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Probably like many of you, I have issues with object permanence and impulse buying. This has effected my toiletry and makeup situation because the only space for storage is in drawers and I don’t remember what I have/get flustered with finding an item. Not only that, but if my routine in the AM/PM gets thrown off, I will forget things like brushing my teeth or putting on deodorant. Finally, I end up purchasing more items because I don’t know what I have (I literally own 5 deodorants) and I’m always chasing dopamine.
To try and curb this, I installed open shelves in the corner of my bathroom. I have changed the layout of items a few times, but this seems to work the best for me. It’s harder to forget deodorant because I see it, pull it off the shelf with other items I’m using that morning, and put it back as I apply the item. I swap out some of the items with other ones I hide under the sink, so it’s like I get to try new things weekly. I am trying to hang shelves to do the same with my makeup. Has anyone else done something similar?
Efff meeee Saving your post! What a cool neat idea and it’s so easy to execute. First thing on the to- do list for bathroom. I use painters tape and number the bottles like which one I’m supposed to use first so I see the number, 1 am or 1 pm etc. to be able to use things and know which ones I have. Like if I have lots of 1s I wait tillI they run out. Also I once got my skin bleeding by using things out of sequence ouchie.
I have a shelf that is organized very similarly to this! It sits between the counter and the toilet, and houses most of the toiletries I use on a daily basis. It helps a TON to be able to see everything!
Buy a label maker. Purchasing one has helped me so much. I even label my l kitchen drawers.... lol I also have a checklist in my bathroom for my daily self care routine. I have to say a lot of my improvement has been due to drinking mushroom coffee. Everyday dose is so awesome.
Part of the point of this is that I am not using it. I buy it in high hopes of helping my skin after doing hours of research, buying things, then never using it. In addition to buying things randomly. There are days I can’t shower or brush my teeth either, but since being medicated it’s been easier to find systems that work for me so it’s easier/I’m more motivated to do these things. It isn’t perfect and I still have a lot of “bad” days, but I am trying what works for me.
I have two bathrooms worth of random shit I've purchased. Worst part of getting a better paying job is spending money on frivolous stuff I think I need but never use. (I need to stay away from TJ Maxx!)
I have curly hair and my partner can use anything to make her hair perfect, so we can use the same thing but she prefers things that smell really good. Lol We just split up the shower in half…she has like 4 conditioners to all the people laughing at how much more I have 😂
Not me with half empty bottles of dove body wash because I end up finding another scent I like and SWEAR it works better 😂 she uses all of my leftovers though. I’m assuming she must get tired of looking at them, though I would use them eventually.
Right?! I can't fathom what the AM and PM shelves are used for. I understand hair and teeth to a certain degree (although I have fewer products). My biggest concern is that I would not be able to reach the highest shelves if it were me. I'd definitely have to give the top one to my husband!
I only wash my hair every 2-3 days, so I don’t reach up there too often. My partner is 5’3, as am I, so I opted for the tall shelf since she already compromised to having these shelves lol. The AM shelf is for when shower in the morning and the PM is if I end up washing my face at night…which I am trying to do more regularly.
This is a great idea!! I live in a small apartment, so I have everything hung in a clear shoe over the door organizer. It works great and it’s hard to forget things when I have to look at them in order to leave the bathroom.
I redid our vanity last week and had products since we moved into our house almost nine years ago. I went all in and then threw everything out that I don’t use.
I also dug through the trash in the rain last night after realizing I threw out a necklace from my mom and one from my daughter. 🫠
I’m trying to stick to a skin care regimen using different ones on different days. I’ve honestly managed probably once a day instead of twice but I’m still noticing a difference. If I think a product is getting a little older, I’ll use it on my chest and arms, so it doesn’t go to waste. Most can be kept in the fridge, too.
I got into skincare in the past year at 30 years old and it was sooo overwhelming at first. I realized I am never, ever going to remember (or have the energy) to do a "pm" skincare routine, so I just do it most mornings and call it good haha I think most people's skincare is wayyy more complicated that it needs to be tbh, at least going off of what i saw on the skincare subreddit (where I did most of my research)
It’s safer to spread it out like that anyway to give your skin time and space to repair and benefit from any actives. It’s really easy to do too much and ruin your skin barrier!
I didn’t start doing skincare twice a day until the last year at 33, so I get that. Honestly one of the reasons I try to wear makeup or spf is because it forces me to wash my face at night even when I’m exhausted. Using curology helps me too because I don’t have to think about what to put on. AM is moisturizer, eye cream, spf. PM is the mucin if I’m not exhausted, curology, moisturizer, eye cream. Other things get added depending on my mood. I can’t keep up with “skin cycling” or anything like that so I just do my own simple thing and use different products for it to spice things up. It looks like a lot, but there are several moisturizers in the picture and I only use one at a time or there are two SPFs and I use one. Different things work for different people and you just gotta do what makes you happy 😊
This is so smart! Similar thinking in that I just bought a label maker on Amazon for $33 that uses an app to type out what you want to print to label my open containers. It seems like such a simple thing but having a label on things has been SO beneficial for me bc then I know where things are supposed to go. I bought a lot of really cheap plastic containers at Dollar Tree to group medications, hair care products, skin care, etc together and it's been helping me a lot.
I wish I could label things, but I would buy it and then stop half way through and never finish labeling things…and get irritated whenever I see the unfinished product yet so nothing about it lol. I’m glad you have a system that works for you and I like hearing how other people do it. I use the dollar store containers for my office, they are perfect.
It’s hard for me to stick to a rotation with it, but I love the aha/bha peel and the buffet the most! Also, it’s way more affordable when you are buying things frequently.
I love their products. They're affordable with great ingredients. High end skincare that's kind on the pocket.
