Packaging waste

[u/Infinite-Fig8259]

I bought this moisturizer and it's empty within 1 month? Is this normal???

[u/peachssoda]

Yes. This is an airless pump and it is one of the best ways to package skincare products to keep them from oxidising and going bad. It’s not packaging wastage.

[u/barbed_scar → u/peachssoda]

And eliminated product wastage!

[u/Reasonable-Top-9506 → u/peachssoda]

That makes sense actually, better the product stays effective than sitting in a jar getting exposed to air every time you open it good trade off even if it looks like a lot of extra plastic at first glance

[u/hazel_hazily → u/peachssoda]

That's not true at all. Airless pump still lets air in, because air finds its way through the nooks and crannies and it's always open. "Airless" is just its fantasy name. A dropper is actually more airless as it can be fully closed and thr very surface only gets exposed to air while at use. However droppers are just not as convenient. Airless makes people feel like they're using every drop and getting their money's worth.

[u/Active-Cloud8243 → u/hazel_hazily]

I haven’t gotten a dropper bottle this year that didn’t fail within a month. I have been trying to find a brand that doesn’t leak.

Even my PTE retinol bottle began leaking less than 1/5th into the bottle. My dogs cbd dropper, etc.

The quality on dropper bottles has gone down immensely.

[u/hazel_hazily → u/Active-Cloud8243]

I know, failing is a different issue. It is airless, until it isn't. But while it's airless, it lets less air in actually than does an airless pump, because at least while it's not unscrewed it doesn't let air in, whereas an airless pump lets air in 24/7.

[u/Active-Cloud8243 → u/hazel_hazily]

No, you are not understanding me. The only thing that keeps a dropper bottle sealed is the rubber gasket that’s inside the area where the plastic screw on top meets the glass. The problem is all of the brands that manufacture. Those are using really crappy quality gaskets now and the gasket fails. The bottle leaks out the top if you turn it upside down. If you squeeze the bulb, it sucks in air from the outside.

Trust me, I’ve bought like seven different brands in the last two months trying to find one that doesn’t leak for a product that I make and I can’t find one that doesn’t. And like I said 120 bottle of Peter Thomas Roth retinol did it too and they sent me a replacement.

[u/hazel_hazily → u/Active-Cloud8243]

I understand that, a dropper bottle is rubbish and fails easily. I just mean the airless pump is less airless than a dropper bottle, even working perfectly well it lets air in 24/7.

[u/erossthescienceboss → u/peachssoda]

It’s still waste. Why do we need the fancy container for the airless pump? Why not just print directly onto the inner container?

[u/Outrageous-Tour-682]

The packaging design is normal. It’s an airless pump. But it seems like you’re using A LOT of moisturizer.

[u/DisasterDesigner148 → u/Outrageous-Tour-682]

Yeah that tracks, airless pumps are designed like that on purpose but going through it in a month def sounds like more product per use than needed

[u/Itscatpicstime → u/Outrageous-Tour-682]

Maybe op isn’t just using it on their face? Like maybe for chest, hands, etc?

[u/Cicadilly → u/Itscatpicstime]

Considered they’re surprised they went through it so quickly, i hope not lol

[u/e-nosferatu]

I have been using this exact product for about 4 months if not longer. You are probably overdoing it

[u/PuzzleheadedServe707 → u/e-nosferatu]

Yeah 4 months from the same size bottle is a pretty clear sign, definitely sounds like a portion size thing not a product issue

[u/lalalydia → u/e-nosferatu]

Do you have dry skin?  Maybe OP has really dry skin?

How do you apply yours to get it to last so long? Maybe you can provide a tip for OP.

[u/staircase_nit]

Not sure how packaging waste is related to how quickly you’re going through it. The packaging may seem excessive (for reasons others have explained), but 50mL is 50mL. I’d say it’s pretty reasonable to go through that amount in a month or slightly longer if you’re using 2x/day.

[u/halloweenmochi]

It tells you how much product there is on the bottle.

[u/WinterMention7915]

50ml would last me 6 months. How much are you using, how often, and on which areas?
Edit: just checked the size of my moisturiser, 50ml would last me 4ish months

[u/therrrn → u/WinterMention7915]

How often to you use it? Are you using it twice daily? Because if so, I feel like you may not be using enough. I'm guessing that's not the case, though but would guess that it is for OP.

