{Tip Thursday} 5 Ways To Make Your Skin Care Products Last Longer

Another new segment! I think Tip Thursday's will allow me to give a lot of info and tips concisely and quickly! Let me know what you think, whether or not these hints are helpful, and if you have any hints yourself!

1. Apply your lotion, cream, or body butter on damp skin after a shower. This is a biggie for me. When you do this, the product of your choice spreads easier so you get the same result with a lot less product and hassle. This is especially true with some body butters (like the Bodycology ones) that are very thick. The only reason I use so much is because otherwise it is very difficult to spread on the skin. This also works with facial skin care. Simply apply your moisturizer after cleansing, without drying your face in between.

2. Use less product. This one is a no-brainer. Your skin can only absorb so much. When it comes to moisturizing your face, consider this: at the most, you should need no more than about a dime sized amount of moisturizer to cover your entire face. I use a gel moisturizer, and that is usually enough to get not only my face but also my neck as well. Unless you have a very thick moisturizer, this amount should be more than enough. The excess moisturizer you apply to your face and body only sits on the surface (or gets absorbed by your clothes) and goes to waste.

3. Reuse bottles that come with pumps. I find this particularly helpful with thin lotions (like St. Ives or Vaseline) that come on a squeeze tube. I find that it's a lot easier to not only use (because you don't end up with a greasy bottle), but it's a lot easier to get to all of the product. What I do is I squeeze as much of the lotion as I can into clean bottle and then I cut it open and use a spatula to get to the rest of it. Then, when the pump bottle is almost out, all I do is remove the pump and prop it upside down onto a little sample jar/container to catch the lotion the pump couldn't get too. This way I waste the least amount of product possible. If you can, find a nice clear pump dispenser. I had an old Taylor of London Rose lotion that I finished. It came in a clear bottle and I've been refilling it ever since. It makes it a lot easier to see when you've used up all of the products.

4. Purchase moisturizers that suit your needs. If you have very dry skin, don't buy a light lotion that you will have to constantly use and re-buy. Instead, purchase a thicker cream or body butter that you will need to use less of to get the same results. You will end up saving a lot of money this way.

5. Massage moisturizers into your skin. So many people I know just quickly slap on the cream and then forget about it. Taking an extra minute to massage the cream into the skin ensures that more of it gets absorbed into the skin and goes on more evenly. In addition, it will get absorbed into the skin faster and give you the full effect of the moisturizer.

Next week I'll be talking about ways to reduce the oiliness on your face that don't involve using makeup! Stay tuned!