It’s mid-week lovelies and we’re on our way to the weekend! With Fall 2013 officially here and fall weather definitely breezing in, hopefully you’ll enjoy the beautiful weather predicted for this weekend, after you spend a little time doing some fall cleaning … makeup cleaning that is. This gives you both the opportunity to get rid of expired makeup, and make room for brand new splendid fall/winter shades.
The Makeup Examiner has shared with readers about her six-month ophthalmology ordeal, but after the massive amount of flat out bad advice that I’ve read lately, it warrants a repeat. At one time, TME was a makeup hoarder with an entire linen closet filled with every conceivable beauty product one can think of. But, an extreme eye infection cured The Makeup Examiner of her need to hang onto cosmetics past their expiration date.
Admittedly it was painful to dispose of seven trash bags full of my coveted cache, but far less painful then the six months I’d spent visiting an ophthalmologist twice per week. In the end, the “infection” was actually an imbalance of natural eye bacterium, which the doctor concluded had happened from using outdated mascara. While twice-weekly doctor’s appointments may not sound so awful, rounds of various medications and the very real possibility of losing my sight, was terrifying. Although this happened seven years ago, it’s never far from my mind due to the hundreds of products that TME or a TME crewmember tests out.
Yes cosmetics can be expensive, but all cosmetics have a shelf life! The bottom line is that cosmetics are developed to last about a year. However, since makeup comes in contact with germ-prone areas like your eyes, mouth and fingers, contamination can occur at any time. First rule of disposal … if a product has changed color, consistency, or has a bad odor, throw it away!
Here are The Makeup Examiner’s general guidelines to cosmetic shelf life:
- Purchase Dates – To keep track of the purchase date, grab a sharpie and write it on the product!
- Foundations and Concealers can last up to a year if you keep your fingers away from the bottle. Opt to use a makeup brush or sponge for application. But think about it, do you use the same shade all-year round? Probably not. Therefore, by the time you come back to the shade that you use for summer, it’s going to be expired/contaminated!
- Finishing Powders usually have a 2-year shelf life, but no matter TME has yet to meet a woman who doesn’t do the “double-dip” with loose powders and that compact that you’ve been carrying in your purse for “touch-ups” … needs to go. The same rule applies to powder Blusher.
- Pencil Eyeliner and Lip Liner can last several years, but you need to sharpen them before each use, especially lip liner since it comes into contact with your mouth. This of course goes to the same theory as foundation, as you’re most likely not sporting the same shades all-year long.
- Lipstick and Lip Gloss can last up to a year, but always throw away any lip product if you’ve been sick. This includes lip balm.
- Mascara and Liquid Eyelinershould be thrown out after three months. The tubes for these products are a breeding ground for bacteria. And never “pump” your mascara wand into the tube! If you need to “pump” the wand, you need to but new mascara!
- Eyeshadow, despite the fact that it’s usually made of a similar formulation to other powders, eyeshadow is constantly in contact with your eye area and therefore giving to a greater risk of transferring bacteria back and forth, so dispose of eyeshadow after three months.
- Cleansers and Moisturizers often contain fatty acids, which can turn rancid. Dispose of them after six months.
- Nail Polish is probably the one beauty product that won’t necessarily go bad due to bacteria, but nail polish will eventually go bad. If you see a separation of lacquer and pigment, it’s time to say bye-bye.
As a general rule, for contamination prevention and better overall cosmetic application use a sponge or makeup brush to apply your cosmetics. And regarding the tools that you use, wash dry product makeup brushes once per, wet product makeup brushes after each use, and invest in disposable makeup sponges. Don’t know the proper way to clean your makeup brushes, check out “How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes”.
