Have you ever thought of your makeup going bad? As in, expiring. I bet you didn’t know makeups have expiration dates. To help you address this issue, read on and find out. Believe me, you really need to know these facts.
To Keep or Toss? What You Should Know About Makeup Expiration Dates
Facts About Makeup Expiration Everyone Should Remember
Through the years, we’ve all accumulated a number of makeup products. Different eyeshadows that we discontinued using because of changes in trends, seasons or our tastes. Same as lipsticks, mascaras or eyeliners. Face creams or powders that we can’t toss away because we might want to use them again someday. But what we don’t know is that like food, cosmetics can also go bad. Not as fast but they still got expirations dates. To give you ideas and facts on what to look for to know if your products shouldn’t be used anymore, here are some guidelines.
Take note of the date you opened the product. After breaking the seal of any products, the countdown to its expiration starts. you should always remember that ALL beauty products have expirations. May it be mascaras, creams, powders, liners, eyeshadows, you know the rest. You should remember that you can’t take expired products lightly. You can’t just shrug your shoulders and use it anyway. They can cause skin irritation, blemishes or rashes.
Spot the PAO date. Over-the-counter drug store products usually have expiration dates stamped on their packaging like sunscreens or acne treatments. Usually, cosmetic products don’t have dates stamped on their packaging. So how will you know when will they go bad? Look for the PAO date. This is a symbol of a jar with an open lid. A number followed by a capital letter M is inside the jar. For example, if the symbol has “12M” in it, it means that the product will go bad 12 months after you opened it.
If you can’t find the PAO date anywhere, you can just follow the general expiration date rules for different types of cosmetics.
Here’s Your Guide to Make Up Shelf Life:
Eye Products
Eyeliners and mascaras should be discarded 4 to 6 months after you’ve opened it. It’s the same even if its waterproof, regular, liquid, pencil or gel. When you’re mascara is already dry, toss them. Do not add water or any liquid to prolong its use.
Powder-Based Products
Because these are usually dry, it is less susceptible to bacteria. Nonetheless, you should throw them 2-3 years after opening.
Cream-Based Products
Cosmetics including concealers and liquid or stick foundations are to be discarded 6 months to 1 year after use.
Lip Balm and Lipsticks
Lip products should not be used 1 year after you started using them.
Appearance of the product. If your cosmetics have a funny smell, are discolored, have gone lumpy or too dry, grainy or have a strange feeling when applied, these are indicators that they are have gone bad already.
These are the major rules on makeup expiration dates. Expired products accumulate bacteria and bacteria cause skin problems. Imagine putting that on your face. Isn’t that disgusting? If you have makeups that are in your cabinet for a looong time and you regret throwing them because you haven’t used them very much, don’t think about it and toss ’em. You’ll regret it more if your face starts having breakouts and rashes.