I first learned about Project Pan in 2025 while doomscrolling on the internet, but only a few people seemed to be doing it back then. However, when I opened my social media in 2026, I started seeing more posts from people saying they were going to take on Project Pan. Personally, I think Project Pan is a great idea, especially since overconsumption is such a big issue these days. One of my goals for 2026 is to reduce overconsumption and only buy things I truly need.
In today’s blog post, I’m going to explain exactly what Project Pan is and how to do it. So, if you want to stop buying things you don’t really need and declutter your home, you’ve come to the right place!
What is Project Pan?
Project Pan originally started as a project focused on the number of beauty products someone owns. The other day, I saw a photo of someone who was planning to do Project Pan this year, and she had at least 10–20 bottles of shower gel alone. In fact, she had around 20 bottles of almost everything and wanted to reduce that.Of course, Project Pan isn’t limited to just beauty products, it can apply to anything you own and want to declutter.
The idea behind Project Pan is simple: you finish one product before buying a new one. Personally, I’ve been doing this my whole life in a way, I’ve never had a lot of extra shower gel bottles. I always buy a new one when my current bottle is almost empty.
You really don’t need 30 bottles of shower gel in your house. First, you probably won’t even use that much in a year, and all beauty and hygiene products have expiration dates. That means some of them will likely expire before you even get the chance to use them, which is basically throwing money away. By sticking to Project Pan, you’ll save money and keep your home less cluttered.
How to do a Project Pan?
Inventarize what you already have
Pick one category to start with, most people begin with beauty and hygiene products. This is because Project Pan originally focuses on these items, but really, you can start with anything. Lay everything out on the floor or a table so you can see exactly how much you have. Once everything is out in the open, you’ll probably be surprised at how much stuff you actually own. Most of the time, we don’t even notice it because it’s tucked away in a closet or drawer.
Ask yourself: what do I actually need?
Now it is time to be honest with yourself. How much do you like the scent of this showergel? How much do you need? If you live alone then you don’t need a lot of showergel, if you have a big family you need more of course. Ask yourself if you have a favorite scent? How much backup do you actually need? When I started to ask myself these kind of questions, I found out what products were my favorites and what products I barely used because I wasn’t a fan. I found out that I like the vanilla, and coconut scent the most. So I kept those.
Use it, Empty it, or Donate it
If you find items that you don’t actually like or won’t be able to finish before their expiration date, you have a few options. First, you can use up what’s left and then throw it away, but I’d only do this if the bottle is already at least half empty. If the bottles are still mostly full, you can also donate them. Organizations like women’s shelters would really appreciate your donations. Just ask around in your area to see where you could drop them off.
Be more mindful
We all love buying new things, especially when we see a good deal, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I often buy my favorite products when they’re on sale. But sometimes we spot a great deal on something we don’t even use. If one of your favorite products is almost empty, then it’s the perfect time to look for a deal. Make sure you avoid impulse buying. I know how hard it can be, sometimes I see a beautiful jar or bottle of body lotion and just want to buy it because it looks pretty and smells amazing. But most of the time, I don’t actually need it.
Photo by Pablo Hernández on Unsplash