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Do you ever look at your skin care products or makeup and think, “I am sure this is definitely not supposed to look like this or smell like this.”
News flash…it’s not supposed to and knowing when to throw your products will save you from embarrassing infections or rashes and ensure that you are still applying useful creams and serums on your skin versus wasting your precious time with expired products that have lost their effectiveness.
There are a few easy tricks you can use to estimate whether or not it is time to throw your products away. Using your basic senses of sight, smell and touch you can make this an easy process.
Smell
When you are rummaging through your refrigerator on the nights you don’t have time to cook and discover that container of leftovers; what is the very first instinct you have? Smell it! Our brain will always instinctively guide us to avoid putting expired food into our system. Trust this instinct and start smelling your products when you first purchase them. This ensures you commit the smell of the fresh product to memory. In the future smell the product before you apply it. If it’s smell has changed, GET RID OF IT. A great example is when a lipstick smells like clay or putty. That’s not right, GET RID OF IT.
Appearance
If your makeup or skincare changes in appearance GET RID OF IT. If your powder eyeshadow or blush looks glazed over it is time to GET RID OF IT. The oils from your face have transferred from your brushes or fingers to the product and bacteria have hardened its top most layer. Do not just scrape this layer off, GET RID OF IT. An eye infection from bacteria laden product is not worth the $5.00 in left over product you are contemplating keeping. If your cream eyeshadow, cream blush, lipstick or lip gloss has started to fade then GET RID OF IT. It has been bleached by light exposure and will no longer give you a lasting application due to its loss of pigmentation. Don’t waste your time by putting on a product that won’t last. If a skin care serum or cream looks darker in color then it did when you originally purchased it or if it has broken down and now has a watery consistency then GET RID OF IT. Active ingredients will break down after a period of time changing the products effectiveness. Exposure to extreme temperatures and light are a few factors that can speed up the breakdown of these items.
Consistency
If any product with a creamy consistency feels dry or is cracked GET RID OF IT. When a products consistence changes it is a sign that the product has begun to break down and it is losing, or has lost, its effectiveness. Most products have a suggested use by date and a recommended dosage on the container or packaging; follow this guideline. You are not doing yourself any favors by using half of the recommended dosage or keeping a product past its prime. You are most likely not applying enough of the product to see results or you are using something that is no longer going to be able to deliver visible results due to ineffectiveness after expiration.
When in doubt refer to the guideline below.
These estimates of times are for after a makeup product has been opened and the suggested dates only apply if the amount of time is within any date specific expiration provided by the manufacturer.
- Concealer- Replace every 18 months.
- Cream Blush- replace every 18 months.
- Cream Eye shadow- Replace every 12 months. After any bacterial eye infection get rid of this product immediately.
- Eye Shadow- Replace every 12-18 months. After any bacterial eye infection get rid of this product immediately.
- Eyeliner- Replace every 12 months. After any bacterial eye infection get rid of this product immediately. Sharpening a pencil eye liner after or before each use will extend its life to 24 months.
- Foundation – Replace every 12 months if it is in an airless pump. Replace every 6-8 months of you dip your fingers into the product. Are you prone to breakouts? If so, get rid of your foundation every six months if you can dip your fingers into it.
- Lip Gloss- Replace every 12 months.
- Lipstick- Replace every 12 months.
- Mascara- Replace every three months. After any bacterial eye infection get rid of this product immediately.
- Nail Polish- Replace every two years or after any fungal infection.
- Powder Blush or Bronzer- Replace every 18 months.
Michael Moore has worked in the cosmetics industry since 1988 with brand leaders such as Bobbi Brown Essentials, Borghese, Chanel, Guerlain, and Estée Lauder. In New York City, he was often seen backstage during fashion week, supporting major designers such as Bill Blass, Joan Vass, Oscar de la Renta, Badgley Mischka, Bob Mackie, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger and Vera Wang.
Today, Michael works regularly with print and television media for photo shoots, fashion content, and special events. His makeup artistry has graced publications (INStyle, Redbook, McCall’s, The New York Times, The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News, Australian Elle and Australian and German Vogue) and television shows (Oprah, The Today Show, E! Entertainment Television) in more than a dozen countries. And Michael has had the distinct pleasure of working with countless celebrities, royalty, and political figures.