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Home » Interesting Discussions » Your Say: Do you have a skincare product graveyard?

Your Say: Do you have a skincare product graveyard?

November 26, 2013 Paris B 56 Comments

skincare product graveyard
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Hands up ladies, don’t be shy! Do you have a skincare graveyard?

When I was whisked away by Olay during their whirlwind blogger event in Sydney 2 weeks ago, during the evening presentation, we were told about this thing called a “skincare graveyard”. Basically, what this is, is that far dark corner of your room or your house, where you toss all the skincare products that don’t work for you, for whatever reason. Perhaps you aren’t seeing the results that are promised, or perhaps it’s giving you an adverse reaction.

It is that place where skincare products go to die, to put it morbidly. According to a Facebook poll run by Olay, 63 million claimed to have this skincare graveyard and it made me morbidly curious. Do you have one too? After all, we know that not every product works for us and I know that many of us are skincare junkies! 😀

I maybe in a slightly different position, seeing as to how I do try different products from time to time in the name of blogging. Up to 2 years ago, I’d be the one at the back of the room, waving my hand high in the air when asked if I might have a graveyard of skincare items that don’t work for me.

In the past year, this graveyard has been significantly reduced. I don’t consign too many products to this graveyard any longer, because I am now more in tune with my skin and its needs, so I pick and choose my products accordingly. What this means of course, is that I waste less and what I also learned is that while my skin tolerates and enjoys using prestige or luxury skincare, some just do not work, and sometimes an affordable option works out better. 2 luxury brands in particular are SK-II anything, and La Mer creams which will explain why you don’t see me talk about them. My skin doesn’t take well to La Prairie either so that is a large chunk of prestige brands out of my trial zone – whew! 😉

Olay’s research says that many women are spending more on prestige brands and products (to the tune of US$16 million! 😯 ) in the hope of better quality products and better results and then being disappointed hence the expensive skincare graveyard. While I agree to an extent (I too have had spectactular failures in the prestige skincare department, some of which are found here) I also disagree because I have also found some prestige skincare that work very well for my skin (depending on how “prestige” is defined, my fave skincare aren’t always budget). Of course, if there is an affordable alternative, it’s preferable, but it isn’t always the case.

Back in the day before I’d even started blogging, I used to spend quite a lot on skincare. I was the one who believed that using a whole range of products from one brand will serve my skin well, and I was that one who also believed that skin needs to “purge” before it gets better. Bah, all that’s false! I actually found solace in Olay Total Effects cream for years before I started experimenting again. I wasn’t asked to say that BTW, I do really like Olay Total Effects moisturiser and said so back in 2008! 😀

For myself, the reason I send products off to die in the skincare graveyard is because:-

  • they break me out
  • they don’t show any promised results
  • they give my skin an adverse result
  • I don’t like the textures or smell
  • they aren’t as efficient as other products I use

What do I do with these products then? Ah, what I have also learned through the years is that we are all individuals and therefore what fails to work for me can work for someone else. So, every few months, I drag out my bag of discarded items and let friends, family or family friends pick out what they want. A lot of money is in there (a lot of them mine, because I do buy a lot of stuff too) but I’d rather it goes to someone who’d use it rather than be tossed out in the trash.

Do you have a skincare product graveyard and why do they end up there? Do prestige/expensive skincare disappoint you?

For me I don’t deny having very high hopes for expensive skincare. After all, when we pay for a product, we expect to see results and in the case of a pricey product, better results. But the fact is also, that it isn’t always the case. So come on, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this 😉

Paris B

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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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56 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. LeGeeque says

    November 26, 2013 at 8:43 am

    I do! And then I’d slowly use it up for my neck and bum or the rest of my body 😛 Yep, La Mer the cream breaks me out thankfully. And even better, I found out from using their tiny pots of samples.

    Like you, I’ve been an Olay user for years and I see no reason in changing. It works, it smells good and it doesn’t break me out 🙂

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 2:45 pm

      LOL your bum eh? I too break out from La Mer cream sadly, or maybe happily eh? 😛 The lotions are fine though. Am very happy with them! I remember you’re a fan of Regenerist so I’m going to give it a go. Always nice to have cheaper alternatives on hand eh?

      Reply
  2. Philippe says

    November 26, 2013 at 8:59 am

    Oh yes I have a graveyard, it all goes into bags that I distribute among friends or people that want it. That is of course only if the results just didn’t show or the smell isn’t for me.

