#ProjectPan – What is Project Pan and why you should care about it?

If you’ve ever seen the hashtag #ProjectPan and wondered what the fuss is all about this article is for you.

I like others first heard about Project Pan through an Instagram account I followed posting an empty make up tube they had completed. I didn’t think much of it until I saw another account posting a photo of their empty moisturiser. After that I decided to do a little more research into what Project Pan was all about.

What is Project Pan?

Project Pan is a challenge devised for lovers of all things beauty and makeup. Particularly those who may have a problem with buying more products before the previous products are used (lets be honest we are all guilty of this). The aim of the project is to reduce the wastage associated with overbuying beauty and makeup products that often expire before being used.

The initial Project Pan was called Project 10 Pan. Project 10 Pan involved picking 10 beauty and/or makeup products, you then made the conscious effort to use them all up before buying more. The term ‘Pan’ refers to hitting the empty ‘pan’ of the make up container.

What is the origin of Project Pan?

It was super tricky to find the origin of Project Pan, however after much research on the internet I managed to find that a blogger by the name of Lollipop26 first coined the term in the 00’s (She used to have have a YouTube / Blog but alas it doesn’t seem to exist any more).

What does Project Pan look like in 2021?

Project Pan is a much more fluid concept. It no longer specifies the number of items it could apply to, and often its applied to all products by those who follow Project Pan principles. The principles of Project Pan have remained the same.

Principles of Project Pan

1. Select the makeup and / or beauty items you wish to apply the principles of Project Pan to. This could be a particularly troublesome item which you have multiples of. For me this is Shampoos, Conditioners, and Moisturisers.
2. Only buy replacement makeup and /or beauty items once you have finished the previous ones. This gives you time to really get a feel for the item, if you would purchase the same item again, and what you will buy next. The aim of this is to be more conscious with your purchases in future.
3. Work out the order of use for your Project Pan items. If you have more than one of a particular item then you need to check the expiry dates of the items, and determine an order to use them in. The aim of this is to ensure that you use up the items closest to expiry to reduce wastage.
4. Be consistent with using your Project Pan items. Keep them in a place where you will use them daily or as appropriate for the item (eg. in a place easily visible and not somewhere it can get hidden or forgotten).
5. Post and share Project Pan. This one is optional of course but given that Project Pan aims to reduce wastage it makes sense to spread the word to others. The more people reducing waste and making more conscious decisions the better in my mind.

Why is Project Pan something I care about?

For me Project Pan represents a great way to be more conscious of my buying habits when it comes to make up and beauty. Since applying Project Pan to my own beauty products a few years ago I have found the habits I formed have stuck with me. I always have items I’m working on getting through before using my next one, and if I’m gifted items I already have I have a system in place to ensure they get used before they expire. An unintended consequence of Project Pan has meant that my beauty regime has become quite minimalist, and I don’t miss having a huge (and largely unused) makeup / beauty collection.

If you would like to have articles like this delivered to your inbox subscribe below.