Here’s What To Do With Your Old Mascara Wands To Save Animals

Hoarding old makeup containers is a habit the beauty-obsessed always have difficulty breaking.

We hold onto them until we're sure we'll get a new one on our next trip to M.A.C.

Sometimes, the containers just get lost in our bags. Even though we know we could zip our bags much easier without the extra weight, we're too busy (lazy) to do a real spring cleaning.

And then, there are the select few – me – who just won't let go because our mascara wands are really pretty.

But now, your makeup obsession is good for so much more than just a beat face and hours spent on YouTube.

You can now donate your used mascara wands to the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. The non-profit provides care for injured and orphaned wildlife.

The foundation's co-founder, Savanna Trantham, shared a Facebook post requesting mascara wand donations after she was inspired by cleaning out her own makeup drawer. She wrote,

Did you know something as simple as an old mascara wand can help wildlife?!? We use mascara brushes to help remove fly eggs and larva from the fur of animals. They work great because the bristles are so close together!!

Did you know something as simple as an old mascara wand can help wildlife?

The process is not hard at all.

Just find your old mascara wands, cleanse them with soapy water and then, just mail them to the mountains!

They'll be of much better use cleansing a cuddly yellow duckling or baby squirrel than sitting at the bottom of your purse. The non-profit also takes toothbrushes... but those have to be brand new.

The other fabulous part about this?

Tidying up your collection means you just made room for new goodies. Feel free to go crazy at your favorite beauty counter after you send off your old stuff.

Yeah, it's called reverse philanthropy.