the bulk of the matter: beauty products

As I mentioned in buying bulkie baking products, sometimes it's not always worth buying the larger size if that means it'll go bad before you get a chance to use it up.

In regards to beauty products, I was pleasantly surprised that brands were mostly packaging facial beauty products in a multi-pack (the exception being the jumbo-sized body washes and shampoo's). Growing up in a large family, dominated by females, my mom bought a lot of these products to avoid running out.

If there's a certain shampoo or conditioner that you love and will use, then it's worth buying the huge size. The golden rule for buying any jumbo-sized product is this: Only buy brands that you already use and like- this is not the time to experiment because if you hate it you're stuck with like 66 oz. of it. Also, only purchase jars that are 2 oz. or under. Any time you have a jar that you're dipping your fingers in day-in-and-day-out is inviting a myriad of bacteria to take up residence. So, the less time you have the product, the more effective it will be.

sunscreens in a value-pack mean instant savings and more sun protection- this is a Summer stock-up item!

Sunscreen can be expensive, especially if you follow the rules and reapply often. It's wonderful that you can buy mulit-packs of sunscreen but there's a word of caution: only buy what you know you'll use up. Sunscreen has only a year-long shelf-life before it's not effective and if it's the end of the Summer and you're about to buy 4 more bottles with Fall fast approaching, I'd reconsider. Stock up at the beginning of the Summer, and then when the season is waning, buy individual bottles to avoid throwing away any extra's.

Do you purchase any bulk beauty products? How long has it taken you to finish something?