How Do You Know When Make Up is Expired?

Last week while I was cleaning my room, I had a bunch of make up stored away that I haven't used in a long time. I checked their expiration dates and saw that they were no good anymore. I posted a an Instagram Story with the caption, "Saying goodbye to my favorite contour stick because it's expired." and got so many replies. People kept asking me, "How do you know if it's expired?" Here is your answer!

Just like food, make up expires too. When you eat something expired, your stomach gets upset. You can get LBM or food poisoning. While with make up, people don't notice right away the effects but it is bad. Your skin can get irritated or worse, you could develop an infection. Each type of make up product has a different life span. 

1. Foundation/ Concealer

You will find the expiration date in the description of the product. It's that logo of an opened container with "12M" written. 12M means 12 months. When you use foundation past its expiration date, the particles separate increasing the risk of germs to grow. The preservatives are no longer effective. This could lead to skin irritation or infection.

2. Powder

For powder, the expiration date is usually up to 18 months but it is different for each product and brand. For example, for this one, it only says 12M. A tip to increase the life of your product is by closing the lid tightly. This is to prevent air from coming in. When air comes in, this is when bacteria usually grows.

3. Lipstick/ Lip Gloss

Lipstick is the easiest to tell when it is expired because it gives off a funky smell. Time to throw it away when it starts to smell like crayon!

4. Blush

Blush takes a while to expire- around 18M to 2 years which is great because I can never seem to finish one.

Aside from everything I have listed down, mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, nail polish and of course, skin care all have their own expiration dates too! Just check their descriptions. Eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara expire right away. They usually cannot last for more than six. months. This is because these are the products used close to our eyes which is very sensitive to bacteria. I know how painful it is to throw out these products especially when they don't come cheap! But it's always better to be safe than sorry. It's much easier to buy new make up than medication from your doctor.