How long makeup lasts. Some things last forever. Makeup isn't one of them. Unlike diamonds, it expires.
Yes, sadly, it's true. Those expiration dates on cosmetics are not a marketing ploy to get you to buy more eye make up when you can still scrape some definition out of your old mascara tube. With cosmetics, it's a safety issue. Especially with eye makeup.
Every time you wand on that mascara and dip the brush back in the tube, you transfer bacteria from your eye to the container, where it will make baby bacteria that you will then reapply to your eyes the next day.
Here's how long makeup lasts, by type, so you can stop this vicious cycle.
Here's how long makeup lasts once you've opened an item. Start the time clock when you open the container.
Since you'll never remember, write the expiration date on a file label or on the product label itself with a permanent marker. For health and safety reasons, it is worth the effort.
MASCARA3 months EYE SHADOW6 months MOISTURIZER6 months BLUSH6 to 12 months POWDER1 year NAIL POLISH2 years |
CLEANSER6 months FOUNDATION6 months CONCEALER/PRIMER6 to 8 months LIPSTICK & GLOSS1 year TONER1 year SPONGES & BRUSHESToss disposables; wash others regularly |