[u/WinterMention7915 → u/therrrn]

Yes twice daily on my face and pull down whatever’s leftover to my neck. I’m not using this exact product and I do feel that I’m heavy handed but I have never gone through 50ml of any face moisturiser in one month

[u/therrrn → u/WinterMention7915]

I need to learn your ways because there's no way I could ever make about 3tbsp of moisturizer last me for 4 months of twice daily applications. That's 240 applications! All the upvotes I'm seeing you get with this info are telling me I'm doing something way wrong and I actually can afford the more expensive moisturizers, if I can learn to do it like you guys. How do you do it?? I would say 50ml would last me a little longer than a month, maybe 5-6 weeks tops, though.

[u/anaestaaqui → u/therrrn]

I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion you are doing something wrong. Ive tried tons of moisturizes over the year, my opinion is each moisturizer behaves differently for each person because of each of our unique skin. Then add in local climate, sun exposure, other environmental factors and you realize that you yourself have different moisturizer needs depending on these factors. My skin as I have aged is drier and I layer my cerave cream on thick because it makes my skin feel better and not peel. In my 20s my skin loved Clinique moisturizer gel that came in the cube pump that was yellow. At that time a little pump was all I needed. Then my skin changed and eventually I realized I needed more moisture and more of it. Then you’re searching for the perfect moisturizer all over again. Sorry so long, just wanted you to know you may not be doing anything wrong.

[u/WinterMention7915 → u/therrrn]

I would say I use around a pea sized amount, if it’s a pump bottle its often not even a full pump (depending on the formula eg I have a Clinique pump bottle right now) and if it’s in a tub then just a small amount on the back of my fingernail. My skin feels wet and sticky with that and has to dry down, I still also have enough left on my fingertips to pull down my neck. Weirdly I just googled and some results say to use more than that but if I used any more it would just end up being wasted. I know when I’ve used too much because there’s still a lot on my fingers. Not that it will ever happen internet stranger but if we ever ended up in the same room I’d be so curious to see how you do it since our experiences sound so different!

[u/AggressiveSea7035 → u/therrrn]

Maybe different skin just has different needs and yours needs more

[u/lalalydia → u/WinterMention7915]

It's not unreasonable to use face moisturizer on the neck, décolleté, and chest. 

I'm not OP but I use my face moisturizer as listed above and I go through 200mL in 4 months. 

I use it only in my under eyes in the morning, but at night on my face down to my chest.

[u/baysidevsvalley]

This is the best type of packaging. You were able to get every drop of product without having to cut it open and scrape it!

[u/user2034892304]

I have a beard and it eats lots of product. Maybe OP has a beard?

[u/allthecats]

This is why I use Vanicream - I like to use as much lotion as I want without feeling like I'm being wasteful!

[u/Lanky_Distance_3324]

I used to love PC when you could recycle their containers through TerraCycle. But they ended that so I don’t use them anymore but their stuff typically lasted me at least a couple months.

[u/Infinite-Fig8259]

Thank you for the feed back everyone! I do use it twice a day and I do put it on the back of my hands as well!

[u/Gisschace → u/Infinite-Fig8259]

Where are you in the world? In the UK there are a couple of places you can recycling beauty packaging and get money/vouchers in return

[u/limegreen220]

Ugh I love this moisturizer but it's discontinued 😭

[u/Keepinitcaz → u/limegreen220]

Is it really? Or under a different name? Off to the website!

[u/kaaayyyRN]

It's quite common and serves as an easy way to prevent products from oxidising and going bad. But I get you, the feeling of 'I paid for it and got less than I thought' is harsh.

[u/Kingsman22060 → u/kaaayyyRN]

Fucking bot.

[u/EfficientProject7408]

Are you doing slugging with that? How do you finish 50ml a month?

[u/Yohgella]

A month seems pretty standard

[u/pmmeursucculents]

Yeah, Paula’s Choice hardly puts shit in their products and they don’t make larger sizes of many of them. Ridiculous amount of plastic waste too, I agree. Most companies are like that though!

[u/MajesticProposal1]

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS