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Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,975
Registered: ‎05-18-2017

Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

This article appeared in Yahoo today:

 

There are plenty of charities across the country that accept new or lightly used makeup, skin-care products, and hair products. As we all know, beauty products can get expensive, and it's a shame to let something you didn't love end up in a landfill when someone else could be enjoying it.

 

1. Beauty Bus

Beauty Bus delivers support to terminally ill patients and caregivers through beauty, including bags of products and at-home services. They accept new, sealed products that are at least six months from their expiration date but are unable to accept razors, extractors, perfumes, deodorant, and makeup bags.

You can ship donations to:
Beauty Bus Foundation 2716 Ocean Park Boulevard Suite 1062 Santa Monica, CA 90405

2. Give & Makeup

Based in the United Kingdom, this charity supports women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. They accept secondhand makeup (though lip glosses and mascaras must be new), but as they put it on their site, "If you would be embarrassed to give it to a friend, please do not send it to these women."

You can ship donations to:
Give and Makeup P.O. BOX 855 London, W4 4AW

3. Project Beauty Share

If you tested out a new shampoo or moisturizer and decided it just wasn't for you, send it to Project Beauty Share. The organization "collects personal hygiene, cosmetics, and beauty products and distributes them through nonprofit organizations that serve women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness, and poverty."

They accept lightly used products, but only from the following categories: powder eye shadows, powder blush, bronzers and highlighters, eye and lip liner pencils (but only the kind you can sharpen), liquid foundations in airless pump containers, and squeeze tube foundations. Anything else must be new. As far as skin-care and hair products go, anything that comes in a tub or jar must be new, but used products that come in pumps, tubes, and bottles are welcome.

You can ship donations to:
Project Beauty Share 2718 E. Sprague Avenue Spokane, WA 99202

4. Share Your Beauty

If you've got a shade on hand that doesn't match or a shadow palette you know you'll never use, this is the charity for you. Their mission is "to put a bit of sparkle and dignity back into the lives of women and teens in crisis." They accept new, unopened, unexpired cosmetics, hair and skin-care products, nail polish, perfume samples, and personal care items.

You can ship donations to:
Share Your Beauty Family-to-Family PO Box 255 Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706

5. Go Local

Local women's shelters and girls' programs are almost always looking for self-care products. Call the ones nearest you to see what products they'll accept, and you'll likely be able to coordinate a drop-off for the applicable items you're no longer interested in.

Another local option: Host a beauty-product swap party with your friends. They'll be grateful for the freebies and you can Marie Kondo your stash, guilt-free.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,354
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

@San Antonio Gal  Thank you! I have a stash of products used 1x, mainly powders, highlighters, bronzers, etc that I'll make a point of packing nicely to send to Project Beauty. My firiends have overload, otherwise I'd consider a swap.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,053
Registered: ‎07-20-2011

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

@San Antonio Gal Thanks for this post. I didn't know about those specific spcharities. I live in NYC and I donate clothes to Dress for Success. Sephora sent by mistake, 2 shampoos, 2 conditioners and some make up to me. I donated that to a shelter. Always good to know other charities. 

Happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,390
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

The thought of using "used" cosmetics, no matter how gentle, is repulsive to me.  I'd also guess that many of these items have been hoarded and are past their shelf life.  I'd say "no" to this idea.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,310
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

this has been discussed before and I still say---no way would I EVER donate used make up/ skincare/ haircare to anyone nor would I ever use it---gross and disgusting--like giving away used underware---yuk!!! 

Valued Contributor
Posts: 578
Registered: ‎11-08-2011

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

@San Antonio Gal 

 

THANK YOU for posting this information.  It's that time of year where many of us reorg and declutter.  I plan to get packages prepared to ship.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,823
Registered: ‎03-21-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

This is definitely a big NO from me .... I would never donate used make up to anyone..... not a sanitary thing to do 👎👎

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,354
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

I have packaged only new, sealed makeup and covered new brushes to send; it is cost prohibitive to  send used products, and unsanitary as mentioned.

 

Everything else, even used 1x prduct was tossed.

 

A win /win

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,627
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

I don't understand "gently used."  Something is either  new or used. 

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,633
Registered: ‎10-21-2010

Re: Donating gently used make-up to a good cause...

They sanitize all the makeup when they get it. I have no problem with eyeshadows and powder products. They don’t take anything in a tube.