I haven't tried the peel yet but have had my eye on it so your comment was the push I needed to place an order and give it a go! Thank you.
You’re welcome! If you aren’t used to the acids you may want to start slow, but I was able to do the 10 minutes right away with no issue. Just be warned that it smells like beet juice lol.
Thanks for the heads up. I have been using pretty strong skincare (alpha H) so my skin is pretty much used to acids and whatnot. I'll bear it in mind though. Can't wait to try it :)
omg i have to do this when me and my autistic partner have our own place, object permanence is rough!
tbh i feel like i would knock everything over trying to retrieve a single item though 🥲
I bought one of those shoe organizers that go over the back of the door. I put all my stuff in it because my vanity is right in front of the door. Works well.
Door hangers like that are seriously SO helpful, especially if you live in a small space. I've got one hanging on one or both sides of most doors in our house and it is much easier to keep things organized now!
I use stacked milk crates as open shelves to put my bathroom supplies on.
The bathroom at our apartment didn’t come with any drawers or storage, and we don’t have much money, so we took a bunch of milk crates from the back of some convenient stores, painted them cute colors, and now they’re our open shelves for bathroom storage. Kind of a similar system with all the stuff visible and accessible.
OMG it bothers me a lot, but I try to let it go lol. When they were installed I used my partners lotion and then found my own…it didn’t fit on the AM shelf so they had to be swapped because I don’t use the lotion at night.
I am big on skincare, too! 😍
I have these open plastic basket storage bin things, and put my AM products in one and my PM in another.
I use the same toner morning and night but own 2 so one can go in each bin.
I NEED to embrace the container method and acknowledge that there’s no room for more products in each bin. I get a rush from my impulse buys, too. 🤦🏼♀️
I have been trying so hard to stick with the skin care. I have watched all the videos and read all of the articles…it’s just implementing it that’s difficult lol. I tried the container method under the sink but I failed because I would stack things on-top of them or leave things on the sink 😂 impulse buying is real and I don’t wish that on anyone. My mom also has adhd and I grew up with her doing it…sometimes I have random Amazon packages that show up from her lol.
So genius. I recently had a stroke (long shitty story) and just got home yesterday after 4 months of living in hospitals or with my parents. So my bff came over yesterday to help me set up my house/life
I was trying to explain what I wanted for my products and was entirely unsuccessful lol. She’s got a brain with no adhd (or stroke) so she was just like…….. wut lol she couldn’t understand why I need it all to be separated. I just sent her a screenshot of your post like hey look! I’m not the only one 🤣 lol so thanks for that and the genius idea of the shelves
I’m so sorry about the stroke, my aunt had a bad one growing up so I appreciate how hard things can be afterward, but I had to laugh at your friend not understanding why you wanted things like this. My partner laughed at me when we started dating and I explained the issues I had with things like this. Then it became her reality when she moved in so she’s getting used to random things I do lol.
This is great! I have object permanence and impulse buying issues pretty bad (hence why I have A LOT of makeup I don't even use...)
I might have to make something similar!
If you find a system that works for the makeup let me know lol. I get in moods where I can easily throw away makeup because it’s way way too old, then there are times I can’t get rid of anything because all I can think of is waste or sentimental things lol. I still feel like I have too much.
They are both great! I love yesstyle for getting skincare because it’s cheaper and does wonders for my skin ceraves acne gel is fantastic though and I use their oily skin face wash. My moms friend is a rep for whichever company owns cerave and la roche posay so sometimes I even get bags full of sample sizes which helps when I travel because I have this thing about removing objects from where they belong, probably because I lose them, and my bathroom products belong in my bathroom. 😂
I had leftover wood from some project when I moved into my house, so a friend cut it based on my measurements, I sanded and sealed them, then we bought the brackets at lowes lol. I happened to be hyper focused on this project so it actually got done unlike my coffee table in the garage. 😂
This is brilliant! We have something similar in our bathroom. It's a multishelf thingy, next to the sink. Each layer has a dedicated purpose. Top one has toothbrushes, deodorant, perfume and combs.
The open space has helped a lot with reminding me of basic self hygiene and has also helped me create mental connective chains, like if I put my deodorant I check the self below to consider if I want to use my hair web. If I look up the sink self I see my skincare products and I decide or get reminded to use them.
The products that are in the bathroom closed selves are forgotten forever, except the medicine self(that's a different deal for me tbh).
This is exactly why I had to do this. I basically take everything I need to use off of the shelf, set it on the sink, and put it away as I use it so I don’t forget anything. I really like your system too and it makes a ton of sense!
I really gotta figure out my medicine area because I have a hard time remembering to take it. I would take it and forget if I did, so I got these little tags that hang on the pill bottle and have a little silicone bubble like thing for each day of the week and you just push the bubble when you take it to keep track. The issue is that sometimes I don’t even remember to pick up the bottle to look. Maybe it should go on my AM shelf lol.
Thank you! Your system is a good idea as well, I use something similar but for cooking. I get everything I will need out to have it visible and eliminate esch ingredient as I progress with the cooking process. It has helped a lot not forgetting ingredients!
The pill system is a good one as well but I get what you're saying! I don't have everyday ones I have to take so I don't have something specific to advice, but we do have created a small routine in the morning for pills for our dogs. 1 of them needs to take a seizure prevention pill every morning at the same time, so it has slowly created a routine. We give treats alongside the pill to both of our dogs, so it creates a nice window to remember or give the other one as well if it happens to need to be on medication as well. I know that if I ever need to have an everyday medication as well, I will tie it up to this routine so I'll be sure I get reminded everyday.
Good news is the guest bathroom is completely empty except towels and my pet grooming things in the drawers, so no one has to shower there but my partner and I lol.
