How many people buy makeup and beauty products, and continue to use it until its run out, regardless of how long they’ve kept it in their makeup draw? Pretty much everyone. Who knows the effects that out of date beauty products can cause? Or how to tell if their products have gone out of date? How many people actually know the expiration dates on their beauty products?
****
There are many different opinions on how long to keep each product, and everything will go off at different speeds depending on how individuals look after them and store them. You can google the expiration dates on diffrent products and get several different answers. As long as you keep an eye on your products and know what to look out for, there is never anything to worry about. These are the dates that we use and tell people here ate Revive Hair & Beauty.
****
In this blog post, we will give you our opinions on how long to keep products and let you know how long we keep our products. We will also give you an indictaion on how to notice your products going out of date.
****
Eyeliner
There are a few different eyeliner options, gel, roll on, pencils. They all have different expiration dates because of the amount of bacteria that can harvest on them.
Pencil eyeliners can last for about a year. This is because everytime you sharpen your pencil, it removes all of the bacteria that harvests after every use. This means that you can use it much longer.
It is always advisable not to share makeup products, as this can spread bacteria, and can be especially harmful to eyes. However, if you do share an eyeliner pencil, a good sharpen after every person has used it will eliminate any cross contamination of bacteria. (This is the exact same as a pencil lipliner)
****
A liquid eyeliner will probably dry out after about 6 months, which is the recommended time of use anyways. Because you cannot sharpen these products, bacteria can harvest on the nib of the eyeliner and can cause problems such as styes. To avoid this, try spraying with a non-alcohol based makeup spray once a week, which can be bought in most drugstores. An alcohol-based spray can dry the product out and therefore means you will have to repace it more often. Sharing this product with a friend is not a great idea because eye infections can spread and bacteria can spread too. We should always do our best to look atter our eyes… we only get one set!
A gel pot eyeliner can keep for 6 months to a year depending on how hygenically you use the product. Most Gel eyeliner pots comes with an application brush. These are fine to use if you do not share the product with anyone. Again, bacteria will get caught up in the pot and can cause bacteria to be spread across your eyes. Again, as above, if you get your hands on a hygene spray to clean the product between each use, you should stop the spreading and harvesting of bacteria. Cleaning your brush regularly will also help with this. With gel pot eyeliners, you’ll be able to tell if it’s going out of date because it will start to dry out and become clumpy when you dip your brush in the pot.
****
Mascara
There are many different types of mascara; waterproof, curling etc. But the storage and expiration date on all mascaras are almost identical. Again, due to mascara being applied to the eyes, it is vital to keep your product as hygenic as possible. Using disposable brushes is ideal, as long as you don’t double dip.
Pumping your mascara brush in and out of the pot will allow lots of air to be distributed through the product, drying it out. This means that your product will have to be replaced more often as it wont go on your lashes nicely and will be un-usable. If your mascara does get thick, starts to smell different or discolours, its important to replace it – this will avoid any eye infections.
The guideline for mascara is 3-6 months, but people tend to use it up completely by this time.
****
Powder Products
Powder products include eyeshadows, setting powders, bronzers and powder foundation. Powder products last a lot longer than wet products as bacteria cannot harvest on them as easily, as bacteria likes moisture. It’s always advisable to use a clean brush when using a powder product, as product buildup on the brush can cause the product to go on unevenly and leave a bad quality finish.
Any powder product should be thrown away if there are any changes in formula, colour or smell. Anti-Bacterial spray can be sprayed onto any powder product and dabbed with a tissue to remove any excess moisture. This will keep them as clean as possible and should keep them perfectly fine to use up until their expiration date.
Powder products expiration dates ar 1-2 years.
****
Foundation
There are two different types of “pots” that foundation can come in. The first is the typical foundation bottle with a ‘pump’ lid. This type can last up to two years. This is because no bacteria will be able to get into the pot because there are no holes for the air to get through. This type of foundation can be shared around between people and no cleaning will be needed. If the texture, colour or smell changes, you should change this because this is an indication that the product will be going off.
The second type is a pot where you scrape out the product. This can last up to 6 months because bacteria can sit on the top layer. Similar to powder products, you can clean the top layer with an anti-bacterial spray or alternitavely, you could scrape off the very very top layer of the product to remove any bacteria. Sharing this product is not advisable due to the spreading of bacteria. Scraping out this product and popping onto the back of your hand before use is ideal to stop contamination of the product.
If the foundation is ‘gone off’ then it could cause havoc for your skin… causing breakouts and dryness.
****
Concealer
Concealers can last up to one year. Due to the applicator being pumped in and out, very similar to mascara, bacteria can get in and harvest in the product. This can then caused breakouts, acne or other skin problems due to contamination of the applicator. If you already suffer with skin problems such as breakouts, you can decant the product onto the back of your hand before using the product to stop spreading the bacteria. If the texture of this product becomes too thick and clumpy, or the colour changes, its best to get rid of the product and replace it. Most breakouts are due to the spreading of bacteria from one pimple to other parts of the face, commonly due to contaminated concealer brushes.
****
Lipsticks/Lipglosses
Who puts lipstick straight onto their lips? Most people. Our mouths are full of bacteria, which can be transferred onto our lips via saliva. Lipsticks are then rubbed onto the lips and the bacteria is transferred onto the lipstick. If you have a cut on your lip at any point and you wipe said lipstick over the top, the bacteria will go directly into the cut and can cause all sorts of problems. This can be the same for spreading cold sores. Spraying lipstick straight after use will stop the spreading of these bacteria, or wiping off the very top layer will also eliminate this. I know most people can’t be bothered to do this, so replacing your lipsticks every few months will stop the contamination. Using a lipstick for more than 6 months is a no no.
The same goes for a lip gloss — bacteria will contaminate the applicator and the air being pumped in and out of the tube will dry the product out. 6 months to a year is the absolute max. Any change in texture of scent will indicate that it needs replacing sooner.
****
Everybody is entitled to keep their makeup for as long as they want to – whether its a month or a year. This is just advice for what we would reccommend. Most makeup brands will have their own guidelines which you could normally find on the boxes.
We hope you are inspired to clean out your makeup bag and start a fresh! Looking after our makeup helps us to look after our skin!
****
*All makeup products pictured in this blog are availbale to buy in the salon. Call us on 01536428756 for more details*
Recent Comments