I was cleaning out my bathroom last weekend and I came across my "secondary stash" of cosmetics - you know, not the stuff you use everyday but the stuff that you use every now and then. In the stash was:
- A set of eyeshadows that I was talked into buying during a visit to a MAC counter (I should have known better)
- A lipstick that I used to LOVE but now looks a little bit "juvenile"
- Eye cream that was a GWP that I never used
- Blush that my girlfriend left while preparing for a girl's night out
- Mascara that I was duped into buying from QVC (I actually have two b/c I bought the same mascara twice, lol).
As an esthetician, I tell people to regularly rotate their cosmetics to avoid infection, yet I have no idea how long I have had my own make-up!
Martha Kempner of the DC Examiner says, "Knowing when to toss your cosmetic products can be especially important for items with active ingredients such as sunscreens, glycolic acid, retinol or hydroquinone, all of which lose efficacy with age. And in the case of sunscreen or block, even a minor change in the strength of the SPF can lead to a dangerous sunburn or sun damage. Also, certain skin types, such as acneic or sensitive, will want to be aware of using old, expired products as this can lead to further breakouts, redness, or flakiness. "
Here are some guidelines:
- Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year
- Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
- Concealer: 12-18 months
- Powder: 2 years
- Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
- Cream Blush: 12-18 months
- Powder Eye shadow: 2 years
- Cream Eye shadow: 12-18 months
- Eyeliner: 2 years
- Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
- Mascara: 3 months
- Lipstick: 2 years
- Lip liner: 2 years
- Lip gloss: 18-24 months
- Nail Color: 1 year
Natural products have even shorter shelf lives due to lack of preservatives.
Some companies, such as Paragon Cosmetics, are coming the rescue by placing an icon on products indicating how long the product will last once opened. The icon looks like a little jar of cream and features a number and the letter M. The number represents the number of months the user should keep the product before tossing it.
Or you can always write your own expiration date on the products once you open them by using a Sharpie!
Its definitely time to do some spring cleaning in my make-up drawer!
Great Advice! Scurring away to do a personal stash inventory...
Posted by: Fergie | April 02, 2009 at 05:38 PM
This is a great post and wonderful resource. These rules of thumb are awesome for those of us who are makeup novices.
Posted by: The Broke Socialite | April 01, 2009 at 08:53 PM