    There have been products so bad that they went into the bin. Loaded with alcohol, irritants, coloring, perfume, adverse reactions, rashes, pimples overnight, etc.. I don’t give that stuff to anyone cause I like them. Lucky for me it takes a few brands out of my eyesight too, bye bye philosophy, dermalogica, la prarie, la mer mostly, sisley, lab series, clinique, and many more.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 2:46 pm

      Oh yes, good point about binning bad products. I do that too. Usually I manage to persevere but some just don’t deserve the perseverance! I’m not as fussed about some ingredients and I know some of my relatives love some of the brands/products I can’t use so I keep it for them. Whatever makes them happy eh? 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jacqueline says

    November 26, 2013 at 9:27 am

    If I happen to buy or receive a skin care product that isn’t suitable for me I just pass it on to my mom. I haven’t been disappointed by a prestige brand because when I know I’m going to pay so much I do a little bit of research before I lay my money on the counter.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 2:50 pm

      Lucky Mom! 😉 I do my research too but sometimes, some products, no matter how popular just react with my skin. Now I’m sort of familiar with what may break me out, whether texture or ingredient wise, I’m a little more careful and face fewer mistakes. Also means my skincare stash just keeps growing instead of dying! LOL!

      Reply
  4. Lana says

    November 26, 2013 at 9:40 am

    Lol to the comment about using it on the bum. I do have a product graveyard as well, but it kinda depends on why I stopped using it. My SO who has very resistant skin (I call it ‘the hide’) is the recipient of all products that were too strong for my nit picky skin. Anything else that I did like, but not enough to continue using it goes to my family. Anything horrible goes to the bin!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm

      Ah your lucky SO! 😉 I sometimes get bored with certain skincare too even though they start out well. It’s the reason why I don’t like reviewing skincare too quickly. I never know if I might get bored or if it might break me out 2 months down the road. It happens!

      Reply
  5. liyeun says

    November 26, 2013 at 9:40 am

    I do not only have skincare graveyard but also makeup graveyard! Hahahaha….. skincare and makeup are so personal to each and every one. Whether or not we splurge, we do have hopes when purchasing them based on words of mouth, advertisement or very “helpful” SAs. Fortunately though, I have friends and brothers and my husband who do not mind using those that did not work for me. Thank god!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 2:58 pm

      Hahaha yes yes I hear ya on the makeup graveyard! But with makeup I always feel like there’s less room for error. The worst is when a foundation shade doesn’t suit you, but otherwise, colours can be kept and used all the time, breakouts are less. With skincare, once it breaks me out that’s it. I’m not trying it again! But then, I’m also more of a skincare junkie than a makeup junkie I’ve realised 😀 Recovering junkie but a junkie nonetheless!

      Reply
  6. liyeun says

    November 26, 2013 at 9:42 am

    Btw, you are so lucky to be able to use their Total effects after using other skin care brands! My face, once being introduced with higher ends, does not want to have anything to do with drugstores’ now! I am in trouble…..

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 2:59 pm

      Yes, actually my skin doesn’t mind some low end products. That said, I don’t just use them willy nilly. I may use an inexpensive moisturiser, but I never stinge on my serums so I think ultimately, it all balances itself out 🙂

      Reply
  7. Firn says

    November 26, 2013 at 10:08 am

    My skincare graveyard used to be my medicine cabinet and the drawers in my room and bathroom. All of the stuff that doesn’t work for me I end up giving to my mum, and she loves most of them!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm

      Thank goodness for Mums! 😀 My graveyard is in a paper bag in a different room so I don’t even have to look at it 😛

      Reply
  8. Victoria says

    November 26, 2013 at 10:16 am

    Another interesting topic for discussion as usual 🙂 Since I only purchase skincare items to replenish the ones that I have used up, I do no have a skincare product graveyard. A good thing too as it prevents wastage and overspending. LOL. I do a lot of research before purchasing expensive skincare and so far, none have disappointed me.

