I like skincare. I read about the latest, the best and the most effective skincare that's on the market, especially now that I'm closing on 50 in less than a year. I do my research, and I mean a lot of research on what is out there and on what I think would be best for my skin with the skin concerns that I have, mainly in the category of ageing and pigmentation.

After much research and contemplation, I say contemplation because skincare is becoming more and more expensive, including drugstore brands! But I bite the bullet and get skincare that I THINK would work for my skincare. Only to find out that some either break me out, make me look like an oil slick, leaves me crusty or simply just not doing anything for my skin.

Through trial and error, I must say that I have a few (maybe more than a few) that I have left to collect dust! That was then. Since then, I have learnt to repurpose the ones that don't work for my face, and I use them some other way, mostly on my body. Your body needs some love too, right?

I started repurposing skincare when I developed keratosis pilaris on my upper arms. I experimented with tretinoin which was a bit too harsh for my face, and voila, it worked for my arms! I've never looked back.

Since then, I have found many ways to repurpose these unwanted bottles of skincare, knowing very well that nothing is going to waste even if they're not suitable for my face.

Repurposing skincare products is not only kind to your wallet but also to the environment. Here are some easy ways you can repurpose your skincare for maximum use.

8 EASY WAYS YOU CAN REPURPOSE YOUR SKINCARE FOR MAXIMUM USE

01 Use Face Moisturiser As Hand Cream OR For Your Feet

Considering how much our hands and feet do for us, we often neglect these parts of our body where lotions or potions are concerned. Your moisturiser that might have been too rich and oily for your facial skin could be put to good use on your hands and feet. This goes for facial oils as well.

Whether expensive or cheap, your facial moisturiser as hand cream or foot cream will make your hands and feet moisturised and keep them looking younger for longer.

Keep it by your bedside, so you don't forget!

02 Mineral Sunscreen For Your Body

Have a problem with the white cast your mineral sunscreen leaves on your face? Before you throw it out, consider using it on your body, especially your arms, legs and chest area.

I'm in the car with the sun blazing in at least 2 hours every day only to realise that my arms and legs are not protected. Instead of going out and buying a brand new bottle of sunscreen specifically for the body, I scour my skincare drawer for face sunscreen that I don't reach for anymore. I might be annoyed with how long it takes the white cast to disappear from my face, especially with the morning rush, but I don't mind it on my body.

03 Cleansing Balm Or Oil As A Shaving Cream

Cleansing balms or oils can definitely be a hit or miss. I've bought several based on rave reviews of the products only to find that I wasn't happy with how they left my skin feeling.

I've discovered that replacing your shaving cream with cleansing balm does a really good job of giving you a close, clean shave. It might clog your razors faster but we're supposed to change our razors more than we usually do anyway.

04 Lip Balm As Cuticle Balm

Generally, I think we take your hands for granted. One of the hardest working parts of our body that we have, and we put it through the mill everyday. As I write this, I look at my hands and realise how dry it is, but I do love my hands with all my heart!

Moisturiser sometimes isn't enough for your dry cuticles so why not reach out for the lip balms you have lying around, especially the potted ones and slather it on your cuticles. Lip balms are more emollient than moisturiser and will help your cuticles look healthy and nourished.

Fun fact - I also slather lip balm on my elbows, knees and feet!

05 Sheet Masks For Other Areas Of Your Body

Firstly I don't think sheet masks work. Secondly, regardless of whether they work or not, I still keep buying them! And end up with one too many.

Cleaning out my skincare drawer, I've often times come across sheet masks I forgot I even had. Meaning - they weren't all that good, or I just bought them for the sake of buying them.

If you no longer want to use your sheet masks for your face, you can repurpose them and use them for your neck and your chest.

06 Face Scrubs For Your Underarms, Knees, Feet, and Elbows

I no longer use physical scrubs on my face, preferring chemical exfoliants instead. But when I was migrating between physical to chemical exfoliants, I repurposed my face scrubs by exfoliating my underarms.

Our underarms can get darker from the accumulation of dead skin cells and the build-up of products. I believe slathering soap or body wash is not enough to get rid of what's left on the skin, especially from product build-up from your deodorants. Using face scrub gently on your underarms can eliminate product build-up and allow it to breathe again.

But why stop with the underarms? We can use face scrubs for our knees, elbows, and feet as well. The skin on these areas is more resilient and can benefit from a good scrub every now and then.

07 Chemical Exfoliants For Problem Areas On Your Body

Chemical exfoliants can be quite tricky. Sometimes we're so sure that a product will definitely work for us, only to find out that our skin hates it. With all the trials I have gone through, I think I know which ones work for my facial skin, even if they're not the popular ones recommended. We know by now that our skin is different, and we react differently to certain products, regardless of what the reviews are.

What do I do with exfoliants that didn't make the cut? I use it on dry patches, spot prone, age spots, and keratosis pilaris on my body. Somehow the results are slower, but with consistency, they work just as well!

08 Cleansers As Makeup Utensil Cleansers

Some cleansers can most definitely melt makeup, but it can also sometimes leave your skin feeling tight and dry, and as much as you want to like that particular product, you wouldn't want to put your face through it any more than it already has!

Instead of throwing it out, you can repurpose it as a makeup brush and sponge cleanser! It will melt all the makeup away and leave your brushes clean.

These are some of the ways I repurpose unwanted skincare products. Do you have any other suggestions? Share them in the comments, I'd love to hear them!