If You Didn’t Know, Cosmetic Come With A Shelf Life

May 18, 2014

Almost all cosmetic products in the market come with an ‘understood’ shelf life. This shelf life ticks off soon after you open the product seal. Often cosmetics and makeup labels don’t print this expiry date. Even if they do, people think a winter lotion can work for at least two winters, right? After all, its sole purpose is to moisturize and it can do that no matter it being way passed the expiry date.

That means the expiry period of such products is a myth? Absolutely not! The effectivity of products varies as per their usage. Creams and lotions look harmless to use even after surpassing their mentioned expiry date. But they harbor bacteria, which upon coming in contact with your skin can cause trouble. This situation becomes tricky when it comes to makeup expense. Building up a modest makeup collection really digs a hole in your pocket, and before you realize, half of those items expire. But you need to let go!

The Right Time To Stop Using Them

Well, for products that have expiry date marked on their label, you know when they will expire. However, for few make up products, which do not generally have a period of expiration clearly stated, figuring out its expiry becomes tricky. Apparently, a recent study claimed that more than 72% of women use expired make up. Don’t want to be a part of them? Read ahead to know the correct usage time:

Eye makeup requires extra care and attention as it is highly vulnerable to environmental changes and can easily lead to eye infections. Do not use them beyond the stated time period below:

Eye shadows: 12 months
Lines: 3-6 months
Mascara: 1-3 months

Foundations provide an even skin tone to the skin prior to applying makeup. However, usage beyond the expiry period can prove to be more harmful:

Concealer: 12 months
Liquid foundation: 12 months
Cream foundation: 18 months

Expired lip products can cause chapped lips and even lead to infections.

Lip liner: up to 12 months
Lip stick: 2 years
Lip glosses: 18 months

Beside, you can always follow your instincts. If a product smells weird, throw it off. And do not ever commit the mistake of adding water if you feel that the product has dried. After all, safety of your skin is more important than cost of these products.

A Tip! You Can Extend The Expiry Time Of Expensive Products

Products made of natural ingredients are more sensitive to temperature changes that the ones made of chemical ingredients, requiring more attention. Most products need to be stored in a cool area. If you live in a place that is overly warm, then it is recommended to store your beauty products in a refrigerator. Use cotton pads instead of bare hands to remove lotions as it would reduce any chance of bacteria contaminating the entire bottle of lotion.

Make up brushes are another beauty product that can harbor bacteria if they are not cleaned properly and timely. Reusing make up brushes without cleaning the can affect its quality to reflect right shade. Therefore, wash your makeup brushes daily and use clean and separate brushes for different colors.