Let’s be honest: how often do you
maintain your cosmetics? And no, it doesn’t count that you use them on
daily basis, but the date when you opened them for the first time! 78% of women have no idea that their beauty products have a shelf life so they wear makeup past its expiration date. And you don’t want to be in that group, right? Luckily for you I’m coming with
this post to help you with that issue! :)
Why should you systematically get rid of your cosmetics?
Just like food, beauty products don’t last
forever and have their own expiration date – once opened they must be used before
their shelf life expires. And it’s not so easy to make it on time with using
the whole product if we constantly buy new ones… and then we forget about those
already used, but not yet empty cosmetics. Not only makeup artists possess a
huge supply of cosmetics, but also the beauty maniacs, bloggers, vloggers and
many other girls that love to buy beauty stuff and to test new products. With
such collections of cosmetics it’s very hard (and even impossible) to use all
of them in short period of time, so unfortunately many of them break down. At
first glance we can’t see the changes and signs of spoilage in the product, so
we are unaware of its harmfulness and we store some of those products sometimes
even a few years too long! But inside those cosmetics there’s a breeding ground for bacteria
and when we use them it negatively affects our skin, sometimes even causing
irritation or infection. And yet we are delighted when we discover some old
goodies in our makeup collections and we are surprised how long ago it was
since we last used them, because we simply forgot about the issue… and about
proliferating bacteria as well.
Sometimes we save our money to buy some more expensive cosmetics and we
don’t want to
waste the product and throw it away, if its use is minimal.
So what should we do? Of course it’s easier to prevent than cure (and nothing
can help spoiled or overdue cosmetics), therefore it’s good to focus on
extending the life of your cosmetics. But how?
How to extend your makeup's shelf life?
Although each product has its own expiration date we unconsciously
shorten its life by improper maintenance of cosmetics. If you don’t want to
lose a pleasure from the use, then apply a few easy-to-follow rules:
- Store your cosmetics in cool, dry places and avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures. You should also keep your perfumes away from the light and heat, because light can break down the scent over time.
- Make sure that you properly close your cosmetics – all the moisturizers, liquids, eyeliners, mascaras, etc.
- DO NOT pump your mascara wand into the bottle, because air makes it dry out faster and DO NOT dilute it with water – there are specific products especially designed for this purpose, like INGLOT Duraline!
- Take care of cleanliness of the accessories that you use to apply your makeup. Dirty, dusty brushes and other makeup applicators are destroying our skin, so wash them at least once a week. And DO NOT store them on your dressing table without any cover, because dust settles on them and you don’t want to put that on your face, right?
- Watch out with whom you are sharing your cosmetics – letting your friend use your mascara or lipstick is not a wise decision… unless you like the spread of bacteria.
Remember that when you store or use your beauty
products incorrectly they will spoil sooner than their expiration date.
Unfortunately sometimes it’s just too late because they start to break
or their expiration date passes… and there’s no way to restore their previous
state. And then there’s only one solution: toss them!
"Good quality makeup and makeup tools are an investment – it’s like
a wardrobe for your face and skin that you wear every day. By taking care of the items,
you get a better return on the investment." (Bobbi Brown)
Cosmetics expiration date
If you want to keep your skin in the best condition, then once in a
while check your cosmetic arsenal and get rid of all the expired beauty
products. For this purpose use the infographic below which tells you when you should throw out each of your cosmetics after
first opening.
Of course this is only guideline because cosmetics vary depending on
product composition and partly manufacturer, so the best you can do is to check
all of your cosmetics by yourself:
- A lot of beauty products are labeled with a small symbol of an open jar, which contains a number and the letter “M” or “Y” written inside it – this is encoded expiration date. It tells you how many months or years the products lasts, which is how long you should keep the product after opening it.
- That “period after opening” indicator is only an approximation, so always use common sense. Any change in smell or texture is not a good sign: if it begins to separate, clump or dry out, smells odd and looks discoloured, it means that bacteria proliferate and chemical reactions occur. So if your cosmetic has changed like this, throw it out no matter what!
- Do you always forget when you first opened your cosmetic? Label it on the bottom with the opening date (or if you prefer expiration date based on that first opening) or write it down in your notebook.
- If you have very sensitive skin, prone to irritations, allergies and red eyes do yourself a favour and get rid of suspicious cosmetic as soon as possible! Even if it’s a new product it doesn't mean it hasn't gone bad.
- Water encourages bacteria growth, so products like cream or liquid, which contain mainly water, have the shortest shelf life, in contrary to the powder cosmetics (like powders, blushes, bronzers, eyeshadows) which last the longest. But just for the record, keep in mind that even powder cosmetics will go bad sooner if you don’t use them or store properly.
Yes, we can use some of the products a little longer than it’s
recommended, but we have to keep in mind that this can only worsen the
condition of our skin. Worth taking a risk? I don’t think so…
Getting rid of our favourite beauty products is not pleasant at all, so the best you can do is to
buy wisely and limit your cosmetics to a smaller amount (and I deserve a praise for doing that). Don’t forget to take care of them and
don’t wait with replacing
your makeup until it runs out. Check your makeup bag regularly because even the most expensive anti-wrinkle cream won’t help you if
you constantly cause harm to your skin wearing expired makeup.
How often do you replace your makeup? Do you follow
makeup expiration dates?
good to know, i'm sure i'm guilty of doing this haha
OdpowiedzUsuńxx fameliquorlove // bloglovin // instagram
I'm glad that my post was helpful for you. At some point we're all guilty of doing that... ;)
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