The ultimate guide; where to donate your unopened beauty products.
Beauty products can be expensive, so donating unused items is a good way to ensure makeup and skincare is not wasted.
When donating, all products must be unopened. This guarantees makeup is safe and suitable for donation.
Donating beauty products will not only declutter the bathroom and get rid of impulse purchases, it will help people in need.
No matter where you are in Australia, there are places you can easily donate beauty items you aren’t going to use or have multiples of.
What can be donated?
Beauty products accepted by charities, organisations and not-for-profits include body lotions, skincare products, haircare products, makeup, lip balm and even fragrances.
A lot goes into ensuring donated products meet the standards of health department regulations in order to be given to others.
To ensure products meet these standards, check that products:
- Are unused and in their original packaging.
- Still have over 12 months before expiry.
- Are absent of exfoliating properties, acids or AHAs (meaning they are suitable for all skin types, even those with sensitive and allergy prone skin).
- No sample products.
Here are locations to donate beauty products throughout Australia.
NEW SOUTH WALES:
Look Good Feel Better, NSW
Look Good Feel Better is dedicated to teaching women how to manage the appearance-related side-effects that come with all types of cancer.
Apart from collecting donations, LGFB holds workshops which are run by over 1000 qualified beauty, hairdressing and cosmetic professionals who volunteer their time in hopes of empowering those currently going through treatment.
A tip from Look Good Feel Better: As donations are going to those who can be highly sensitive about their appearance, consider giving soft and neutral-coloured products that can be used across a variety of skin tones and age groups.
Find out more here.
Pink Cross, NSW
All donations forwarded to Pink Cross are put towards gift packs distributed to help women and men in the sex industry, as well as victims of sex trafficking.
Being a survivor-led charity, the majority of employees and volunteers at Pink Cross have had personal experiences within the sex industry and are committed to helping others within the field.
Find out how to donate here.
Every Little Bit Helps, NSW
Every Little Bit Helps is working towards the goal that every individual in Australia has access to a toothbrush and bar of soap regardless of their circumstances.
They believe that giving toiletries and beauty products to where it is most needed not only provides people with the essentials, but also gives them dignity.
All makeup and cosmetics are packed into gift-bags known as care packages. These are distributed to small government and community groups that in turn reallocate them to victims of Domestic Violence, asylum seekers as well as homeless and youth shelters.
Find your nearest drop-off point here.
Lou’s Place, NSW
Being the only daytime women’s refuge in Sydney, Lou’s Place is a community-based refuge for women who are in crisis, need support or are feeling isolated. Receiving no government funding, Lou’s place functions specifically through product donations.
Lou’s Place believes that everyone deserves basic needs, offering services to women and providing numerous activities including visits from hairdressers and pop-up beauty boutiques.
Learn more here.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA:
Love, Hope and Gratitude Foundation, SA
This not-for-profit founded in 2015 assists victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and homelessness. Not only do they care for families, they also have developed programs and housing for pets while their owners find permanent accommodation.
All products donated go towards women who have escaped dangerous living situations, meaning that most of the time non-essential items such as makeup and beauty products are often left behind.
Find out how to donate here.
VICTORIA:
New Day Box, VIC
Having donated over 10,000 boxes, New Day Box collect donations and put together boxes of beauty products and hygiene essentials that are distributed to women in crisis accommodation.
Their aim is to provide boxes of beauty products that will help boost the self-esteem of women who have gotten lost in the pursuit of survival, forgetting to enjoy the nicer things in life.
Find out more here.
Pinchapoo, WA, QLD, SA, VIC
Slang for pinch-a-shampoo, Pinchapoo has redistributed 8.5 million personal hygiene products to individuals nationally every year. With collections all across Australia, there are drop-off points in Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.
Not only do they accept products from the general public, they also source donations from highly renowned Australian brands Aesop and Lush. When donations are low Aesop and Lush provide, and at times also help distribute high quality products to those who need it most.
Find your nearest collection point here.
Dress for Success, ALL Australian Capital Cities
With over 12,000 volunteers, Dress For Success has empowered and assisted over 1.2 million women around the world. As a not-for-profit, Dress For Success strive to support women both entering back into and currently within the workforce.
With regular donation drives, products that they accept include cosmetics, toiletries and even fragrances (given that they are unopened and sealed). Having affiliates in 24 countries, some of the bigger names that they partner with and are sponsored by include makeup manufacturer Benefit Cosmetics as well as Calvin Klein.
Learn how to donate here.
