What do you do with product rejects???

[LuckyH]

I took a peek under my bathroom sink this morning and basically slammed the door shut and ran away because of the mess of barely used products under there.

Most recently, my sister with gorgeous WL shiny wavy thick hair told me she uses Pantene Beautiful Lengths....I ran to the store and bought it because I was out of whatever I was using before and I'm a sucker for marketing. Well it's way too heavy for my thin fine hair (also I kinda want to go back to being cone-free...I think my mop can finally look nice in a more natural state) BUT I can't stand to see another $15 down the drain along with the heat protectant/dry shampoo/styling lotion/silk protien/hairspray/yadda yadda yadda that I have no use for but can't seem to toss. Waste not want not, ya know?

So what do you do with the leftover product from failed hair experiments? Stubbornly use every last drop for better or worse? Let it fester in a dark and forgotten bathroom abyss? Or simply cut your losses and throw them out?

[TheMechaGinger]

I try to find new homes for em. If I know of anybody that needs any kind of hair stuff I send it their way and see if works for them

[BeckyAH]

...I shave my legs with them. Or use them to handwash wool items. Or bathe the pets.

I don't buy styling products, though, so that's not much of an issue and if I did, I'd probably toss 'em. Or keep a bottle of hairspray around for stain removal.

[Tisiloves]

I keep them and donate them to friends and family.

[Laylah]

It's been a long time since I've had a product reject since my hair has gotten tolerant of pretty much anything as it has gotten healthier. Last time was a few years ago - I was using herbal essences rose hip shampoo that dried my hair out like crazy and frizzed/poofed it into something that looked like a blown-out afro. I gave it to my mom, who has straight hair that gets greasy quickly, and she loved it. It ended up working great for her and giving her lots of volume. The only other product reject I can remember is aubrey organics honeysuckle rose shampoo. It caused a huge amount of shedding on me, so I didn't dare offer to anyone. It was the worst stuff I've ever used and had I not stopped it, I would have almost certainly lost thickness. I dumped it in the trash with no qualms. Unfortunately I do have some cases of products that I have left to the eternal darkness of the bathroom cabinet... A bottle of a nice shampoo that I stopped using when I found an even better one, two bottles of leave in conditioner that left my hair a bit waxy but not awful... I don't want to just junk them if they weren't evil to me, and no one else wants them. Oh but I do use my bottle of white rain hairspray to seal layers of charcoal drawings.

Usually it's my family giving me their rejects! In fact the shampoo I'm using right now is nature's gate henna shampoo, which my aunt disliked because it left her hair too limp and oily. It's perfectly gentle for my dry hair.

[battles]

I use conditioner I didn't like to shave my legs with. Works great. Shampoo.. Uh, I have no idea. I have a few bottles sitting around from before I realized my hair doesn't like protein.

[NativeGirl]

I try to find new homes for them. I usually give my unwanted items to my Mom, because it usually turns out that if it doesn't work for my hair, it'll love hers and vice versa.

[dragonette@1]

Conditioners - I use to shave my legs, arms, etc; or mix a few leftovers together with a few drops of tea tree and lavender oils and use to rinse my henna/cassia blend out of my hair.

Shampoos - use rejects to hand-wash bras and pantyhose, or use to scrub toilets and showers and bathtubs.

[LuckyH]

Ahhh my legs, cat, and delicate underthings are going to thank you guys. So resourceful!

Laylah- I too am a product dumping ground for family. I guess I just need to make more hair loving friends and start passing the buck.

Maybe there should be a LHC "trading-post" of sorts....just sayin'!!

[DragonLady]

oooOooh! Be careful about using human products on a cat! They can be poisoned easily that way.

[Springgrl]

When it comes to shampoo or conditioner, I usually suffer through. haha! I don't buy very many typical products, but with the oils I buy, I just keep making different mixtures to see if the ones that didn't really work at first work well along with a different one. Usually I find something that works. Also, different oils/products work better/worse at different times during the year. I sometimes will keep them and try them in the winter or something.

[Springgrl]

oooOooh! Be careful about using human products on a cat! They can be poisoned easily that way.

I agree. I am kind of against using human products on my dogs. Human shampoos strip the hair more than doggie shampoos. It is important to maintain your cat/dog's hair oils. Who is shampooing their cat?? I have always had cats, and they never have needed to be washed! Should I be bathing them? haha.

[katsrevenge]

I give them to my family or freecycle them. Sometimes I use the shampoos to do laundry.

[cwarren]

Give it away to family and friends. It always lights up someone's day to get free stuff!

[pepperminttea]

If I can't rehome it to someone who'll use it, I use reject conditioner to shave with too, and I've been known to use SLS shampoo to clean the toilet. It works frighteningly well. :p


Who is shampooing their cat?? I have always had cats, and they never have needed to be washed! Should I be bathing them? haha.

The hairless ones (Sphynx) need to be bathed about once a week. :)

[Bene]

Conditioner rejects, I use for shaving. Shampoo rejects, I use for soaking/pre-treating/handwashing clothes if they need it before going into the machine. Sometimes I'll use them for body wash. Other stuff, I keep around until I've given them a few more tries, and then throw them out if I'm sure that I won't be using them.

