No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries October 2025

Hodgepodge

If your beauty and toiletries are taking over your life, then this is the thread to help you work through the stash and motivate you to not buy anymore (hopefully!)

Welcome all newbies and regulars to this very friendly and chatty thread where we give lots of lovely tips on how to use up your stash and lots of support and encouragement if you need them.

Thanks to me for starting last month's thread.  

Keep up the pampering and keep down the spending: let's make the naughty step an empty and lonely place this month (rather than one so long that it can be seen from space)! Will this be the month when the "usual suspects" rein it in a bit? Let's see..... (but I doubt it!) 

Remember - those products do nothing for you while they are stashed in drawers, boxes, and cupboards! 

We are eternally grateful to Katie Clampet who set up this fab challenge in January 2010. Here's her original challenge post:

"No buying any new toiletries, cosmetics, perfume etc... until I have used up ALL the ones I already have. I got a huge amount of (really nice) stuff for Christmas but I am going to resist the urge to browse Boots, Asda, Superdrug etc, and pop another tub of cream, face scrub, shampoo or conditioner into my basket. I reckon the stuff I have will last me until possibly June. I have decided that the money I save I will put into my special holiday account. Anyone else?"

Lots of us have taken part in the challenge over the past few months (and some of us even years!!) and are making great progress in reducing our stashes and unnecessary/excessive spending.

Regulars can ignore this, but a quick resume is always helpful for newbies:

Why not add the challenge to your signature as a reminder?

How about taking a bit of time to do a stock-take and see if there are any gaps in your stash that you might need to spend on this month? Some of us set a budget for the month for essential purchases or to help with withdrawal symptoms, others like to go cold-turkey!! Other ideas which some people find useful: Listing everything out so you can cross things off as used to increase the sense of achievement, and putting a sum of money in a pot each time you use up an item to save for something you really want, or simply to assist in making future essential purchases "cash neutral".

Remember the challenge is about making the most of your money, enjoying your products, finding which products really suit you best and are worth buying, giving yourself a well-deserved pampering and breaking the habit of buying for the sake of buying. In money-saving tradition, it should also be about making your products l-a-s-t as long as possible (although the temptation of using an unloved shower gel extravagantly to finish it off is sometimes too much to bear!).

Brand new products (or opened perfume) sell well on eBay.

Unsuitable products can be repurposed and used for other jobs (shower gel/shampoo as handwash etc).

Some items can be returned to certain stores for exchange (for essential items or gifts!!) without a receipt.

Unwanted items can be recycled as gifts or for gift hampers (saving the money you'd have spent on gifts).

Unsuitable items can be donated to charity or a local women's refuge as mentioned earlier

Also, why not reward your efforts by banking and recycling your use ups/throw aways with Boots scan2recycle points at participating Boots stores: Recycle at Boots - Get rewarded for recycling - Boots 

Alternatively, simply drop them off at Maybelline Recycling points: www.maybelline.co.uk . Unfortunately, you won't be rewarded for the latter but the earth will thank you :-)

It helps to avoid the places where temptation lurks for you; be it QVC, Boots, Body Shop, email newsletter, the supermarket toiletries aisles, Grabbit board, online toiletries browsing, seductive department store beauty counter offers etc. Remember retailers are making offers and promotions all the time, so there will always be another deal! Honest! 

Good luck all for this month and indeed the coming months, and remember to keep your stash lists updated, keep popping in for inspiration and support and to report your UU's and IN's, especially any sales bargains - we want a nosy! 

Welcome to all newbies - the more the merrier. Please introduce yourselves so we can welcome you properly! Do de-lurk if you are lurking, this is one of the friendliest threads on MSE.

Oh - and anyone thinking "OMG my stash is FAR bigger than all of theirs, I cant possibly join" - believe you me, we have been doing this challenge for well over a year some of us - you wont scare us, and I can almost guarantee that someone somewhere will have had more and survived.... we are very supportive (and protective - so don't be scared!!) oh - and did we mention that are nosy??!!

Useful abbreviations and jargon!

WBA - Will Buy Again

UU - Use Ups

IN - Self explanatory - stuff you've gained into your stash - warning: lines may be given out for unnecessary purchases or you may be sent to the naughty step!