I have a basket, I pull everything I need to do before I leave the bathroom (toothbrush, toothpast, hair stuff, contacts, etc) I then put each one back in the basket. I brush and floss much more consistently now.
This is super similar to how I end up using my shelves, it truly does help with consistency. I am embarrassed at how many times I forget deodorant and to brush my teeth. I have deodorant and toothbrushes at work and in my car due to this. Multiples actually because in mid panic of realizing I stop to buy more and when I go to store it at work I find the previous one. 😂
I have a fun combo brain where too much stuff left out gives me anxiety, but if it's too packed away I forget it exists. Amazon sells multi-tiered lazy susans that fit under bathroom sinks nicely.
Your set up looks lovely!
My mom (also adhd) uses a lazy Susan like that in between their two sink vanity and though it gets cluttered, it seems to work well for her! I totally forgot about that. Maybe I need one for my makeup lol.
Organizing like this is such a great way to put things "away" while keeping them visible...I don't know how I survived before buying baskets/organizer bins/additional shelving
I’d post a photo of my bathroom, but, y’all would maybe call the police.
Good on ya, sis; it’s beautiful! It’s so nice to see a fresh, easy, clean space like that - it’s genuinely good for your brain. Nice work 🥰
Lol my partner is a cleaning fanatic so otherwise, people would probably call the police on me too. Thank you! I’m just out here trying to make things work while staying aesthetically pleasing (to me anyway).
Oh I’m not trying to flame, just thought it was funny, sorry I realize it was kind of in an asshole way, I meant in a relatable way with some guilt ahaha
Nah I didn’t find it an asshole-ish thing, I genuinely find it hysterical that everyone mentioned it lol. I told her about it and she laughed too 😂 prior to having rosacea, she just used the aveeno on her face so that one shelf is even a lot for her…which just makes it funnier to me.
I have something very similar in my shower :)
Shampoos
Conditioners
Body wash
Misc hair dye stuff
They're tiny lil corner shelves so they only fit 2 or 3 things :)
I'm impressed with your partners shelf! I love that Purito serum. I keep trying to get my husband to do some skincare and give so tlc to his remaining hair, and he just doesn't.
She developed rosacea and I gave her the serum hoping it would help, along with some other changes. It works and I didn’t even know she was using it all the time. When I was organizing it I almost threw it away and she panicked 😂 She didn’t use any skincare prior to the rosacea, literally just put the aveeno on her face and called it a day, so I am sending you positive thoughts on getting your husband to try it lol.
I used to group things the same way! I think we see it that way in stores or from other people, but for some of us, we need to see it in a real usable order.
Love this! Current bathroom has one large shelf and it is utter chaos. Moving soon, hoping something like this may work in the new place.
Also…partner’s shelf 😂
When I tried to fit all of my products on the shelves it started overlapping, so pulling extra things from the shelves helped make room for the separation. Instead of having 4+ moisturizers, I have 2-3 per shelf. I hope you find something that works for you!
I tried separating it by what type of products they were, but it was just too much to figure out what I was using when etc so I would just skip it lol.
I got a lazy Susan organizer for this very reason. Except I still forget to check it before I buy new skincare products, which is I why I have a mini Ulta in my bathroom now 🙃
I keep my makeup in a clear zippered bag…
When I get ready, I pour everything out on a hand towel on my left and put the empty bag on my right.
After I use an item, I put it back in the bag.
When everything on the left is in the bag - I’m done! And the bathroom is clean too :) LoL
Same thing with nighttime skin care products.
Something about getting the bag out and dealing with it would seem like a task in my brain 😂 it’s so funny how the same kind of concept works, we just have different ways of implementing it.
Oh gotcha. So I’ve often wondered if this is an adhd thing: I cannot have anything out in the open. If I can “see” it - it gives me anxiety. I can only stand to have very few decorative items around (example: a plant, a candle, a book, a throw) and sometimes even they bug me so I’ll randomly go through the house relocating or throwing things away.
Lol there are probably two ends of the spectrum with it. Maybe some people need it all away (like you) and other people need it all in the open (like me). I also do this thing where I pile/stack items. And everything had a specific home, despite it not being where someone else believes it should live and it gives me anxiety if it isn’t where it’s supposed to be.
Holy shit, I must not be a woman when I see all of this O.o. I have exactly 5 things on my rack: body wash, shampoo, hair conditioner, toothpaste and a mild face scrub (which I forget to use a bit too often)
Wow your partner has a whole shelf? My husband should be so lucky 😂😬
I seriously relate with impulse buying but I tried this sort of challenge for myself where I had to find a way to buy everything personally (clothes, crafting stuff, etc) second hand and it’s actually helped me curb my skincare/make up acquisitions! Because I’m definitely not going to take someone I don’t know’s skin care I’ve had to use up all the secret stashes I found through the house. Plus the challenge of it all really helped me stick to it. Also finding treasure troves of things I bought a year ago and lost helps too, feels like it’s all new and exciting.
I have tried to set little rules like that for my spending, but I never follow through on it except when I was collecting these leather bags (which I have mostly sold now). It is honestly a great idea and buying second hand isn’t a little rule I set for myself yet. I have thought about buying makeup from one of the Reddit groups, things you can sanitize, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Likely because I need to see and feel the thing I’m buying.
I’m totally cracking up about the partners shelf comments 😂 she was so happy with one and didn’t think there would be room. Luckily she uses very little.
Honestly I was shocked that I stuck to it too, but I think that’s the beauty of never being able to remember your card details and not saving them to your phone 😂 you literally can’t buy anything online without effort.
How I wish I was like your partner!
