The Unofficial Guide to Donating Beauty Products

UnPrison Project is a nonprofit that works to build literacy, mentoring, and life skills capacity for women and girls in prisons, as well as for their children. They help cultivate tools to plan, set goals, and prepare for successful life after prison, and at the same time bring public awareness about mass incarceration. UnPrison Project accepts new and gently used beauty products, and you can send them to:

UnPrison Project
8014 Olson Memorial Hwy #153
Minneapolis, MN 55427

Tigerlily Foundation is a women's health and oncology foundation that aims to educate, advocate for, empower, and support young women — before, during, and after cancer. The foundation accepts new and gently used beauty products, and you can donate by contacting info@tigerlilyfoundation.org and sending products to:

Tigerlily Foundation
42020 Village Center Plaza Suite 120-156
Stone Ridge, VA 20105

Sahiyo aims to empower Asian and other communities to end female genital cutting and create positive social change through dialogue, education, and collaboration based on community involvement. The organization accepts new and gently used beauty products, and in addition to gift cards, you can send products to:

Sahiyo US
45 Prospect Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Not only does Dress For Success accept business attire for women to use for interviews, but it also accepts unopened beauty products. This helps the interviewee feel their most confident, which could potentially end in them landing the job. There are plenty of places to donate throughout the US.

Rise N Shine Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the community a better place through volunteer-based solutions while helping to motivate people of all ages and backgrounds to take on leadership positions and help the less fortunate. Rise N Shine Foundation only accepts brand-new beauty products, and donations can be sent to:

Rise N Shine Foundation
23114 Timber Creek Lane
Clarksburg, MD 20871

Malikah is a grassroots organization advocating against gender and hate-based violence through self-defense training, healing justice, economic empowerment, and community organizing for safety and power. The organization accepts both new and gently used beauty products, and donations can be made to:

25-61 Steinway Street
Astoria, NY 11103

Additionally, if you live in New York City, volunteers from Malikah can facilitate a donation pickup.

California-based Beauty Bus provides in-home services to people who are ill and cannot leave their homes, as well as their caregivers. The organization also provides bags of new, sealed products to clients from donations. Submit an inquiry for donating your unused products here.

Girls Who Brunch is a nonprofit whose goal is to cultivate, inspire, and empower at-risk girls between the ages of 9 and 17 years old. The group aims to address these issues by equipping girls with essential tools in literacy, education, life skills, and health and wellness. Girls Who Brunch accepts both new and used beauty products, and donations can be sent to:

4575 Webb Bridge Road S4821
Alpharetta, GA 30005-4821

Future Ties provides homework help and after-school activities five days per week, as well as a summer camp when school is not in session, to keep children engaged in academics and to keep their free time occupied in healthy ways. Future Ties only accepts brand-new beauty products, and donations can be sent to:

Future Ties
3935 W 82nd Street,
Chicago, IL 60652

Disability EmpowHer Network is a nonprofit run by and for girls and women with disabilities. It connects, motivates, and guides disabled girls and women to grow, learn, and develop to their highest potential and have the confidence to lead. Disability EmpowHer Network only accepts new beauty products, and donations can be sent to:

Disability EmpowHer Network
110 Wembly Road
Rochester, NY 14616

The Pink Berets nonprofit aims to help those who struggle with invisible injuries and emotionally charged wounding to experience a fresh perspective of themselves, their lives, and the act of limitless possibilities. The organization accepts both new and used beauty products; donation inquiries can be sent to alex@thepinkberets.org.

Project Lioness provides feminine hygiene kits that are equipped to sustain a homeless person through five days of their menstrual cycle. Donations can be sent to:

Project Lioness
2875 S Orange Avenue #500-1210
Orlando, FL 32806

Project Compassion's mission is to enhance the lives of low-income and homeless individuals through education, compassion, and empowerment. The group only accepts new beauty products, and donations can be sent to:

Project Compassion, NFP
6609 West Main Street
Belleville, IL 62223

Andrew Fitzsimons, the founder of the eponymous hair-care brand, has partnered with the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Trans Economic Empowerment Program to launch the Trans Cosmetic Donation Program. This program allows beauty professionals to donate unused personal hygiene and cosmetic products to transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

The organization only accepts new and unused products. Donations can be sent to:

LA Trans Wellness Center
3055 Wilshire Boulevard
Unit 360
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Give your local women's shelter a call to see if it'll take your leftover beauty products. Chances are it has some sort of program that will be located near you. A win-win.