Essential Questions to Ask Yourself for Making Smart Beauty Buys
In a world where consumerism reigns supreme, it’s essential that we, as shoppers, take a second to assess our own consumption. While TikTok and Instagram may make you feel like you need the latest and greatest viral beauty products, is that really the case?
The Rise Of Beauty and Its Waste
It’s no secret that the beauty industry is in a major boom, with Millenials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha all rushing to buy into the latest trends. An explosive amount of hauls, launches, and reviews on social media has left many people collecting an overwhelming amount of beauty products. All these products simply cannot all be used before they expire.
Waste is built into the beauty business model, with beauty packaging alone amounting to 120 billion units of trash each year [1]. Most of this packaging is not recycled correctly and ends up in landfills or the ocean.
It is also important to remember that this doesn’t even include the actual beauty products themselves, which may expire and might be thrown away before they can even be used. So, the next time you find yourself at Sephora, Ulta, or even TJ Maxx, remember to consider these five things when shopping.
- Do I Need This?
The first question you should ask yourself when you are considering buying a new beauty product is whether you truly need what you are considering buying. This will help you determine whether it is genuinely an item you need to buy or if it’s more of an impulse buy.
Other questions to ask yourself to help you decide include: Do you have items similar to it that you could finish using first? Does this item need to be bought right at this second, or can you wait to buy it at another time? Do you already have multiple of the same item within your collection?
If you still feel like you need this item, it’s time to move on to the next question.
- Will This Really Work For Me?
Now that you’ve determined it’s an item you genuinely need, it’s time to decide if it will work for you. Ask yourself questions to determine if a product will work for you.
For example, if the product’s color will work with your skin tone, if the formula works for your skin type, and if its ingredients will cause a bad reaction.
Making sure that products work for you helps you find products you will love and use up completely and that you won’t have to return or throw away for one of these reasons. Testing out products in-store is the most effective way to help with this, but researching online is the next best bet if the product isn’t available in-store.
If you still feel like you need this item AND have determined it will work for you, it’s time to move on to the next question.
- What’s the Real Impact?
Thinking about a product’s impact is an underrated yet necessary question to ask yourself when buying beauty products. What impact will it have on you? What impact will it have on your health and well-being? What impact will it have on the environment?
Thinking about a product’s impact allows you to decide if it aligns with your values, will positively affect your life, and is good for the planet. Talc, for example, is a commonly used beauty ingredient that is a known carcinogen for humans. Many lawsuits have been filed by people who used talc-based beauty products because their health suffered severely as a result.
Thinking about what is going into and onto your face and body and where it will end up when you finish it will help you decide how to move forward.
If you still feel like you need this item AND have determined it will work for you AND the product will have a positive impact, it’s time to move on to the next question.
- Can I Afford It?
One of the most important pieces of the puzzle is making sure you are making decisions that you can afford. Can you afford to buy this product? Will you regret spending money on it after you buy it? Will it last long enough to make the item’s price worth it? Will it hurt your future goals if you purchase this item?
These are all important questions to consider when buying a beauty product regarding affordability. If you have other expenses that need to come first, like rent, existing debt, or groceries, they should be given priority. A good rule of thumb is the “Buy it Twice” rule. This rule says that if you can’t afford to buy the product twice, you likely can’t truly afford it, and you should wait to make the purchase. It’s a great way to put your finances into perspective and helps curve impulse buying that is so normalized within the industry and on social media.
If you still feel like you need this item AND have determined it will work for you AND the product will have a positive impact AND you can truly afford it, it’s time to move on to the final question.
- Does This Spark Joy?
We’re taking a page from Marie Kondo’s book and using it as our final question: does this item spark joy? Does the item excite you? Can you use it in multiple ways? Considering your feelings is an important part of decision-making, especially concerning something as personal as beauty. Pick up the object, test it if possible, and see how it makes you feel.
Sometimes, it’s easy to let the feelings and opinions of others impact your decisions, especially when it comes to beauty products, because of how oversaturated and overwhelming the beauty community on social media can be. By only picking products that inspire joy and happiness, you will be sure to feel like you’ve made the right decision for yourself.
If you still feel like you need this item AND have determined it will work for you AND the product will have a positive impact AND you can truly afford it AND it sparks joy, then go ahead and check out!
By asking yourself these questions, you can reduce your consumption, pick out only items you love and will use up, and develop your own taste. If you ever need some inspiration, feel free to look up decluttering videos on TikTok or Reels. So, the next time you find yourself ready to click add to cart, remember to keep these questions in mind!
-Nina Dagaev
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