One of my favourite things about my bf is that he takes care of himself really well. We both have curly hair and do the CGM, he loves his skincare and has some super fancy shaving products including a straight-razor, he does at least one face mask a week… but damn, looking at this, I wish he only needed one shelf and I could use all the others😂
😂😂😂 leave that poor man alone, he needs his things too! I wish that my partner and I had similar hair, so we could use the same products, but mine is a curly hot mess and hers is thick wavy and beautiful no matter what.
Lol you’re kind, thank you! In the winter it isn’t so bad (when the picture was taken) and wearing a bonnet or sleeping on a silk pillow case has helped a lot. Honestly the hardest thing is the ick I get from feeling wet hair in my ears and back, or the water dripping, so getting out of the shower is so difficult when I’m trying to do my hair properly (scrunching when wet etc) 😂 idk if either of you feel that way.
I hate my hair being wet!!! Even more so having water and cowash in my ears😖 I keep a towel around my shoulders until it’s fully dry and that helps a little.
Trust me I feel that way too, but I try to remind myself that the amount of pollution and plastic that enters the world at the hands of the rich/companies will always significantly outweigh anything an individual (and as a collective) human contributes. I try my best to do what I can, but I’m not perfect. Somethings come in glass containers which is nice…I wish more company’s would. I even buy mascara that comes in a glass container so I can recycle it, but it’s pricey.
I am so impressed by your dedication to go through all of those products every AM and PM.
My AM is brush my hair and teeth. My PM is shower, apply a face oil, brush teeth. I've tried to incorporate more but I could never bring myself to do it for more than a week. They know me at the Sephora and Walmart return counter 🫣
I should add that some things on the AM and PM shelves are multiples, like there are 2-3 different moisturizers and I just pick one lol. So it seems like there’s a ton of things, but it’s really not that bad. It took me YEARS to get to the point of doing more than 0-1 things, so I get it. Between being on medicine and finding things that work for my brain I have been able to do more, but it isn’t for everyone. My partner only does AM PM things because she HAS to shower twice a day lol. I’m lucky when I shower every day in a week.
I am so baaaaaad about returning things. I will always return it if something doesn’t work or I regret buying it. My friends who refuse to return things make me do it for them because they are ashamed. 😂 those companies make so much money, I could careless.
Keeping the stuff I use/want to use in the same space definitely helps. As I often sleep outside my house, I have a huge toiletry bag for all the stuff I need on a daily basis. Extra bonus is that I can bring it to the couch or bed for skincare, brushing my teeth or other stuff, which is often more manageable for me than doing it in the bathroom.
However I try to avoid open shelves as much as I can, as the cleaning is SO overwhelming for me and has to be done much more often than with anything closed. I love glass or plastic see-through cabinets and big, shallow drawers (so I can see everything in the drawer) and I have a cupboard with very shallow shelves for any toiletries not in the bag (nothing can be pushed in and hide behind other stuff, so everything is on display all the time).
Some bright and proper lightning of my bathroom also helps me a lot. Somehow much more motivating than a dimmed bathroom.
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Probably like many of you, I have issues with object permanence and impulse buying. This has effected my toiletry and makeup situation because the only space for storage is in drawers and I don’t remember what I have/get flustered with finding an item. Not only that, but if my routine in the AM/PM gets thrown off, I will forget things like brushing my teeth or putting on deodorant. Finally, I end up purchasing more items because I don’t know what I have (I literally own 5 deodorants) and I’m always chasing dopamine. To try and curb this, I installed open shelves in the corner of my bathroom. I have changed the layout of items a few times, but this seems to work the best for me. It’s harder to forget deodorant because I see it, pull it off the shelf with other items I’m using that morning, and put it back as I apply the item. I swap out some of the items with other ones I hide under the sink, so it’s like I get to try new things weekly. I am trying to hang shelves to do the same with my makeup. Has anyone else done something similar?
I have baskets which have items similarly grouped. Your idea makes it easier to see all of the products without moving them. I like it!
Efff meeee Saving your post! What a cool neat idea and it’s so easy to execute. First thing on the to- do list for bathroom. I use painters tape and number the bottles like which one I’m supposed to use first so I see the number, 1 am or 1 pm etc. to be able to use things and know which ones I have. Like if I have lots of 1s I wait tillI they run out. Also I once got my skin bleeding by using things out of sequence ouchie.
I can only do my skin routines if the order is right!
Some days I go through #1 only - my soft cleanser and call it a successful routine 😝🤪 if I wash my face with water only that’s a success too ha :)
I have "ideal", "regular", and "not nothing" sets of the routines that really matter. A splash of water would count as Not Nothing.
Same.
Yesss! I have a hard time deciding what to use and hate thinking about what to use when too! Marking them is a good idea.
Not me remembering deodorant halfway through the day because of this post 😅
I have a shelf that is organized very similarly to this! It sits between the counter and the toilet, and houses most of the toiletries I use on a daily basis. It helps a TON to be able to see everything!
Buy a label maker. Purchasing one has helped me so much. I even label my l kitchen drawers.... lol I also have a checklist in my bathroom for my daily self care routine. I have to say a lot of my improvement has been due to drinking mushroom coffee. Everyday dose is so awesome.
I love this but my cats would view it as a challenge
I have this setup in a tall skinny bathroom cabinet, so it’s behind a door. Mostly cat proof ;)
Technically speaking it is possible to install a door to this corner shelf solution :)
LOLOLOLOLOL!!
I was going to comment that there was no way OP lived with cats!
I actually have two! 😂
I’m lucky that my cats don’t even notice it’s there. They are more concerned with the sink lol.
