We know that throwing away our precious make up is not easy. You paid money for it, you had it for years and it might not even smell bad. After all, there is rarely an expiration date on those containers. However, bacterial contamination is a reality even for make up products. You stick your fingers or a sponge into your foundation and expose everything to air every time you open a lipstick or a mascara. Oils in many lipsticks, foundations and other products go rancid after 2 years. Since spring cleaning will be on your mind anyway, why not take a few minutes to go through your make up bag?
The lifetime of different products after opening the container is generally as follows:
Mascara - 4 to 6 months
Liquid Eyeliner - 4 to 6 months
Liquid Foundations - 6 months
Moisturizers (tinted or not) - 6 months
Powders (loose or compact) - 2 to 3 years
Eyeshadows - 2 to 3 years
Blushes - 2 to 3 years
Lipsticks and lipglosses - 2 to 3 years
Lip and eyeliner pencils - 2 to 3 years
However, I will admit that I have eyeshadows, blushes and other beauty products that are older than their recommended lifetime. Some people argue that the storage guidelines are created by cosmetic companies to make you buy their products more often. My rule of thumb is to dispose of products that directly touch my face or products that I may touch directly with my hands within given time frame. I throw mascara out within four to six months mostly because it touches my eye lids directly with the applicator. In the end, our faces and hands are the sources of bacteria that contaminate cosmetics. A few pimples is one thing, but an eye infection is a much more serious condition. So, I choose not to take my chances with an old mascara. Besides that, it dries out quickly anyway! If I use sponges for foundation, which again touch my face directly, I throw them out or wash them after every use. For everything else, I use common sense to make a decision about tossing or keeping. If the product's color or consistency changes, I will throw it out. If it smells bad (think rancid oil smell), off to the trash it goes. If it irritates my skin or eyes, I part with it and never miss it.
Other General Tips:
1. If you forgot your make up case in your car under the sun for the entire day, it will create an environment for bacterial growth. As a rule of thumb, avoid storing make up in temperatures above 85F (29C).
2. Do not share make up with friends unless you are ready to sanitize it with rubbing alcohol right after. As nice as it is to share, you will also be sharing bacteria.
3. Be a neatfreak:- Always wash your hands before make up application.
- Wipe your containers often and wash your brushes at
least once a week.
- Clean your make up cases.
- If your solid concealers or lipsticks get dirty or have not
been used in a very long time, clean them with a paper
towel dipped into rubbing alcohol; dry eye shadows and
powders can be cleaned with a dry paper towel.
To summarize, keep your make up products and tools clean and fresh. They will reward you with GLAMORIZED SKIN!
Interested in learning what trends await you this summer? Check out our Top 5 Summer 2011 Makeup Trends.
Sources:
Beauty Bible
by Paula Begoun; Cosmeticscop.com; The great cosmetics con: Are sell by dates there to protect your health or make you buy more? by Claire Coleman
what is the life for concealers (same as foundation?), toners, cleansers, scrubs?
ReplyDeleteAlso, not all of the products have protective wrapping (or whatever it is called to make sure the product stays unopened before purchase), i guess it is best to stay away from such? (i.e. some sunscreens, moisturizers, cleansers)
and i guess this article is another illustration that although some companies try to sell you larger volumes for cheaper price per unit, we shouldn't fall into this trap due to lifetime limits of the products
ReplyDeleteNadya, your comments inspired me to do more research about lotions, cleansers scrubs etc. and protective wrapping. As far as concealers, yes, the rules are the same as for foundation.
ReplyDelete