About a month ago, a friend tagged me in an article about makeup dumpster diving. Essentially what makeup dumpster diving consists of is when you go to stores that sell makeup, like Ulta or Sephora, and you rummage through their dumpsters for products that are either barely expired or returned--but still in good condition and with the right sanitizing, can be salvaged.
What the hell folks. What the hell.
Besides the fact that I have standards for hygiene, I can think of so many things that are wrong with this practice.
Let's talk about the obvious first. Even though the dumpster is for a store that carries makeup and commodities like it, a dumpster is a dumpster. A dumpster holds trash. What is trash? Think about it for a second. Pretty gross images come to mind. Trash is inherently dirty. It's not something you want to put near your shoe, let alone your face. Makeup is a substance that goes onto your face, which is one of the most sensitive parts of your body. Makeup seeps into your pores and everything else. I don't care how much you sanitize or try to clean it, you're smearing garbage-contaminated substance all over your face. The risk of infection is so high that you're asking for trouble.
Makeup is expensive. Anyone who buys makeup, either as a consumer or as a collector, knows that some products are pricey. Even your drugstore options are becoming more costly. Not everyone can afford makeup and I understand that. However, dumpster diving to save a few coins is truly backward. When you pay $10 for that Maybelline lipstick, you're not just paying for the packaging or the product. You're paying for the hygiene standards that are followed by the company. How often do you cringe when you walk into Walmart and find that every single tube of your favorite lipstick has been contaminated by people's grubby fingers and lips? We are encouraged not to apply testers directly to our faces for hygienic reasons. Why is this any different? Pay a few extra dollars and ensure that you are buying something that was made just for you. Make sure that the product is untouched, unmarked and unswatched. The only person who should be using your makeup is you.
That brings me to my last point; other people are just plain gross sometimes. When you dumpster dive, in many cases these products are returns. The company sticks a sticker on it and discards the product because they cannot sell used makeup. Besides the fact that you don't know WHY that product was returned, how do you know the hygiene standards of the person who touched that product before you? How do you know that alcohol or another sanitization product will kill everything? Why are you playing a game of roulette with your health? Many people will not shop at thrift stores for second-hand clothing but have no problem smearing used cosmetics all over their face when they don't know who the former owner was. Cosmetics are dangerous if you use them wrong! People have gone blind, gotten serious infections, had serious issues because of makeup that has been mishandled. Don't be dumb. Don't take that risk. Know where it's coming from.
If you love makeup but don't want to cash out on expensive products, there are plenty of avenues where you can buy discounted, unopened, authentic product. Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and other discount stores often have overstock items for cheap. Ulta runs sales all the time. Sephora runs deals for those who are a part of their Beauty Insider program. Enroll in free memberships that allow you to accumulate points and receive coupons in the mail and via email.
Don't take risks with your health. Don't dumpster dive for cosmetics. It's unsanitary, it's unnecessary and you're really going down an avenue that you'll never fully know all the answers to.