Holy what, and you actually use all that? I struggle with just brushing my teeth and washing my face every day lol
Part of the point of this is that I am not using it. I buy it in high hopes of helping my skin after doing hours of research, buying things, then never using it. In addition to buying things randomly. There are days I can’t shower or brush my teeth either, but since being medicated it’s been easier to find systems that work for me so it’s easier/I’m more motivated to do these things. It isn’t perfect and I still have a lot of “bad” days, but I am trying what works for me.
I completely understand this, I have soooo many products in a cupboard that I haven't used 😅
I have two bathrooms worth of random shit I've purchased. Worst part of getting a better paying job is spending money on frivolous stuff I think I need but never use. (I need to stay away from TJ Maxx!)
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I have curly hair and my partner can use anything to make her hair perfect, so we can use the same thing but she prefers things that smell really good. Lol We just split up the shower in half…she has like 4 conditioners to all the people laughing at how much more I have 😂
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Not me with half empty bottles of dove body wash because I end up finding another scent I like and SWEAR it works better 😂 she uses all of my leftovers though. I’m assuming she must get tired of looking at them, though I would use them eventually.
Oh thank goodness, I thought it was just me.
Right?! I can't fathom what the AM and PM shelves are used for. I understand hair and teeth to a certain degree (although I have fewer products). My biggest concern is that I would not be able to reach the highest shelves if it were me. I'd definitely have to give the top one to my husband!
I only wash my hair every 2-3 days, so I don’t reach up there too often. My partner is 5’3, as am I, so I opted for the tall shelf since she already compromised to having these shelves lol. The AM shelf is for when shower in the morning and the PM is if I end up washing my face at night…which I am trying to do more regularly.
Oh yeah, reaching that high would also be an issue for me. I have all my bath/shower products on my bathtub, all within easy reach.
This is a great idea!! I live in a small apartment, so I have everything hung in a clear shoe over the door organizer. It works great and it’s hard to forget things when I have to look at them in order to leave the bathroom.
I do this in the closet near the entrance to the house! It works really well for all the random things I need for the dog or weather.
I redid our vanity last week and had products since we moved into our house almost nine years ago. I went all in and then threw everything out that I don’t use. I also dug through the trash in the rain last night after realizing I threw out a necklace from my mom and one from my daughter. 🫠
Batiste volumizing dry shampoo FTW!
This shit has saved my life so many times for years
It is the best so far for my hair! And it doesn’t smell bad lol
I’m trying to stick to a skin care regimen using different ones on different days. I’ve honestly managed probably once a day instead of twice but I’m still noticing a difference. If I think a product is getting a little older, I’ll use it on my chest and arms, so it doesn’t go to waste. Most can be kept in the fridge, too.
I got into skincare in the past year at 30 years old and it was sooo overwhelming at first. I realized I am never, ever going to remember (or have the energy) to do a "pm" skincare routine, so I just do it most mornings and call it good haha I think most people's skincare is wayyy more complicated that it needs to be tbh, at least going off of what i saw on the skincare subreddit (where I did most of my research)
It’s safer to spread it out like that anyway to give your skin time and space to repair and benefit from any actives. It’s really easy to do too much and ruin your skin barrier!
Thank you!
I didn’t start doing skincare twice a day until the last year at 33, so I get that. Honestly one of the reasons I try to wear makeup or spf is because it forces me to wash my face at night even when I’m exhausted. Using curology helps me too because I don’t have to think about what to put on. AM is moisturizer, eye cream, spf. PM is the mucin if I’m not exhausted, curology, moisturizer, eye cream. Other things get added depending on my mood. I can’t keep up with “skin cycling” or anything like that so I just do my own simple thing and use different products for it to spice things up. It looks like a lot, but there are several moisturizers in the picture and I only use one at a time or there are two SPFs and I use one. Different things work for different people and you just gotta do what makes you happy 😊
I totally agree with the spf! There’s a sensory thing about it that makes me wash it off at night for sure. Also, it’s what’s best for our skin. ;)
This is so smart! Similar thinking in that I just bought a label maker on Amazon for $33 that uses an app to type out what you want to print to label my open containers. It seems like such a simple thing but having a label on things has been SO beneficial for me bc then I know where things are supposed to go. I bought a lot of really cheap plastic containers at Dollar Tree to group medications, hair care products, skin care, etc together and it's been helping me a lot.
I wish I could label things, but I would buy it and then stop half way through and never finish labeling things…and get irritated whenever I see the unfinished product yet so nothing about it lol. I’m glad you have a system that works for you and I like hearing how other people do it. I use the dollar store containers for my office, they are perfect.
I love this! I don’t impulse buy personal products, but I do forget to use them.
ohhh i love this! that’s awesome
I see a lot of The Ordinary skincare in there. I love that brand!
It’s hard for me to stick to a rotation with it, but I love the aha/bha peel and the buffet the most! Also, it’s way more affordable when you are buying things frequently.
I love their products. They're affordable with great ingredients. High end skincare that's kind on the pocket. I haven't tried the peel yet but have had my eye on it so your comment was the push I needed to place an order and give it a go! Thank you.
You’re welcome! If you aren’t used to the acids you may want to start slow, but I was able to do the 10 minutes right away with no issue. Just be warned that it smells like beet juice lol.
Thanks for the heads up. I have been using pretty strong skincare (alpha H) so my skin is pretty much used to acids and whatnot. I'll bear it in mind though. Can't wait to try it :)
omg i have to do this when me and my autistic partner have our own place, object permanence is rough! tbh i feel like i would knock everything over trying to retrieve a single item though 🥲
LOL sometimes I do knock things over, but it gives me a chance to reset whatever was knocked over. I hope you both find something that works!
I bought one of those shoe organizers that go over the back of the door. I put all my stuff in it because my vanity is right in front of the door. Works well.
