Yes, Makeup Expires!

It’s a new year and what better time to start fresh… with your makeup that is! Yes, makeup DOES expire! Most of us know that we shouldn’t hold on to our makeup for too long, but how long is too long? While it may be hard to let go of your favorite blush or eyeliner, its important to make sure your makeup is sanitary and bacteria-free. From lipstick and gloss to foundation and mascara, I’m going to go through with you the average shelf life of cosmetic products; after all, you wouldn’t want to start off the new year with break outs or an eye infection.

How do you know when your makeup has “gone bad?” Most cosmetics have the average shelf life on the bottom of the product or back of the packaging. If you look at the image below, you’ll notice it says 12M. That means 12 months from the time you opened it, not from the time you purchased it.

 If you start to notice your foundation separating, mascara getting clumpy or any kind of distinct odor be sure to get rid of it, even if it hasn’t reached its shelf life yet! If the makeup product doesn’t have an expiration date on it or its been rubbed off over time, don’t worry! The list below is a great guideline to follow.

• Powders: eye shadow, blush, setting powders – 2 years
• Lipstick/gloss – 1-2 years
• Pencils: eye, eyebrow, lip – 1 year
• Foundation – 6-12 months
• Mascara – 3 months
• Gel eyeliner/ brow pomade – 2-3 months

In addition to making sure your makeup is sanitary, remember that your brushes and beauty sponges need the same attention. Harmful bacteria’s can get trapped in the bristles therefore, its important to keep them clean. I will go into to more details on the next post with how to keep your beauty tools clean and what products have worked best for me. Remind your friends about makeup sanitation and share this post with them! Lets get voicing!