Alright y’all remember that nail polish I had last year when we talked about how to Spring Clean our makeup?!? Yeah… I still have them. I have serious issues, I am aware of this! But I promise I am on top of all the other makeup expiration dates & with Spring upon us again, I figured it was about time to go ahead and get a little bit of an update to last years post! What about you all are you ready to spring clean your makeup? You’ll be surprised at all the crap you can find when you go through your makeup drawers and bags! Stuff that has long since passed it’s prime and needs to be tossed! You can use this chart to go ahead and get a head start!
Disclaimer: I’m no makeup expiration expert! Always look at the back of your products and usually they will have what looks like a little open container on it and will say “3M”, “6M”, “24M” etc… and that’s what you should be following when tossing your makeup! I try to follow this as best as I can. Having suffered from pink eye, I can tell you the liners and mascara are tossed on the day they should be. Whenever I buy a new product, I take a tiny circle sticker and write the date on it and that way I will know when it’s time to toss it!
The FDA does not put regulations on or require that cosmetic companies or companies producing over-the-counter skincare place an expiration date on products, it’s up to the brand individually. Some brands are great about it, and you will see a PAO (Period After Opening) label on the back, they look like little containers like I explained and have how many months the products is good for after you open. Some companies (whom I love) will even take it to the next level & print a date on the product for you. However, this isn’t the case with all products. So it’s good to have a bit of a guideline! And keep in mind that this isn’t just for cosmetic products, you should be checking the expiration dates on your lotions, sunscreens and the like too!
A FEW MAKEUP EXPIRATION TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND:
- Mascara and eyeliners are one’s that should always be stuck to! Whatever time frame you get on the package, get rid of it when you’re done. Nothing is more gross then pink eye and believe me you don’t want it!
- Most skincare items breed bacteria with a quickness so I usually stick to a few months. I use a lot of them twice daily so they rarely make it to the 6 month mark anyway.
- Keep your makeup in a cool place! If you can, avoid keeping it in the bathroom as super amounts of bacteria hang out there. Yuck!
- This is probably common sense BUT in case it isn’t… if the product changes color, texture, smells weird or looks funny? Throw that ish in the trash!
- Liquid foundation can also be a breeding ground for ALL THE BACTERIA (YUCK!)… don’t stick your fingers in the jar && try to keep it in cool places!
- Usually the shelf life of eye shadow, blush, bronzer & the like is quite extensive. To prolong their life be sure to clean your brushes and sponges that your touching to your powders to extend it further!
- This is a biggie! Replace your loofah or sponger FREQUENTLY! The usual rule of thumb is 3 months but I change mine out each month to be safe. Even better? Just use a wash cloth that you can toss in the laundry after use!
- Body lotions are one to have a super long shelf life once opened! Tell tale sign it’s time to toss it? The color, scent & texture change! Say bye bye!
- Nail Polish tricks to make them last longer? Store in the fridge, a monthly shake up to keep separation at bay & invest in a thinner (specifically for polish thinning) to drip in if it’s gotten to a goopy stage!
- When using organic and all natural products be sure to consult the company because as these products tend not to have preservatives, that makes it so they tend to have a shorter shelf life once opened.
Anamika says
April 21, 2014 at 3:25 amA much needed reminder
Renee says
April 22, 2014 at 7:53 pmHey thanks for this I will keep this post in my favorites and keep reffering to it for my makeup products.
follower, love it if you followed me.
Renee x
a cruelty free blog
jbrobeck says
June 17, 2014 at 7:36 pmThis list is great – so helpful! – but I would have to disagree on nail polish. While it can evaporate, it never expires and can be easily be revived with nail polish thinner! I have polishes from the 90’s that are in perfect shape!