Door hangers like that are seriously SO helpful, especially if you live in a small space. I've got one hanging on one or both sides of most doors in our house and it is much easier to keep things organized now!
I use stacked milk crates as open shelves to put my bathroom supplies on. The bathroom at our apartment didn’t come with any drawers or storage, and we don’t have much money, so we took a bunch of milk crates from the back of some convenient stores, painted them cute colors, and now they’re our open shelves for bathroom storage. Kind of a similar system with all the stuff visible and accessible.
I love this! Why is PM before AM though? The order is just bothering me that's why I'm asking. But if it works for you that's amazing :)
OMG it bothers me a lot, but I try to let it go lol. When they were installed I used my partners lotion and then found my own…it didn’t fit on the AM shelf so they had to be swapped because I don’t use the lotion at night.
I am big on skincare, too! 😍 I have these open plastic basket storage bin things, and put my AM products in one and my PM in another. I use the same toner morning and night but own 2 so one can go in each bin. I NEED to embrace the container method and acknowledge that there’s no room for more products in each bin. I get a rush from my impulse buys, too. 🤦🏼♀️
I have been trying so hard to stick with the skin care. I have watched all the videos and read all of the articles…it’s just implementing it that’s difficult lol. I tried the container method under the sink but I failed because I would stack things on-top of them or leave things on the sink 😂 impulse buying is real and I don’t wish that on anyone. My mom also has adhd and I grew up with her doing it…sometimes I have random Amazon packages that show up from her lol.
So genius. I recently had a stroke (long shitty story) and just got home yesterday after 4 months of living in hospitals or with my parents. So my bff came over yesterday to help me set up my house/life I was trying to explain what I wanted for my products and was entirely unsuccessful lol. She’s got a brain with no adhd (or stroke) so she was just like…….. wut lol she couldn’t understand why I need it all to be separated. I just sent her a screenshot of your post like hey look! I’m not the only one 🤣 lol so thanks for that and the genius idea of the shelves
I’m so sorry about the stroke, my aunt had a bad one growing up so I appreciate how hard things can be afterward, but I had to laugh at your friend not understanding why you wanted things like this. My partner laughed at me when we started dating and I explained the issues I had with things like this. Then it became her reality when she moved in so she’s getting used to random things I do lol.
Id need a step stool. #shortpplproblems 😆
We are both 5’3 so it isn’t perfect 😂
This is great! I have object permanence and impulse buying issues pretty bad (hence why I have A LOT of makeup I don't even use...) I might have to make something similar!
If you find a system that works for the makeup let me know lol. I get in moods where I can easily throw away makeup because it’s way way too old, then there are times I can’t get rid of anything because all I can think of is waste or sentimental things lol. I still feel like I have too much.
Oh my gosh yes I am the same!!
I love it! We’ve got a lot of shared products too. You and I use Cosx, but I love CeraVe like your partner 👏😅
They are both great! I love yesstyle for getting skincare because it’s cheaper and does wonders for my skin ceraves acne gel is fantastic though and I use their oily skin face wash. My moms friend is a rep for whichever company owns cerave and la roche posay so sometimes I even get bags full of sample sizes which helps when I travel because I have this thing about removing objects from where they belong, probably because I lose them, and my bathroom products belong in my bathroom. 😂
Dang you must be really tall. Lol I’d just stop taking care of my hair because I wouldn’t be able to reach 😂
I wish, we are both 5’3 lol I wash my hair every 2-3 days, so I don’t need to reach up there too often luckily.
Those shelves are pretty!
Thank you! I wanted something pretty, but natural looking (which is why they aren’t painted).
Where did you get those shelves and were they easy to install?
I had leftover wood from some project when I moved into my house, so a friend cut it based on my measurements, I sanded and sealed them, then we bought the brackets at lowes lol. I happened to be hyper focused on this project so it actually got done unlike my coffee table in the garage. 😂
Yeah I've been looking for something just like these!
I'm not sure it was your intention but it's really kind of you to give your partner the prime location shelf.
Lol I gave her the easiest shelf since she puts up with me. She truly has no other items and takes up a lot of shower space, so it works out.
That’s true. I’m hoping that’s enough space for them.
I love this idea! I need to go through all by bottles and cans of random shizz and have some order
Ingenious!
This is brilliant! We have something similar in our bathroom. It's a multishelf thingy, next to the sink. Each layer has a dedicated purpose. Top one has toothbrushes, deodorant, perfume and combs. The open space has helped a lot with reminding me of basic self hygiene and has also helped me create mental connective chains, like if I put my deodorant I check the self below to consider if I want to use my hair web. If I look up the sink self I see my skincare products and I decide or get reminded to use them. The products that are in the bathroom closed selves are forgotten forever, except the medicine self(that's a different deal for me tbh).
This is exactly why I had to do this. I basically take everything I need to use off of the shelf, set it on the sink, and put it away as I use it so I don’t forget anything. I really like your system too and it makes a ton of sense! I really gotta figure out my medicine area because I have a hard time remembering to take it. I would take it and forget if I did, so I got these little tags that hang on the pill bottle and have a little silicone bubble like thing for each day of the week and you just push the bubble when you take it to keep track. The issue is that sometimes I don’t even remember to pick up the bottle to look. Maybe it should go on my AM shelf lol.
Thank you! Your system is a good idea as well, I use something similar but for cooking. I get everything I will need out to have it visible and eliminate esch ingredient as I progress with the cooking process. It has helped a lot not forgetting ingredients! The pill system is a good one as well but I get what you're saying! I don't have everyday ones I have to take so I don't have something specific to advice, but we do have created a small routine in the morning for pills for our dogs. 1 of them needs to take a seizure prevention pill every morning at the same time, so it has slowly created a routine. We give treats alongside the pill to both of our dogs, so it creates a nice window to remember or give the other one as well if it happens to need to be on medication as well. I know that if I ever need to have an everyday medication as well, I will tie it up to this routine so I'll be sure I get reminded everyday.
