The prices of makeup products aren’t always pretty. Your favorite concealer can cost close to $60 a pop and we naturally want our beloved products to last until we finish the last drop. However, that may not always be in our best interest. Makeup, like anything else, can expire and seriously affect our skin if we are not careful.
“Contrary to popular belief, makeup products expire,” Kierra Lanice Wray, a talented makeup artist, confirms. Wrays’ rule of thumb is simple: Recommending we disregard foundations after a year, concealers and cream-based products after six months, mascaras after three months, and lip products after two years. “Unless you become sick, especially from lip products, toss immediately,” says Wray. “If you get sick and mindlessly reapply the same lip balm once you’re well, you can reinfect yourself because bacteria sits on products,” says Wray.
Our makeup products will also warn us when it’s time to toss— although most of us avoid them. It’s best to note if any of the following occurs. “You’ll notice an unpleasant chemical-like odor or texture changes to the formula. In addition, sweat beads can also appear on the surface of your cream-based products,” says Wray. Separation in your foundations, color changers, dryness, and clumping are additional signs that it’s time to say goodbye.
As much as we would love to ignore all signs and signals, doing so can have serious consequences. Naturally, the first thing that is affected is our skin. Wray warns us to look out if our skin becomes irritated or shows signs of bacterial infections or acne. These can all be indicators that the product is no longer enhancing our desired look but hindering it.
Moving forward, our greatest solution will be to preserve products. Doing so can possibly extend the life of our products naturally. Preserving products may also requires us to store them in places we wouldn’t expect. “Store your products in a cool, dry area, away from direct sunlight . Yes, that means makeup shouldn’t be stored in the bathroom,” says Wray. Beauty fridges have become a popular compromise for keeping our products comfortable over time. It’s a way of keeping our items cool and having them aesthetically stored by our vanity.
Preserving products is a natural solution to ease the burden on our bank accounts, too. Still, this solution shouldn’t be taken for granted. The bottom line is that we will have to say goodbye for the greater good of our skin and health. Wray reminds us, “Check the PAO (period after opening) label immediately when you buy,” she says. “This practice also helps to decide if a product is worth purchasing. For example, you may want to weigh your options if you’re influenced to buy a product but realize the shelf life is only one month.”