    A bit off topic here but would love to hear your thoughts on the new Olay hydrating gel moisturiser as there are not many reviews about it yet on the web. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:03 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it Victoria 🙂 I sometimes wish I could also just replenish skincare but I am too much of a skincare junkie to do so 😛 I am definitely much more likely to buy a new skincare product or be swayed by one than to buy a new makeup! Even more so now that I’m having a renewed interest in skin care in general 😀 I thought certain skincare would work for me, after all the research I do but then I discover I’m that minority, which is always something unexpected. Other times, I just buy into the hype, shamefully enough 😛

      As for the Olay gel, it’s actually surprisingly quite nice! I tested it quite recently and it’s very light and comfortable. But I’m still gathering some thoughts on it because I have a niggling feeling that it isn’t quite enough for me. Good enough for the majority perhaps but just not for me 🙂

      Reply
  9. Lily says

    November 26, 2013 at 10:20 am

    I’m lucky that my mom’s skin can take ANYTHING. So, whatever product doesn’t work for me, she happily accepts them. That’s why I don’t have a graveyard for my unused / unloved skincare products at home. Yay for moms! 😛

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:04 pm

      Another lucky mom! 😉 The better quality products end up with my Mom too but I store them in a graveyard till it’s time to hand it over. Which reminds me I should clear it out soon 🙂

      Reply
  10. Cynthia Loh says

    November 26, 2013 at 11:06 am

    I don’t have a graveyard for that because that’s pretty much pilling up and waste my space in my room. So I usually end up giving those skincare out to people or last resort, I’ll use it on my other parts of my body.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:05 pm

      Do you get rid of them immediately then, Cynthia? I try to but it’s not always that easy so I usually just put them aside till I see my friends or family then hand them over. I never got the hang of using face products on other parts of the body but I might try that now that a few people have mentioned it! It’s all skin after all eh?

      Reply
  11. Juan says

    November 26, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    it’s almost similar for me – that my skincare graveyard has gotten smaller recently due to me being more choosy in what i use. i’ve also realised that some of the products that i couldn’t use 10 years ago would work so well on my skin now. still, being the beauty junkie that i am, i continue to make purchases out of curiosity which in turn might not work to my benefit ;P

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:07 pm

      With age comes wisdom, Juan! 😉 I think the most important thing is actually understanding our skin and that’s something that many people don’t try, preferring to listen to recommendations by other people, which explains why it’s so easy to be suckered in at the cosmetics counter after listening to SAs! Although I have a pigmentation problem, I’ve stopped using whitening products because I found that they were too drying and didn’t do much for my pigment anyway. So now, I focus on improving on texture and hydration and to my surprise, visible pigmentation seems to be fairly controlled. But like you, I don’t deny that I’m always tempted by the next new thing out there. How would we know it won’t work for us till we try it eh? 😛

      Reply
  12. dain says

    November 26, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    yes I do.. dont have the heart to toss them away 🙁

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:08 pm

      Aww I love your answer Dain, so honest! 😀 Maybe you could give them away to family? That way they don’t go to waste 🙂

      Reply
  13. casey23 says

    November 26, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    I never let them start a graveyard, I always give them away to family and friends 🙂 They usually benefit from them better than me!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:11 pm

      Good on you Casey! I’m sadly a hoarder and a clutterer hehe… but you’re right – it’s always better for products that don’t work for us to go to a better home. After all, we all have different skin tolerances 🙂

      Reply
  14. Sunny says

    November 26, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    Nope, I don’t! I can’t remember the last skincare product I bought and hated. It depends on HOW a press sample doesn’t work for me when it comes to what happens next. If I’m experiencing no adverse effect, I might choose to finish it. If I don’t like the texture/smell, it might go into the pile that my friends can go through when they’re around. If it’s really “bad”, nowadays I take it straight to the bin. I’d rather keep going back to the stuff I know works for me!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:14 pm

      Good on ya Sunny 🙂 I’m too much into skincare to be faithful (more so than makeup which I can take it or leave it at this point! LOL!) so I’m always looking out for the next new miracle cream even if I know it doesn’t exist 😛 It’s a good thing I’ve actually wised up in recent years to listen to my skin long enough to work out what may or may not work so the graveyard is rather empty at this point, except for some press samples. A lot of the time, what I buy is fine – it’s the press samples that aren’t LOL

      Reply
  15. Biianca says

    November 26, 2013 at 2:52 pm

    No.. I have a makeup graveyard more likely. Heeee. For skincare I usually buy when I finish (now, why I can’t do that with makeup tsk tsk) so there’s no graveyard. But if something doesn’t work for me I usually pass it onto my mum, and thankfully her skin can take anything and everything 🙂