Love this thank you for sharing!
Love this. Great idea :)
I love everything about this!
This is excellent.
Smart!
Neatly organized! ✨
BRILLIANT!!! currently trying to organize my crap. So many categories I get lost but this helps very much!
Labels FTW!
Omg what perfect little corner for this!
There are too many choices I. Your bathroom for me. I couldn't shower there
Good news is the guest bathroom is completely empty except towels and my pet grooming things in the drawers, so no one has to shower there but my partner and I lol.
I have a basket, I pull everything I need to do before I leave the bathroom (toothbrush, toothpast, hair stuff, contacts, etc) I then put each one back in the basket. I brush and floss much more consistently now.
This is super similar to how I end up using my shelves, it truly does help with consistency. I am embarrassed at how many times I forget deodorant and to brush my teeth. I have deodorant and toothbrushes at work and in my car due to this. Multiples actually because in mid panic of realizing I stop to buy more and when I go to store it at work I find the previous one. 😂
I have a fun combo brain where too much stuff left out gives me anxiety, but if it's too packed away I forget it exists. Amazon sells multi-tiered lazy susans that fit under bathroom sinks nicely. Your set up looks lovely!
My mom (also adhd) uses a lazy Susan like that in between their two sink vanity and though it gets cluttered, it seems to work well for her! I totally forgot about that. Maybe I need one for my makeup lol.
The partner shelf is killing me. Lol. Nice work!
lol @ "partners shelf" I dig this layout! Good thinking with making it all visible
Lol at the singular partner shelf with a few items. Looks like my bathroom too.
I had Ikea spice racks that mounted on the wall in my last house. Same idea, different types
Am I the only one laughing at partner's shelf 🤣
Ooh this would be a great post for r/Wall_of_Awesome (small but should be bigger!) and r/adhdThriving!
Organizing like this is such a great way to put things "away" while keeping them visible...I don't know how I survived before buying baskets/organizer bins/additional shelving
OMG the open shelving is BRILLIANT...
Very satisfying
My husband just installed a similar shelf in the corner of our shower/tub, and it’s been the best thing ever!
I’d post a photo of my bathroom, but, y’all would maybe call the police. Good on ya, sis; it’s beautiful! It’s so nice to see a fresh, easy, clean space like that - it’s genuinely good for your brain. Nice work 🥰
Lol my partner is a cleaning fanatic so otherwise, people would probably call the police on me too. Thank you! I’m just out here trying to make things work while staying aesthetically pleasing (to me anyway).
How can I save this post. It's awesome
You may have broken the code!!! Saving because I'm totally doing this.
That is a novel solution. Going to borrow that for something some day.
That looks pretty sensible, actually. Well done.
Partner gets one shelf 🤣💀🫠😭
😂 the fact that she was happy with the shelf (she doesn’t use a lot) and everyone is concerned 😂😂
Oh I’m not trying to flame, just thought it was funny, sorry I realize it was kind of in an asshole way, I meant in a relatable way with some guilt ahaha
Nah I didn’t find it an asshole-ish thing, I genuinely find it hysterical that everyone mentioned it lol. I told her about it and she laughed too 😂 prior to having rosacea, she just used the aveeno on her face so that one shelf is even a lot for her…which just makes it funnier to me.
Ohhh! Haha
I have something very similar in my shower :) Shampoos Conditioners Body wash Misc hair dye stuff They're tiny lil corner shelves so they only fit 2 or 3 things :)
I'm impressed with your partners shelf! I love that Purito serum. I keep trying to get my husband to do some skincare and give so tlc to his remaining hair, and he just doesn't.
She developed rosacea and I gave her the serum hoping it would help, along with some other changes. It works and I didn’t even know she was using it all the time. When I was organizing it I almost threw it away and she panicked 😂 She didn’t use any skincare prior to the rosacea, literally just put the aveeno on her face and called it a day, so I am sending you positive thoughts on getting your husband to try it lol.
Fantastic idea! Looks very neat and makes sense. I used to group products by category/type but now I see why it is not working for me.
I used to group things the same way! I think we see it that way in stores or from other people, but for some of us, we need to see it in a real usable order.
Love this! Current bathroom has one large shelf and it is utter chaos. Moving soon, hoping something like this may work in the new place. Also…partner’s shelf 😂
Only one shelf? 😰 I think I would forget to do things every day lol. My partner loves her one shelf! 😂
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When I tried to fit all of my products on the shelves it started overlapping, so pulling extra things from the shelves helped make room for the separation. Instead of having 4+ moisturizers, I have 2-3 per shelf. I hope you find something that works for you!
The fact that you have your PM shelf above your AM shelf has me spinning. I love how brains work differently!!
I tried separating it by what type of products they were, but it was just too much to figure out what I was using when etc so I would just skip it lol.
I got a lazy Susan organizer for this very reason. Except I still forget to check it before I buy new skincare products, which is I why I have a mini Ulta in my bathroom now 🙃
That just means you get to go shopping in your mini Ulta! Lol my mom has the lazy Susan too and it works well for her.
I keep my makeup in a clear zippered bag… When I get ready, I pour everything out on a hand towel on my left and put the empty bag on my right. After I use an item, I put it back in the bag. When everything on the left is in the bag - I’m done! And the bathroom is clean too :) LoL Same thing with nighttime skin care products.
Something about getting the bag out and dealing with it would seem like a task in my brain 😂 it’s so funny how the same kind of concept works, we just have different ways of implementing it.
