Yes, Your Makeup Does Expire And You Have To Part Ways!

We love our makeup, and the mere thought of tossing it away gives us chills. But makeups have an expiration date and it’s best to throw them away when the time comes. Even though it’s only 3 months old!

Everybody at some point has used expired makeup thinking it’s just fine. After all, it just hurts the soul to throw away the precious makeup product we love so dearly when they pretty much look the same. It’s a common thing but a little risky. You, me and literally everybody has used an expired product once or maybe more in their lifetimes. Recently, our beloved makeup and beauty star Tati Westbrook uploaded a video on her Youtube channel where she shared her journey about using expired makeup. And that left us thinking, about how common this habit is.

That is why we decided to write this article, just to spread awareness on how and when it is time to discard your makeup product. To make this common mistake, uncommon and rare.

We know parting ways with your makeup can be hard, but brace yourself, you might have to say some hard goodbyes after reading this article.

Why Do You Need To Throw Away The Products?

We have said enough that you need to throw away your makeup products that are past their expiration date. But why?

Well, let us explain this to you. Your makeup products are made with tricky formulas and making them isn’t as is easy task. Making these products is a work of intensive research which includes testing and mixing ingredients in order to get the best results. However, even though the best formula is achieved, ingredients are used and they interact with each other. Some of these ingredients are natural while others are chemicals. These ingredients start interacting with each other when mixed and after a due, a course of time starts turning bad. And this is when your makeup expires.

According to a recent study in the UK, 90% of beauty products that we use especially sponges like beauty blenders are contaminated with “deadly superbugs”, which may include E.coli and Staphylococci. These bacteria thrive in damp conditions and they could lead to skin infections, irritations and even blood poisoning.

What Is The Life Of The Products Then?

1. Foundations

One of the most used products, foundations are people’s best friend. Since they are water or oil-based, they are very prone to get infected by bacteria. Foundations usually expire in 6 to 12 months. However, unopened and sealed bottles can last a couple of years but once opened and the formula comes in contact with the air, it starts getting bad.

It is recommended to keep the foundations in dry and dark places to ensure the bacteria do not start growing in your foundations even before the expiration date.

2. Concealers

The next product that we love and use on a regular base is concealer. Similar to foundations, concealer too can expire in 6 to 12 months. In the case of concealers, the colour of the product could start changing.

3. Mascara

Our eyelash’s absolute requirement, mascara could go bad in just 3 months. Yes, you read that right. Mascaras have an expiration date of 3 to 6 months once they are opened.

Mascara could become thicker or clumpy when it starts going bad. Using expired mascara isn’t safe for your eyes and you could potentially start experiencing hair loss from our precious eyelashes.

4. Eye Shadow

If you regularly use eye shadows and hit the pan quite often then probably you won’t mind them expiring in almost 1 year. Powder products can stay longer but when using cream-based eye shadow, be a little extra mindful as they tend to spoil faster.

When eye shadows expire, they lose their pigmentation and become difficult to blend.

5. Lipsticks and Glosses

Cream-based lipsticks or liquid lipsticks can stay up to 1 year. The applicator of the lipsticks comes in direct contact with your lips which are moist. This increases the chances of getting bacteria into them more.

And because they are lip products, using the spoiled product is a super no-no. Lipsticks can start smelling offensive once they go bad. Another sign to know your lipstick is going bad is when they get hard and difficult to spread the pigment onto.

Always use brushed to apply lipsticks or glosses when you want to apply them instead of applying them directly. And even if you are applying directly, make sure to wipe the top surface.

6. Eyeliners

Eyeliners have a life of 3-6 months. Your eyeliner could start drying and could lose its pigmentation once they expire. Since they are eye products, using them beyond their expiry date could lead to irritation in your eyes and even eye infection!

Risks Involved With Using Expired Makeup?

Using expired makeup products may look like a harmless thing but trust us, that is the worst you could do to your skin. Expired makeup products mean ingredients, which can be chemicals, have gone bad which has made this product unfit for your use. The products do not just lose their vibrance and ability to perform, but they also hold some negative impacts on your health. Here are something that could happen when you used expired products.

1. Skin Irritation- A very common thing you can observe when you use expired makeup is, irritation of the skin.

2. Skin Breakouts- Your skin could break out if you use expired products.

3. Eye infection- Using old and expired products can cause infections which could get severe in some cases.

When the foundation starts going bad, you can see the colour of your foundation changing or the formula separating. So, look for the signs to see in your foundation’s lifetime.

How To Determine That Your Makeup Has Expired?

Your makeup comes with an expiration date mentioned on them. Along with that, there is a period after opening the stamp on your makeup. It is indicated by a symbol of an opened jar. The jar contains a number like 3,6,8,12 or even higher which donated the months your product will go bad after opening and coming in contact with the air.

There is an expiry date on the packaging of your product but the packaging gets discarded often. So here are some tips for you to check your product.

1. Smell- If your product smells offensive, not like it is usual or chemically, it’s time to throw them away.

2. Colour – Next is the colour of your product. If your product is changing colour, it’s time to throw them away. The products oxidize a bit and they may change colour for example- concealer tends to become a little orangey.

3. Texture- If your product has changed its texture and consistency over a period of time, they are likely to be expired. So discarding them is the best thing to do.

Our Final Thought

Even though we love makeup and get attached to it, it’s best not to hoard them. We develop a special relationship with our makeup however it’s always better to discard them before this relationship becomes toxic. Your products come with a certain expiration date which is researched well and written for a reason. It is in your best interest to throw them away that makeup. Risking your skin or even your life for the sake of makeup is never worth it.

So be mindful of what you are applying on your skin and always check the expiration date of your products, because your makeup isn’t mortal. It will expire after a certain point in time!

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