Makeup, like food, has expiration dates. Bacteria can build up and can lead, in the worst case, to rashes and infections. From Wear This, Toss That! Hundreds of Fashion and Beauty Swaps That Save Your Looks, Save Your Budget & Save You Time, by Amy E. Goodman.
Here's a tip: Place a small sticker on the product and write the month and year (such as 4/2011) you open it. Better yet, calculate the date it expires and write that down. And if anything has a strange odor or is starting to separate, crackle, or clump, just toss it!
How Long Should You Keep It?
Makeup
Concealer -- 1 year
Foundation -- 1-1½ years
Facial powder -- 2 years
Blush, Powder -- 2 years
Blush, Cream -- 1 year
Bronzer -- 2 years
Pencil Eyeliner -- 2 years
Liquid Eyeliner -- 3 months
Eye Shadow, Powder -- 2 years
Eye Shadow, Cream -- 1 year
Mascara -- 3 months
Brow Liner or Powder -- 2 years
Lipstick -- 2 years
Lip Gloss -- 1 ½ -2 years
Lip Liner -- up to 3 years, if pencil
Makeup Brushes -- wash every 3 months with a brush cleanser
Nail Polish -- 2 years
Skincare Products
Cleanser -- 1 year
Moisturizers -- 1 year
Eye Cream -- 1 year
Sunscreen -- 1 year
Makeup Primer -- 6 months-1 year
Lip Balm -- 1 year
Exfoliators -- 6-9 months
Anti-aging Masques & Treatments -- 6 months-1 year
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy E. Goodman, author of Wear This, Toss That!: Hundreds of Fashion and Beauty Swaps That Save Your Looks, Save Your Budget & Save You Time (Copyright © 2011 by Little Professor Productions, LLC, and The Stonesong Press, LLC), is a frequent contributor to the Today show, as well as The View, Good Morning America, The Early Show, CNN, and Movie & a Makeover, among others. A former correspondent and editor for InStyle and senior editor for All You, she is currently an editor at large for Southern Living and fashion trend director for Timex. She lives with her husband and two young children in Washington, D.C.
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