this, but I’d never tried it. So, what made me look into how much waste there really can be?
“Honey, I’m out of lotion,” I heard last night from my husband. I’m glad my husband takes care of his skin, as many men don’t take the time. However, it’s frustrating because the nearest grocery store is almost a 30-minute drive from our rural home. I had literally just come back from shopping, and he hadn’t mentioned the need to me. Arg.
Looking in the bathroom vanity, I saw three of his lotion bottles, each with the remaining product left inside that wouldn’t pump out. You’ve almost certainly experienced the same dilemma. (Or you wouldn’t have clicked to read, lol).
I grabbed a couple of tools and set out to figure out a way to get together just enough lotion to get him through until the weekend. What I actually found is a whole lot more product than I ever expected.
HOW TO GET LOTION OUT OF ALMOST EMPTY BOTTLES
The adage tells us, “Waste not, want not.” Why would our lotions and cosmetic supplies be any different?
Supplies needed:
- a sturdy pair of shears
- a skinny, long spatula. I prefer to use my long, skinny “Spurtle” to grab every last drop with ease.
- an empty jar from a candle jar that I had cleaned out and saved for a craft project (a mason jar or a zip-top bag would also work, whatever you have on hand).
How to extract the lotion from the bottle:
- Pump the bottle over the jar a couple of times to make sure you squeeze out all the lotion from the pump. Unscrew the lid and discard the pump.
- Use your shears to make a snip on the side to create a hole. Carefully work your way around the lotion bottle, cutting away from you at all times. Your bottle will be cut in half. You will find an inch or two fo contents at the bottom of the bottle. I found that much in all three containers!
- Use the spatula and scoop out all that good stuff. In my case, I was working with two different brands of lotions, so I also swirled it around with the spatula to mix it up.
- Close up your jar tightly so it doesn’t get gummy. I used a cute canning jar label since it will be sitting on top of the vanity for a few weeks. Might as well keep it cute, right? When you’re recycling jars, it’s a good idea to let family members know exactly what’s in there!
Y’all, I was shocked to see that I had filled a recycled 6 oz. candle jar with lotion. That’s another two or three weeks of lotion!
Save big bucks…think outside the lotion bottle.
Curious to see, I grabbed my almost empty, trying to squeeze out every drop, tube of Clinique CC Cream. This teeny 1 oz. tube of the foundation is $39. I had just purchased a new tube yesterday, but this one was still hanging out in my bathroom drawer. I just had to know how much foundation I actually had left in the little sucker.
I cut the tube in half and found that I had about one or two weeks’ worth of foundation that I was about to toss in the trash. I slipped both halves of the tube in a sandwich bag, sealed it up, and I will grab it with my foundation brush every day. Messy, but what a waste!
Don’t get me wrong, I like to save money, but I’m not a cheapskate. Now, though, I look back and wonder how much product I have tossed in the trash over the years. I will now look twice before I ever trash allegedly empty containers of lotion, foundation, BB cream, or even shampoo.
Oh, and those candle jars and mason jars that I clean out and save for projects and making gifts? I always knew I’d find a use for them, and I guess this is it! Please comment to share any storage suggestion you’ve tried that have worked well for you.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