[shawty]

I shall be the first to suggest MakeUpAlley.com.

[MagicalMystery]

I usually have a lot of them, and my sister gladly takes them. :)

[Johanna]

Eat them!!





That would normally be really gross if I wasn't talking about coconut oil, vinegars and the like.

[luxepiggy]

Eat them!!





That would normally be really gross if I wasn't talking about coconut oil, vinegars and the like.

LOL! I actually did this last year - after I realised that coconut oil makes me break out like crazy, I used it for cooking instead (^(oo)^)v

[hellucy]

I try to use them up on my 3 DD's hair - they all have completely different hair types from me & each other so often what works for one doesn't for the others.
shampoos I use as shower gel, hand wash & for cleaning the bathroom & it works really well for cleaning mirrors too.
Occasionally I do have to ditch products if I really cant find an alternative use for them - but I really hate throwing products out.

[curlyhair]

i have no problems with shampoo and conditioners as my brother use them anyway but rejected oils i always try to mix it with other oils my hair like and it works most of the time

[irisheyes]

I save my receipts, and if I don't like a product, I just return it and get a refund. Sometimes I lose a receipt, but I return it anyway for a store credit. I have returned shampoo and conditioner as well as makeup. Never a problem.

[XcaliburGirl]

For shampoo and conditioner, I put them in my guest bathroom for visitors. I usually toss styling products I don't like. I've been pretty satisfied with my current routine, so I haven't had many rejects recently.

[Bianca]

Try to find new homes for them. With conditioner, I use it to shave... If its shampoo I let BF use them. I recently went totally sulfate free, and my usual shampoo has sulfates, so told him I wouldn't freak out anymore if he used it :D

[lapushka]

Rejected shampoo ends up in my handwash soap dispenser. Conditioner never gets rejected but is always used up.

[Springgrl]

The hairless ones (Sphynx) need to be bathed about once a week. :)

Oh yeah I suppose they do! I have never had a hairless cat live with me. Thanks :)

[morrigan*]

I agree. I am kind of against using human products on my dogs. Human shampoos strip the hair more than doggie shampoos. It is important to maintain your cat/dog's hair oils. Who is shampooing their cat?? I have always had cats, and they never have needed to be washed! Should I be bathing them? haha.

I only bath cats when they are covered in something dirty or really smelly (one once come home covered with car oil, and one once smelled really terrible)

[bonnie1735]

I use them on my horse!! Everyone is always saying how good my horse smells! :D

[spidermom]

I try to find a way to make them work. For example, ShiKai shampoo made my hair feel weird, so I tried a diluted white vinegar rinse. Win!

Shampoo is also good for scrubbing out the tub, washing hand washables, or as bubble bath or shower gel.

If I don't like the conditioner, I'll use it as the first step in CWC and something I like better for the second application.

[Tia2010]

I put any shampoo/conditioners that don't work out for me in my sons showers. They can use anything and their hair still looks great ( lucky boys) or I just leave it in the shower and dh will use it.

For hair oils, I give them to my new daughter in law to try and if she doesn't like them she can pass it on to a friend.

[krisbb]

bubble baths < shampoo and conditioner, leg shaving, teenage son that if i can get to shower will use anything :couch:( I've started threatening to charge him a fee every time he doesn't shower)

[Vanille_]

This is terrible. But I just give it to my friend. If I don't like something, I give it to her. It's on her to throw it out if she doesn't like it. But at least it's not my problem.

On a side note, I love Beautiful Lengths. Well I did when it came out. I heard the formula changed though. I remember thinking it was the best thing ever.

I've been trying to be more frugal lately. If I bought something that I didn't like, I'd probably just return it now. Especially from a place like Walmart who has a pretty lax return policy.

[nerdymomma]

Shampoo becomes bubble baths, conditioner for shaving. I have three younger sisters too, so there is always someone wanting to try a new shampoo. If all else fails, I freecycle. When I switched to using more natural products, I kept a lot of my old things "just in case". Big mistake, because it was a lot worse to clean out the cabinet two years later and realize that most of those things had spoiled.

[LuckyH]

I'm starting to realize I might be a hoarder!! I don't know why i never keep the receipt and just return stuff....or give it away to roommates or something. I just have in the back of my head that I'll use them someday I guess....

and animal lovers don't worry, my cat wouldn't let me wash her with Pantene if I wanted to!

[afu]

unwanted conditoners get used for shaving, shampoos get given to my housemates or sisters (I CO now but still have a new shampoos lying around!)

[Amber_Maiden]

I give them away to friends- or my husband!

[sarahbrownie]

My mom ends up using them. She always mad when I buy new hair products, when I have the rejects in the bathroom closet but she just doesn't understand...I am looking for the miracle product and I will not stop until I find it.

[Bedhead]

I too share with my friends. Although there was one product I held for a moment, before saying " I don't wish this on anyone" and tossed it in the garbage, while my friend looked at me confused. I gave her the rest though.

