VIDEO: When to Throw Out Your Makeup

By Charleen Gonzalez for Shine Latina

Cosmetics are not meant to last forever, and using them beyond their shelf life can lead to breakouts and eye infections. Longevity varies among different products, but items like mascaras and lip glosses should be thrown out every few months. I know it might seem like throwing out money, but would you eat cheese that's been expired for month? Let alone put on your face something that has been expired for a year?

Here's the scoop.

Mascara
I know many women who have been using the same mascara for years. Their reasoning is that it still works, so why throw it out?

The reason to throw out your mascara when it expires is because it's the one item you are putting directly near your eyes, and the bacteria built up in the mascara wand can give you an eye infection. The general rule is that mascara expires three months after you first open the tube. However, most makeup companies claim that their mascara expires in six months.

They way to tell is to look for the expiration symbol on the mascara tube. It's a little container that has a number and the letter "M" on it. The number represents the number of months the item is good for after you first open it, even if you haven't used it.

Liquid foundation and powder
At the very least, liquid foundation should last six months to a year before expiring. Powders last much longer than foundation because they don't hold on to bacteria as much as liquid products do. The longest a powder foundation should last, especially in loose form, is two years. Other powder products like blushes and bronzer generally last one year from first use.

Lip gloss and eyeshadow

Lip gloss and eyeshadow both expire after a year of use. Lip gloss is a hotbed for bacteria, so it's more important to throw that out in time. Eyeshadow is in powder form so, again, bacteria doesn't collect on it as well.

Eyeshadow is the one product for which I say you can stretch the expiration date a bit, especially if you regularly clean your shadows with a cosmetic sanitizer like Beauty So Clean sanitizer spray. This product can be used on any makeup item and it kills bacteria on contact. You can also use rubbing alcohol to sanitize your products, but you run the risk of ruining them over time that way.


To see more of Charleen' beauty videos check out her YouTube channel

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