When to Throw Out Makeup: Cosmetic Life Guidelines

Makeup products are loved by all women. There is hardly a woman who does not use a beauty product or a cosmetic to look more beautiful. You buy them or you get it as a gift from somebody, and you feel so attached to it that you do not want to throw it away even if you do not use it. According to a study made, about 89% of the women stock their old makeup products and do not throw them away, thinking that they may come of use in future. Fewer than 1 in 5 women use mascara within the three months time. Most continue to use them even after 3 months, even though they feel guilty in doing so. Some buy these products seeing the attractive packaging and then keep then as they are, without trying them even once.

These products that you use for increasing your beauty may also cause various skin problems like a breakout of pimples and acne as you get up one morning, tiny rashes or bumps on your forehead, or red eye. You have to be more careful when you use eye products as using an outdated or infected product can cause problems for your eyes. So, always note the expiry date of these products and discard them once they are past this date. If it is difficult for you to remember the month in which you have bought a product, use a sharpie and write the date and month on it. This way you will know when to stop using them. How you store these beauty products is also important. Store them at places that are dry and cool. If you store your cosmetics and beauty products at places where there is moisture, they may get infected with micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi.

Beauty Product Expiration – How long does Makeup Products Last:

Blush:

Blush adds more life to your face and makes you look charming. If you are using powder blush, do not use it for more than 2 and a half years. If the blush is cream based, you must throw it away after 2 years and buy new blush, as it gets infected with bacteria faster than the powder blush.

Eye shadow:

Eye shadow is used by many and it makes your eyes beautiful and attractive .When you use them, make sure that you do not use them for more than 24 to 30 months. If you use them beyond that, it may cause eye problems and even infections on the eyes. So, be very careful and remember to replace them with new ones once it is past 24 to 30 months. Along with taking care of the eye shadow, you must also make sure that the brushes and the sponge applicator that use are clean. Make them clean by using baby shampoo and then dry them well before you store them.

Eye and lip Liner pencils:

Lip pencils and eye pencils cannot be used for more than 2 years. You may also use it for a bit longer if you wish so. Sharpen the pencils well every time before you use them and make sure that you put the caps on them tightly. Never keep them without their caps on. This can cause dust to accumulate on them and bacteria and fungi to thrive on them, therby leading to infections.

Foundations and Concealers:

Before you put on your makeup, you apply foundations and concealers as base for your makeup. Foundations or concealers are applied on a larger area of the skin and therefore you must be very careful when using them. Liquid foundations can be used as long as one and a half years. After that you must replace them with new foundations. If not, you may suffer from skin problems and infections. Concealers also last for about one and a half years. After that you must discard them and get new products.

Lip gloss:

Lip gloss can be used for about 18 to 24 months after you purchase it. After that you must get rid of it and buy a new lip gloss as using it beyond the expiry date can lead to infections and other problems.

Lipstick:

lipstick is a common product that is used by most of the women. Usually you do not remember when you bought a particular lipstick. You use it for a while and then buy a new one. But it is important you note the date and month in which you have purchased it as lipsticks can be used only for 24 months. After 24 months you have to replace it with a new one. Even if your lipstick smells different, you must avoid using it.

Mascara:

Mascara has the shortest life span. It can be used only up to 3 months. After that you must stop using it and buy a new one. If you see that your mascara has become dry, do not use water or any fluid to dilute it and use it. Just throw it away and get a new one. Diluting it with water or fluids can cause problems to your eyes and even lead to bacterial infections. So it is always better to be on the safe side and get a new one.

Just as you take care of your makeup products and store them well, it is also important that you take proper care of your makeup brushes. Remember to clean your makeup brushes regularly. After you use the makeup brushes, clean them well with a baby shampoo and remove all traces of makeup from them. After you clean them, let them get dry and then store them. If you do not clean the makeup brushes, you may suffer from various infections, rashes, allergies etc, even if you use fresh makeup products.

Now that you have learnt about how to use your makeup products and when to discard them and buy new ones, follow the tips properly and avoid infections and other skin problems.