HOW TO RECYCLE MAKEUP | eBay
Makeup makes women look and feel pretty.. However, many women tend to purchase a little bit too much makeup out of impulse, change brands or colors before the products are empty, or save it for a special occasion that never comes. Cosmetics have a limited life span, so it is unhealthy and impractical to keep them to use years later. If you find yourself with too many makeup products that you can no longer use, then consider reusing or recycling them. Recycling the products is far better than just throwing them in the trash as cosmetic chemicals and packaging can be harmful to the environment.
Reviving and Reusing Makeup Products
If you are not ready to dispose of your leftover makeup that has not expired, you can use the following techniques to revive them or reuse them to make new cosmetic or art products. If the products have expired, though, it is not be a good idea to try and revive them.
Lip Cosmetics
Create a new shade of lipstick by blending two or more lipsticks together. Remove the lipstick pastes from the container and place them all on one metal spoon. Hover the spoon over an open flame and use a knife or sharp stick to mix the pastes together. Put the newly created lipstick, which should be in liquid form, into a new container and place this container in the refrigerator to harden. Alternatively, use the same technique to make a tinted lip balm by mixing onelipstick paste with an equal amount of petroleum jelly instead of two or more different shades of lipstick. If you need a clear coat of nail polish over your manicure and have run out, you can also use old clear lip balm as a replacement, which also serves to moisturize your nails.
Eye Cosmetics
Eye shadow that is in good condition but crumbled is easily fixable by pouring 70 percent to 90 percent rubbing alcohol into the palette after crushing the eye shadow into powder. Stir the alcohol and powder together to create a paste and set it aside overnight. The next day, you should have a good solid block of eye shadow on the palette again. This process can be used to fix crumbled cosmetic powders of other sorts as well. You can also use old eye shadow to make sparkly glue by crumbling it to a powder and mixing it in some clear glue , or make a sparkly nail polish by mixing some sparkly eye shadow in some clear nail polish.
This makeup is not the only one you can recycle. An eyeliner pencil can be repurposed by holding the kohl tip to a flame for a few seconds and then letting it cool for about 15 seconds. The result is a pencil that leaves an intense smudge that is useful when creating a smoky effect for the eyelids. Eyeliner pencil is also useable to mark wood and drywall for home improvement projects.
Mascara can also be reused if it has dried up by soaking the mascara tube in a glass of hot water. If the mascara is unsalvageable, clean the mascara wand and use it as an eyebrow brush.
Face Cosmetics
If you have purchased a face powder or foundation that is too dark for your face, consider mixing it with moisturizing cream to make a tinted moisturizing cream, or with lotion for to use as a bronzer for your arms or legs. You can also use old blush to tint up your clear lip balm, simply by applying lip balm to your lips and then dabbing blush on top of the balm.
Recycling Makeup Products
If your makeup products are out of their useable date and just cannot be reused, you can still dispose of them in an Earth-friendly way. Some companies accept the empty packaging for recycling purposes.
Accepts cosmetic packaging of any brand at its retail stores, and in return, gifts the user with a free sample of their products
Has the “Back to M.A.C” program where cosmetic enthusiasts can return the empty packaging of six or more M.A.C products to a local M.A.C counter and receive a free lipstick in return
Teamed up with Terracycle to allow users to download a prepaid USP shipping label to mail empty cosmetic packaging back and call a number for a free pick-up of their box
Accepts caps and lids from bottles, jars, and tubes of any sort, not only cosmetics
Keep in mind that these companies only recycle the packaging. In addition, if the package is simply glass or plastic, they can be recycled along with any other glass or plastic packaging. If you have leftover makeup powders, pastes, and creams, you must remove them from the packaging before recycling it. The makeup is best disposed of through a local hazardous waste facility.
How to Buy Makeup Recycling Items on eBay
If you plan to reuse or repurpose your makeup, you may need some additional items such as clear glue, clear nail polish, moisturizing cream, or an empty box. You can purchase these items as well as new makeup products easily on eBay. Just visit any eBay page to carry out a search for the items you need. Type keywords, such as “mascara” into the search bar and hit enter. The resulting page has numerous listings by different sellers. These listings are filterable by choices you make until you can easily find exactly what product you want. If you are looking for good deals on new makeup items, then also check eBay Deals for extra discounts.
From reviving dried-up or broken makeup items to taking your empty packaging back to the brand store, there are many ways you disposing of your cosmetics packaging and repurpose your leftover makeup. For all your makeup recycling and reviving items, consider looking at the huge variety offered by eBay, where you can shop from the comfort of your own home.
Source: Ebay
Date: June 9, 2014
