Behind the Shampoo: The 31-Day Toiletries Ban That Found £84 I'd Already Spent
Photo: Richard Avery, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
On 1 November 2026, I did something that felt oddly radical: I put a moratorium on buying toiletries. No shampoo, no serum, no 'ooh that looks nice' body wash from the till at Boots. For 31 days, I had to use what was already in my bathroom. And because I am the kind of person who turns everything into a mini project, I also decided to tot up what was actually sitting on that shelf.
I expected to find a few sad bottles and maybe a hotel shampoo. I did not expect to find £84 worth of usable stuff — or to feel quite so seen by a half-empty bottle of serum.
The rule (and the loophole I nearly took)
The rule was simple: no new toiletries until December. I allowed myself replacements only if something ran out completely and I genuinely needed it — toothpaste, deodorant, that sort of thing. The loophole I nearly took was 'but it's for Christmas markets' body lotion. Reader, I held firm.
What I did not anticipate was how often I reach for a new thing simply because it is new. A different shampoo. A promising overnight mask. A mini shower gel that smells like a spa I have never been to. The month made me notice the difference between needing and browsing.
What was actually on the shelf
I cleared the shelf, the little basket under the sink and the back of the airing cupboard. It was not a glamorous haul. It was a lineup of half-used bottles, gifted sets and impulse buys that had been quietly waiting for their moment.
| What was on the shelf | Estimated value of what was left |
|---|---|
| No7 Protect & Perfect serum (half full) | £22 |
| CeraVe Moisturising Cream, 454g (two-thirds) | £15 |
| The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (almost full) | £5 |
| Garnier Micellar Water, 400ml (half) | £5 |
| Soap & Glory body butter (gift set) | £9 |
| Sanctuary Spa salt scrub (gift set) | £7 |
| Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion (quarter) | £6 |
| Lush Sleepy body lotion (small pot) | £8 |
| Two cans of Batiste dry shampoo | £7 |
| Total | £84 |
A quick note on the maths: this is not the full retail price of everything. It is my best guess at what the usable amount left in each bottle would cost to replace. That felt like the fairest way to work out what I had actually been sitting on.
Mini verdicts: what I'd rebuy
CeraVe Moisturising Cream. The clear winner. Thick without being greasy, brilliant on elbows and shins, and it lasted the whole month. I will rebuy this without drama.
Garnier Micellar Water. Reliable, cheap and does exactly what it says. No notes. I had forgotten how much I like it because I kept buying fancier cleansing balms instead.
Batiste dry shampoo. Not glamorous, but a Tuesday morning lifesaver. I found two cans at the back of the shelf and used both. I will buy it again, but only one at a time.
The Ordinary Niacinamide. Good, inexpensive and genuinely useful. The only problem is that I forget to use it because the bottle is small and unexciting. That is a me problem, not a product problem.
Lush Sleepy body lotion. Lovely before bed, but pricey for what it is. I would happily receive it as a gift again. I would not rush out to buy it myself.
Sanctuary Spa salt scrub. Too messy for a weekday shower and too aggressive for my skin in winter. I used it once and remembered why it had been sitting there. It has gone to a friend who loves a proper scrub.
Soap & Glory body butter. Nice smell, decent texture, but I am apparently allergic to finishing a tub. I used it on my legs for a week and made a dent. Would I rebuy? Maybe the smaller size.
The serum problem
The No7 serum was the awkward one. It was half full, which means I had used it enough to know it was fine — not miraculous, just fine. So why had it been sitting there for months?
The honest answer is that I had been saving it. Not for a special occasion exactly, but for a version of me who had her life together. The kind of person who does her skincare routine at 10pm instead of falling asleep on the sofa with a podcast on. The kind of person who deserves the nice serum on a random Wednesday.
That is a strange thing to admit about a bottle. But I think we all do it. We keep the good stuff for later, as if later is a real date in the diary. Meanwhile, the serum slowly separates at the back of the shelf and the day never arrives.
So this month I used it on ordinary mornings. School run, emails, rainy walk to the shop. It did not transform my face. It did make me feel slightly more put together, which is worth something. The fancy serum is now in the rotation, not on the pedestal.
What I'm doing differently now
Three things, all small.
First, I am doing a shelf check once a quarter. Not a big clear-out, just a look. If something has been there for more than six months without being used, it either gets used that week or goes to someone who will use it.
Second, I am not buying backups. I had two dry shampoos and three almost-identical body lotions. That is not stockpiling, that is a small shop I forgot I owned.
Third, I am using the nice things on normal days. The good bath oil. The candle that was 'for best'. The serum with the pipette that is slightly annoying but smells lovely. Waiting for a perfect day is a mug's game. Most days are just days, and they deserve a bit of nice too.
The £84 was a surprise, but the bigger surprise was how little I missed buying new things. I still like a browse. I still like a Boots advantage card point as much as the next person. But for one month, my bathroom shelf was enough. Turns out it had been enough for a while.
If you are doing a similar shelf audit, I would love to know what you find. Especially if it is a fancy serum you have been saving for a day that never comes.
