I’m fully on board with the old adage, “Waste not, want not.” I have a great deal of *finesse when it comes to using a product until there’s nothing left. I squeeze every last bit of toothpaste out of the tube. I get the very last drop of shampoo and conditioner from the bottle. If there’s a way to extract the last drip, pinch or smidge of any product, I think I’ve found it. The big exception is mascara.

For at least the last 20 years, I’ve rotated my mascara every 3 months. Avon first made me aware of the health reasons to do this. They introduced mascara that had a nifty way to remind you when you began using the tube and when you should throw it out. At first I thought it was a way to get you to buy more mascara, but soon saw news reports regarding the danger of using a tube of mascara after three months.

Reports showed a tube of mascara cut open after three months and it was pretty hideous. Apparently bacteria grow on our eyelashes, hitch a ride on the eyelash brush and then grow very well in the dark, moist environment of the mascara tube. Pretty icky! Do a quick internet search and you’ll find lots of articles regarding the subject. (Here’s a pretty good one.)

While I resist throwing anything out before it’s completely used, this is one product that hits the trash after three months.

My saving finesse level:
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What’s your saving finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)