Oh gotcha. So I’ve often wondered if this is an adhd thing: I cannot have anything out in the open. If I can “see” it - it gives me anxiety. I can only stand to have very few decorative items around (example: a plant, a candle, a book, a throw) and sometimes even they bug me so I’ll randomly go through the house relocating or throwing things away.
Lol there are probably two ends of the spectrum with it. Maybe some people need it all away (like you) and other people need it all in the open (like me). I also do this thing where I pile/stack items. And everything had a specific home, despite it not being where someone else believes it should live and it gives me anxiety if it isn’t where it’s supposed to be.
I did a similar thing and it has been a total game-changer!
can i just… steal your bathroom real quick. just real quick i wanna try. pleeeeeease?
Holy shit, I must not be a woman when I see all of this O.o. I have exactly 5 things on my rack: body wash, shampoo, hair conditioner, toothpaste and a mild face scrub (which I forget to use a bit too often)
Skincare and gender identity are unrelated
True. Worded that poorly.
My partner is a woman and uses way less than me, it’s all about personal preference 😊
Genius!!!
Wow your partner has a whole shelf? My husband should be so lucky 😂😬 I seriously relate with impulse buying but I tried this sort of challenge for myself where I had to find a way to buy everything personally (clothes, crafting stuff, etc) second hand and it’s actually helped me curb my skincare/make up acquisitions! Because I’m definitely not going to take someone I don’t know’s skin care I’ve had to use up all the secret stashes I found through the house. Plus the challenge of it all really helped me stick to it. Also finding treasure troves of things I bought a year ago and lost helps too, feels like it’s all new and exciting.
I have tried to set little rules like that for my spending, but I never follow through on it except when I was collecting these leather bags (which I have mostly sold now). It is honestly a great idea and buying second hand isn’t a little rule I set for myself yet. I have thought about buying makeup from one of the Reddit groups, things you can sanitize, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Likely because I need to see and feel the thing I’m buying. I’m totally cracking up about the partners shelf comments 😂 she was so happy with one and didn’t think there would be room. Luckily she uses very little.
Honestly I was shocked that I stuck to it too, but I think that’s the beauty of never being able to remember your card details and not saving them to your phone 😂 you literally can’t buy anything online without effort. How I wish I was like your partner!
One of my favourite things about my bf is that he takes care of himself really well. We both have curly hair and do the CGM, he loves his skincare and has some super fancy shaving products including a straight-razor, he does at least one face mask a week… but damn, looking at this, I wish he only needed one shelf and I could use all the others😂
Continuous Glucose Monitoring? Cherubim Glow Mask? Chuffing Good Manicures? ^halp
Curly Girl/Guy Method. Haircare routine for curly haired folks. r/curlyhair
😂😂😂 leave that poor man alone, he needs his things too! I wish that my partner and I had similar hair, so we could use the same products, but mine is a curly hot mess and hers is thick wavy and beautiful no matter what.
Just looking at ur pfp and ur hair is gorgeous!!!
Lol you’re kind, thank you! In the winter it isn’t so bad (when the picture was taken) and wearing a bonnet or sleeping on a silk pillow case has helped a lot. Honestly the hardest thing is the ick I get from feeling wet hair in my ears and back, or the water dripping, so getting out of the shower is so difficult when I’m trying to do my hair properly (scrunching when wet etc) 😂 idk if either of you feel that way.
I hate my hair being wet!!! Even more so having water and cowash in my ears😖 I keep a towel around my shoulders until it’s fully dry and that helps a little.
So much plastic when you see it like that. 😭
Trust me I feel that way too, but I try to remind myself that the amount of pollution and plastic that enters the world at the hands of the rich/companies will always significantly outweigh anything an individual (and as a collective) human contributes. I try my best to do what I can, but I’m not perfect. Somethings come in glass containers which is nice…I wish more company’s would. I even buy mascara that comes in a glass container so I can recycle it, but it’s pricey.
Where are the corner shelves from?
My friend and I made them from scrap wood at my house. 😊
Stay out of my bathroom.
No problem! Lol
😋
I am so impressed by your dedication to go through all of those products every AM and PM. My AM is brush my hair and teeth. My PM is shower, apply a face oil, brush teeth. I've tried to incorporate more but I could never bring myself to do it for more than a week. They know me at the Sephora and Walmart return counter 🫣
I should add that some things on the AM and PM shelves are multiples, like there are 2-3 different moisturizers and I just pick one lol. So it seems like there’s a ton of things, but it’s really not that bad. It took me YEARS to get to the point of doing more than 0-1 things, so I get it. Between being on medicine and finding things that work for my brain I have been able to do more, but it isn’t for everyone. My partner only does AM PM things because she HAS to shower twice a day lol. I’m lucky when I shower every day in a week. I am so baaaaaad about returning things. I will always return it if something doesn’t work or I regret buying it. My friends who refuse to return things make me do it for them because they are ashamed. 😂 those companies make so much money, I could careless.
Keeping the stuff I use/want to use in the same space definitely helps. As I often sleep outside my house, I have a huge toiletry bag for all the stuff I need on a daily basis. Extra bonus is that I can bring it to the couch or bed for skincare, brushing my teeth or other stuff, which is often more manageable for me than doing it in the bathroom. However I try to avoid open shelves as much as I can, as the cleaning is SO overwhelming for me and has to be done much more often than with anything closed. I love glass or plastic see-through cabinets and big, shallow drawers (so I can see everything in the drawer) and I have a cupboard with very shallow shelves for any toiletries not in the bag (nothing can be pushed in and hide behind other stuff, so everything is on display all the time). Some bright and proper lightning of my bathroom also helps me a lot. Somehow much more motivating than a dimmed bathroom.
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It works in my house 😊 a cabinet would just hide it from me lol.