Ladies, you might not want to hear this, but your makeup actually has an expiry date. And that date is not when you finally finish the last drop of that lip gloss from 4 years ago.
Unlike food and drinks, makeup doesn’t strike us as something which has a use-by date. I’m sure most girls (myself included) have a stash of makeup they keep and use occasionally when they feel like it. There are of course newer cosmetics mixed into the pile, but most of us hang on to half-used ones that we might just need sometime in the future.
And we’re not the only ones.
A survey in 2013 revealed that British women still hold on to their make-up 7 years after purchase. Some women surveyed actually kept eyeshadow and eyeliner for 14 years or more.
What’s the harm, you ask? It’s not like they’re being ingested! You’re just using them to perk up your lashes and cheeks, would it be so bad to use something you bought five years ago which still hasn’t caked?
According to the dermatologists, yes.
Old makeup that’s been stored for enough time can harbour bacteria that could cause blemishes and even infections such as conjunctivitis.
This is because when you use makeup, for example a tube of mascara, you expose it to bacteria whenever you open the tube to apply it on your lashes.
“The bacteria can get in there and the preservatives might not be working quite as well as they were when you first opened it. If you get some of that in your eye, you may develop conjunctivities which we know as ‘pink-eye’,” said Angela Bowers, M.D., dermatologist on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Centre in the United States [1].
And it’s not just mascaras and things you apply on your eyes which can cause problems. Powders and foundations too can irritate the skin when it gets older. Lipstick and lip gloss also need to retire on time, as do your makeup applicators like sponges and brushes.
So how long exactly should you keep these stuff? We turn to the experts for advice.
[table “47” not found /]We’ve also found some handy videos on cleaning and storing your makeup brushes and sponges. Enjoy!
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