Do you have a million products collecting in your bathroom? Some dusted, some half empty, some basically empty but you refuse to throw it away? Carmen, our founder, calls this occurrence product junkyism. Your products take up space and become cluttered as you try and try new products in hopes they work for your hair. Most of the time they don't do what you'd like and you're left with bottles and containers that you hardly ever use but can't seem to get rid of. Reducing the clutter of your products is a helpful way to simplify your regimen. It also helps you identify the products that work well for your hair and the ones that you don't need to purchase anymore.

How to Declutter Your Space

1. Check expiration dates. If the product is expired, get rid of it. If you haven't already, get in the habit of labeling the date on the bottle when you open your product. This will help you track when your bottles need to be thrown out and replaced. Most products last between 12-36 months after opening. Some products may not perform well and create lackluster results if used after their expiration. The texture and smell may also change. If you need to use a product after it's expired, look up if it's safe to use and what the effects will be. Certain types of products are good for up to six months post-expiration.

2. Ask yourself a few questions. Do you use this product? Do you plan on using it in the future? If you don't see yourself using it or you've gone a long time without even realizing you have that product, then you can get rid of it. If the it isn't expired, you can give it away to someone you know that will use it or toss it in the trash. There's no use in waiting for a product to expire if you know you won't use it. Many of us fall into the habit of thinking, "What if?" What if I decide to do a certain style and this comes in handy? What if I randomly decide to try this product again? While those questions are valid, you really need to be honest with yourself about the likelihood that you'll actually touch this product.

3. Did you like this product? think about how it performed and if you were happy with results. maybe it caused flakiness or left a residue hat you didn't like on your hair. if this is a product that you don't like for your hair, feel free to remove it from your collection. if it was expensive and you don't want to throw away money, ask yourself if you'll be happy with using a product that provides poor results. if you see yourself dealing with the cons in order to feel like you didn't waste your money, try to finish your product. if you don't think you'll use it again, throw it away or give it to someone who's interested in trying it. some products work a bit better on other people's hair.

4. Review your tools. Your tools include brushes, hair clips, hair shears, rollers, and anything else you use to manage and style your hair. It's natural for them to break and become damaged from normal wear and tear. It's good practice to take a thorough look at your tools twice or so a year to see if they need replacing. Using broken or damaged tools can reduce their effectiveness and make your regimen more difficult.

Why Declutter?

Decluttering all areas of your home is extremely beneficial. Your hair care products and tools are included! Clutter can cause unnecessary stress, unclear thinking, low energy, and other disruptions in your daily life. When you actively reduce and remove it, it's common to have a boost in your mood, improved health, increased productivity, and less anxiety. Think of the feeling of relief when you straighten up your home or do a deep clean. There's a sense of pride and clarity that often follows. Decluttering promotes similar feelings. If you're mindful of what you bring into your space and how you organize it, those feelings will last longer. Eventually, there will come a time to restart the process and declutter again. That's why we recommend reviewing and removing products and tools from your collection a couple of times a year.

Decluttering Can Help Simplify Your Natural Hair Regimen

Natural hair care can feel overwhelming. There's so much information surrounding it and most of us are just trying to figure out how to get consistent results with our healthy hair. Products for curly, tight hair are constantly coming out or becoming viral which can quickly lead to an overcrowded cabinet. It's easy to lose certain products or forget that you own them when they're cluttered and disorganized. This will lead to double-purchasing or letting products you plan to use expire. There's also a chance that you think you currently have a product so you forgo purchasing a new one. Then, while doing your hair, you go to reach for it and can't find it. Decluttering your hair care space makes it more visually appealing, less confusing, and more effective.

Keep your favorite and most frequently used products stocked and try to minimize your rarely touched products. That will help you keep clutter down for longer periods. If you have products that you want to try, go for it! Just be mindful of how much you're adding to your collection and keep track of what you own.

Our Hair Product Guide Can Help

If you're looking for great natural hair products to try that can simplify your routine, check out our free Hair Product Guide. It has our tried and true favorites along with other fabulous products meant for tight curls. We also have a few one-styler products that reduce the number of products needed to achieve certain styles. Less products needed means a simpler, easier routine and less clutter in your space. If you want to learn how to properly apply your hair products and consistently achieve hairstyles like a well-defined wash-n-go or twists, you can learn in our Home Hair Care Academy.