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 3:16 pm

      Ah to have an uncomplicated skincare lifestyle 🙂 I just realised I’d never had an uncomplicated skincare lifestyle. Have been meddling about in skincare far longer than makeup and discovering raves and duds along the way. For makeup that I buy, they rarely enter the graveyard unless they’re too old or I fall out of love with them, especially if I bought on a whim. But these days, since I’m a lot pickier with my choices, it’s happening a lot less. Whew! 😀

      Reply
  16. Tracy says

    November 26, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    I used to have a skincare product graveyard too! Usually those were products I didn’t like (the texture or the smell – I cannot stand strong smells), and as such they would usually end up on my neck and hands. My only wasteful item is sunblock, as i only apply sunblock on my face, so if i don’t like a new sunblock, it would take ages to finish it just on my neck.

    Now that I understand my skin type better (dry and sensitive, so need to cut down on the experimentation!) , I am more careful (been faithful to SKII for the past 2-3 years!) in my skincare purchases now, so there is less wastage these days. If I really want to try something new, I usually hunt for samples, or buy those trial bottles.

    But it is hard to curb the impulse buy if I happen to be in Japan (the almighty drugstore)!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 8:00 pm

      I go a little nuts when it comes to French skincare so I totally understand you! 😉 but like you I too have finally understood my skin and its idiosyncrasies so I’m faring a lot better now. You can use the sunblock on your arms too. I do that with products I don’t like and my arms are protected. Win!

      Reply
  17. rudi says

    November 26, 2013 at 7:48 pm

    oh gosh, what an appropriate term!

    and yes, definitely – an expansive and expensive one.

    Luckily the size has shrunk over the years as I now adhere to the “no sample no purchase” policy. No matter what assurances are given to me by the sales person, i will not purchase without being able to sample it on the relevant part of the body.

    Trying on the hand as the norm at counters will not move me to buy.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 26, 2013 at 8:04 pm

      Lol expansive and expensive mistakes for sure over the years yes? I think your policy is a good one. With skincare it’s impossible to tell from a swatch on the back of our hands just how good they are or how well they may perform on our face. I hope more brands wise up and offer more generous sampling opportunities. 1 week is reasonable. 1 use isn’t!

      Reply
  18. Parita says

    November 26, 2013 at 10:09 pm

    I am extremely picky when it comes to skin care so I don’t have a lot of products in my skincare graveyard section! One of the reasons I always always go for sample sizes for ask for multiple samples…so if they don’t work out for me my hard earned money would be saved! however this means most of my graveyard consists of variety of different samples which I hardly use!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      December 2, 2013 at 2:20 pm

      Good point about samples. Brands should realise just how important generous sized samples are. One use just isn’t enough to cut it when it comes to skin care, don’t you think?

      Reply
  19. gio says

    November 27, 2013 at 3:23 am

    I used to. These days, I tend to stick with products that work for my skin and if I come across one that doesn’t, or I don’t like the scent of, I’d just give it to my mom or a friend.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      December 2, 2013 at 2:23 pm

      Aren’t our friends and moms lucky? 😀

      Reply
  20. Ting says

    November 27, 2013 at 9:33 am

    Not really. I usually stick to one set of products at a time and use them up before opening another. On rare occasions that something doesn’t work (like I got it free as GWP), I give it away while it’s still good. Usually the products that I give away are not because they are not suitable for me… but because of the scent… 🙁

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      December 2, 2013 at 2:34 pm

      So disciplined! 🙂 I’m too fickle to stick to one item for too long although I’m now trying to be better at it and am finally starting to actually finish up products that I like! Yay me LOL So long as they go to a better home, I think it’s all good. Could be a waste of money, but better than tossing it.

      Reply
      • Ting says

        December 3, 2013 at 11:50 am

        I try. Only for skincare products though. Makeup is impossible to use up (before opening a new one) so those get stashed into a dark, secret drawer… hehe :p

        Now, do you have a makeup graveyard? :p

        Reply
        • Paris B says

          December 6, 2013 at 5:17 pm

          Makeup graveyard? It’s huge! HAHA! But to be fair, it’s not as big a graveyard per se, because I rarely buy unless I really like something but if you asked me this question 5 years ago, when I was a lot more crazy buying nonsense, then yes. Big makeup graveyard 😛

          Reply
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Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

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