[swearnsue]

Right now I'm hiding them from my husband so I can buy some new ones. Then I'll bring a bottle out when it's time to wash the dogs. Dogs for some reason use a million times more shampoo than I do on my hair, I guess it's because they only get a bath every other month. One of those mysteries, anyway I can count on the doggies to use up alot of the old shampoo and conditioners.

[spidermom]

My mom ends up using them. She always mad when I buy new hair products, when I have the rejects in the bathroom closet but she just doesn't understand...I am looking for the miracle product and I will not stop until I find it.

Hey, c'mere; I wanna tell you a secret. there is no miracle product
Don't tell anyone.

[BrightEyes]

I give them to my sister and SILs. I hate throwing products away.

[PurplePenguin]

Conditioners pretty much always get used but when I switched to cone free I gave all my coney products to my friends who used to live with me. Shampoo - I am saving my SLS shampoos for my baby sister, she can use just about anything plus its Aussie so she'll love it. Styling products went to my old roommates or I let SO have them. Basically I give anything I don't want anymore to other people, my friends love when I go through my bathrooms, they always end up with a couple of shopping bags full of items - most of which are usually half full or better.
I think I am going to go clean out my bathrooms now :run:

[pepperminttea]

My mom ends up using them. She always mad when I buy new hair products, when I have the rejects in the bathroom closet but she just doesn't understand...I am looking for the miracle product and I will not stop until I find it.


Hey, c'mere; I wanna tell you a secret. there is no miracle product
Don't tell anyone.

Agreed. But you know the worst part? If there was, and you found it, they'd probably reformulate it anyway. ;)

[Hollyfire3]

I use them on my horse!! Everyone is always saying how good my horse smells! :D

I should do this! Good idea! My horse will thank you!:D

[Hollyfire3]

Agreed. But you know the worst part? If there was, and you found it, they'd probably reformulate it anyway. ;)

There is a miracle product, I firmly believe this, it just takes ALOT of searching!

[Vanilla]

I kinda forget which ones don't work for my hair well, so I'll put them away in the cabinet, only to be taken out again after a few months.

Like spidermom, I'll try the conditioners again with a vinegar rinse if they left a residue before. Shampoos that I dislike will usually get used in my hair eventually, mostly to clarify (those seem to be the only ones I buy a lot of)

[earthnut]

I agree. I am kind of against using human products on my dogs. Human shampoos strip the hair more than doggie shampoos. It is important to maintain your cat/dog's hair oils.
Animal fibers are not all that different from each other across species. I figure what works on my head and keeps my hair nice and moisturized works for my dog too. And so far that's been true. Though, I don't use a lot of shampoo, on either me or on my dog. It's important to maintain my hair's oils! ;)

[Beckstar]

I box them up and bring them to work. There's 40 ladies at work so someone is bound to find use for them.

[jacqueline101]

I find new homes for them.

[RitaPG]

Shampoo can be used as hand or body wash. Conditioner can be used to shave your legs. They get really soft! :D

ETA
I remember reading from several people here that shampoo can also be used to clean the kitchen sink or bathroom stuff. I once washed my bathtub with an old bottle of Head&Shoulders, it's unusually effective at removing purple hairdye :p

[Magdalene]

Well, I usually try to get DH to use up the shampoo and conditioner for me. aqua net works really well to set stage makeup (and is way cheaper than final seal!)

[coffinhert]

I use my old shampoo as a bathtub cleaner. Works spectacularly.

[Jing]

Depends on how bad it is. I tried a schampoo and conditioner set from the Body Shop once, and it was terrible. I had no idea hair could even feel that horrid. I threw the conditioner away since I couldn't think of an alternative use for it (I don't shave, I epilate) and used the schampoo as shower gel until it ran out. On all other occasions I've simply used the product up (one big gloop at a time), because I'm stubborn. If I ever end up with a crappy conditioner again, I'll try using it as a base for a scrub; I don't want to use oil since I don't want to clog my drains.

[Dars]

Ahhh my legs, cat, and delicate underthings are going to thank you guys. So resourceful!

Laylah- I too am a product dumping ground for family. I guess I just need to make more hair loving friends and start passing the buck.

Maybe there should be a LHC "trading-post" of sorts....just sayin'!!
There is always the swap board...

ETA: Oooh 1000 posts. Yey!

[Heatherzilla]

I don't use much at all in the way of products. I'm vegan and have sensitive skin so I'm pretty fussy about what I use and I can't really sample a heap of exciting stuff. If I try something and don't like it either my mum or sister end up with it. My sister will try (and probably has tried) any beauty product known to mankind and mum isn't fussy about what she uses.

[earthnut]

I use shampoo, conditioner, and lotion for making bath paints for my girl. Add a couple drops of food coloring to a tsp or 2 of product. Great washable fingerpaints for the bath or outside, where you can hose down the mess. ;) (use condensed/evaporated milk as a base fingerpaints that dry shiny and pretty on paper)

I also use conditioner (and to a lesser extent shampoo) to wash my dog and my woolens. Conditioner is great for softening wool.