You could ask my boyfriend, my family, and even some of my friends and they will tell you that I love my makeup and that I am a hoarder, BUT one thing that I ALWAYS think about is how long I have had certain products and when I need to replace or toss them.
I once heard on Tyra, of all things, about how nasty certain makeup and skincare products can get and how bacteria can build up in mascara and fountain tubes and it FREAKED. ME. OUT. So ever since then I have been quite cautious and I wanted to share a few things with you guys.
One of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog was because I wanted to show people how drug store and lower end makeup brands are just as good as those super expensive brands. I won't lie, I have a few of them, like NARS and Kat Von D eyeliner, but what I'm about to share with you is another reason I don't like to drop tons of $$$ on these things, as much as I LOVE makeup.
First things first, ALWAYS store your makeup and skincare products in a cool, dry place. Make sure they are out of direct sunlight. These are the main reasons that bacteria can easily form in your makeup. Liquid based products grow bacteria much faster than powder or powder-based products. These can can last 18mo-2years compared to liquid products lasting around 6mo.
Foundation(oil-free): Can last up to 12mo MAXIMUM. These products can also dry out quickly, as well as, the oil free liquid concealers.
Foundation Stick/Stick Concealer: 18mo max.
Lipstick: Up to 2yrs.
Lipgloss: Up to 6mo.
If any discoloring starts to happen to either the lipstick or lipgloss, TOSS IT. This is a perfect reason for tossing out old colors and getting new ones for a new season, right?! ;)
Eye Shadows/Pencils: 2yrs. Make sure hands are clean and dry when touching or inserting fingers into a product. This helps prevent bacteria from forming within.
Liquid Eyeshadow: 12mo.
If any type of eye infection occurs, TOSS ALL PRODUCTS USED immediately. The infection can easily reoccur because of the bacteria trapped in mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, etc.
Liquid Eyeliner: 3mo.
Mascara: 3mo. With mascara and liquid eyeliner you're shoving a lot of air back into the product every time you push the want back in. This causes bacteria to easily form within the liquid.
Hair Products: 1yr. Supposedly hair spray can last longer though.
I know this is super depressing to hear. I just see SO MANY people posting pictures or videos of all of the makeup they have and I just want to know, how long have you had most of it? I definitely have a lot of makeup that should be tossed right about now too and I know it's hard to let go of a lot of products that you have spent so much $$$ on. So I just wanted to reach out and make some of you aware about what can happen with makeup that you have sitting around for many, many years. This could also be the reason many girls have issues with breaking out. Your makeup could be too old! But doesn't this also give us the reason to just purchase more of our favorite products? ;)
**Sources**
WebMD
Dummies.com
Goodhousekeeping.com