7 Things You Can Declutter From Your Medicine Cabinet and Never Miss

Because medicine cabinets are the perfect place to stash away everything from toothpaste to soap to makeup, these spaces can easily become black holes for things we no longer use or forget we have. This can make it difficult to locate the one thing you're looking for, like Advil when you're hungover. Whether you’re finding this space a little cramped these days or you’re simply in the process of cleaning out your entire home, here are seven things you can declutter from your medicine cabinet and never miss. 

Hotel Samples

If you consider yourself a shower gel person, is there a real need to keep a tiny bar of soap from a hotel you stayed at three years ago? Same for that travel-sized bottle of floral-scented lotion. Hotel samples rarely get used and yet they take up so much space, especially if your medicine cabinet is on the smaller side. So move these things to your guest bathroom (if you have one) or declutter them.

Products You Used Once or Twice

Sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves and admit that that expensive moisturizer never gave us the glow we anticipated. The same for the anti-frizz serum that did absolutely nothing. We all make mistakes. Just get rid of it and move on.

Spoiled or Expired Toiletries

If that lavender body lotion smells a bit like gasoline or you’ve noticed your sunscreen is separated, it’s a pretty good sign something has gone bad. If you’re not sure, check the expiration date. If there isn’t one, there should be a graphic that looks like a jar with a number on the back. That’s the number of months it’s good for once opened. If you can’t remember when you purchased something, it probably needs to go.

Mistake Makeup

At one point or another, we all thought baby blue eyeshadow was a great idea. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t! The same goes for choosing the wrong color foundation or that palette you had to buy but used exactly twice. If you don’t wear it because it doesn’t look good on you today, it likely won’t in a week or month from now either. Just throw it out (or donate it if it's still in good condition and was never used).

Expired Medication and Prescriptions You No Longer Take

Whether it’s a bottle of Pepto, an ointment for a rash, or eye drops, if a medication is expired, just get rid of it. If it's recently expired, you’re probably safe to use it in an emergency (like Benadryl if you're allergic to something) but get a replacement ASAP.

Also weed out any lingering supplies of medications you no longer take. Search for a safe medication disposal site in your area and drop them off.

Cotton Balls

Those tiny cotton balls don't exactly spread toner evenly. So why do you still have them? Put them in the trash and pick up reusable cotton pads instead. You'll also save cash in the long run. 

Gadgets You Used Once and Forgot About

Whether it's one of those blue light teeth whitening tools, a facial shaver, or a rechargeable rotating facial brush—if it isn’t a regular part of your skincare routine, you probably don’t need it. If you still use these gadgets on occasion, relegate them to the area under your bathroom sink or a drawer instead.