NBI - A non-bought item such as a present, gift with purchase or free sample

WNBA - Will Not Buy Again!

Glitch - when a shop/online store make a pricing mistake so you end up paying less or even get freebies! 

PYN(M/T/W/Th/F/Sa/Su) DELETE AS APPROPRIATE! - Paint Your Nails Monday/Tuesday...... it allows everyone to try and finish those dastardly nail varnishes with group support! You can never be too groomed for this thread. Also see PY(T)N... - for toenails!

Splutterer - the stage where an item is nearing the end of it's life and spluttering - also the most annoying and seemingly never ending stage!

GWP - Gift With Purchase - a sample or mini sized item

HG - Holy Grail - this is the product you would go back for time and time again, it does the job brilliantly, and is either economical, or so fantastic price becomes no object!

NPI - Near Purchasing Incident (OMG we all have those!)

LHJ- Long Haul Job - for those products - love 'em or hate 'em - that never seem to end no matter how often you use them

PRCP - Pink Rose Candle Philosophy inspired by Erma Bombeck who said: 'If I had my life to live over again I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose that melted in storage'. Don't keep things 'for best' or 'for a special occasion'. That day never arrives. Give the best to yourself now and enjoy it. (Thanks to McCulloch29 for introducing this thought provoking sentiment to us)

GA - for an out that was given away to charity, as a present, or "just because" rather than binned or UU

TA - for an out that was thrown away due to going off (generally as it has been lurking at the back of a stash since time immemorial) or for any other reason such as a broken container or spillage

PP - Project Pan: a list of specific items targeted to be used up

If anyone can think of any more we can add to the list so newbies won't be intimidated by our jargon!

I_Love_comps

UU - plouise -Make it melt make up remover wipes 40 - WNBA

Hodgepodge

First UU for October

Yuzu & Ginger Cleansing Sorbet - ESPA - a really lovely smelling cleansing balm. Does the job well but I find I prefer a cleansing cream. I have gone off sticky balm cleansers. wnba

itsthelittlethings

One UpCircle hair serum (September in). Very nice stuff. WBA. Spendy.

Started using up a small Lush moisturiser that I got for £1 at the till for charity.  It is beautiful stuff, absolutely soaks in straight away and smells amazing.  Also some geranium salve. Not sure where I got this. Very nice.

Must remember to use my nice hand cream but I never remember to use hand cream.

Am working my way through 4 cans of mousse for work.  I'll treat myself and use the hair serum today.

Soapwise am on some Faith in Nature that I've had for ages to wash hands but been using a Carex my friend gave me.

I have been using a slightly medicinal foot scrub that I bought in Superdrug.  WBA.

itsthelittlethings

Bought a pack of 4 Dove beauty bars. Was using them on body but relegated to hand soap. WBA.

Carex UU.

Lush Co-wash UU. WBA as it lasts and is fairly good value although a bit spendy. I use a conditioner bar from Lush with it.

I_Love_comps

UU - No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Dual action Cleansing water.  -:Had this from a beauty advent calendar a few years ago. -:WBA

Hodgepodge

3 more UUs for October

Luna Oil Sunday Riley - can't get used to this blue retinol oil and just don't enjoy using it wnba

Invigorating Body Oil Ishga - really nice as a body/hand oil with a lush fragrance wba

Ceramic Slip Sunday Riley - a bit runny but otherwise a lovely cleanser that leaves your skin very smooth wba

I_Love_comps

UU- Oriflame - No age Intense Skin Recharge Overnight Mask 1.5ml sachet.- Liked it but WNBA- Oriflame are on the expensive side .

itsthelittlethings

In - I bought a charcoal soap when I was in the health food store this week.

twopenny

Today filling up m&s rose body lotion bottle , WBA it wasn't very good, with Johnsons baby lotion and a drop of rose oil.

Filling pretty red tub that held a Garnier face cream (£2 from Poundland) good on the skin but not replacing at eye watering prices so WBA, refilling with Nivea.

I_Love_comps

Uu- English Lavender & Green Tea Hand & Body Wash 35mls - WNBA