What is a Product Swap?
The cheers to reducing beauty waste
The haircare market’s revenue in the United States is recorded at $13.4 billion in 2023 (source).
This includes all hair products such as shampoo, conditioner, styling products, gels, and consumer grade hair color (source). Hair products are essential to our daily personal care routine and are effective when they perform the way you expect. However, it’s not uncommon to buy hair products to use once or twice before they collect dust under your bathroom sink and are thrown away.
It’s unfortunate when it happens especially since it happens more than we’d like to admit, as well as when it occurs on salon shelves or right from the warehouse. Salon products that expire or finished products that don’t meet “retail expectations” end up becoming waste as well. Arnaud Plas, co-founder of Prose, did his own research on the subject and estimates 20% - 40% of beauty products end up as waste (source).
Which is why we’re a part of a series of PRODUCT SWAP events this summer!
What is a Product Swap?
A Product Swap is exactly like a clothing swap, except instead of clothing, you bring beauty products (under strict guidelines for public health safety). Swapping out beauty products with products you can actually use, without having to spend more money and getting to try new products.
The Guidelines
less than 1 year old + at least half full
under 2 years old if unopened
basic rule of thumb - if you’d want to take it home, then it’s accepted
The Events
This was something we had on our to-do list and were thankful to have others want to do the same thing, all with different twists to each event.
Here are the upcoming events (some of these will be updated later on):
June 2nd with 86 Plastic & Nomad Beauty Therapy
Bring your haircare products to swap with others! We are partnering with 2nd Ground to pass out their soap to our guests! They are made from upcycled materials such as coffee grounds from Brooklyn coffee shops.
We are also donating any leftover products to our transgender friends through The Indigo Community to assist them in their gender affirming lifestyle changes.
Location: Nomad Beauty Therapy, Rochester Hills MI
Time: 12pm - 2pm
June 10th with Kismet Studio
It’s Kismet’s favorite event.. With a new twist! We are opening up their clothing swap to be a product swap for beauty professionals. The swap is opened to beauty supplies such as color, styling products, cutting or coloring tools (gloves, foils, etc), and so on! As long as they are unopened or gently used.
Besides beauty supplies, beauty products, and clothes will be available to swap, we will be offering salon recycling options as well that you can bring!
We will be accepting the following:
Used hair foil
Broken Hot Tools
Gently Used Hot Tools
Unused/Expired Beauty Products
Empty Aerosols
We are looking to donate any leftover supplies to beauty school students or beauty education programs. We are still looking for a program to partner with! Please reach out if you or anyone you know would like to work with us.
Location - Kismet Studio, Farmington Hills MI
Time - 12pm - 2pm
August 10th with BYOC Co
Bring your gently used beauty products to swap with others!
haircare
skincare
As long as it’s not in jar form - that’s perfect!
Location - BYOC Co, Plymouth MI
Time - 12pm - 3pm
You can also stay up to date on our interactive calendar to see our current Product Swap events as well as including non-product swap events and other climate/beauty events throughout the year. You are also able to subscribe to the calendar as well to get notified on all future events!
Swap events are a great way to reduce waste, bring communities together, and save money. If there’s not one coming up in your area, host one and get others involved!