Confessions of a (Reformed) Product Junkie

My name is Green Afro Diva. And I was am a Product Junkie.

Sometimes, the first step is admitting you have a problem. No, I have never been in a back alley on my knees for my product fix…that was at Target. I’ve tried stopping on so many occasions and have told myself that it was my last time and I was gonna leave that stuf alone, but each time, a new product will come out and I HAD to try it. Bills and other expenses be damned. But eventually it caught up with me….

My bathroom has been filled with partially used product that I do like, It’s just that I haven’t used all of it. I used to be one of those people that would use a product once, get bored with it and try something else. Almost felt like dating, without all the weird awkwardness. Then when it came time to clean out my bathroom, I had crap in there I forgot exist. And they smelled off. So I did what any reasonable person would do in my position…use the product. Yes, I have used products that were way past their expiration date. Only because I felt bad about not using all of it. Why would I want my hard earned dollars going to waste? It’s not like it’s that bad right?

Actually, that’s very bad. Most products on the market believe it or not do not come with an expiration date. We all just have to use common sense and figure out whether it’s still safe to use. They, as in  manufacturers, load these products with extra chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, and emulsifiers to help the product stay on the shelf for a long time. Think about it, products with water in them usually will grow mold after a week or two. The fact that the same product has been sitting on a hot(or cool) shelf for months, maybe even a year, should have it’s own ecosystem growing in there. But it doesn’t. They are loaded with chemicals that are dangerous for your skin, add little to no kind of health benefit to your overall appearance, and yet are cheaper than freshly made products. It’s similar to what the food industry does in that most of the products on the shelf, although they do come with an expiration date, are filled with extra additives and fillers to allow the product to stay on the shelf longer. So why would you want to rub that stuf on your skin?

Sorry, back to being a product junkie. It’s not as hard as it seems to kick the habit. Think of the planet and the environmental implications of using less and wasting less. Think of the children. Or, I thought of the fact that I hate clutter and needed to get rid of some crap. I wanted to feed my junkism because I was so caught up in what was new on the market and wanted to be the first to try and critique a product. I was fulfilling my inner narcissism and escaping into my own world that revolved around what I thought and why you should care. Once it reaches that point, its time to do a self evaluation…What value does this product bring to me? Why do I have to try different products if they are designed to do the same thing? How does my wallet feel about this? So yes, I let go of the habit. Not completely, but I stopped buying stuf that did practically the same thing as my standard product and now only splurge when the funds are there and when all of my old stuf is used up. And this makes me and my wallet, very happy and sane…for now