By: Amanda Padilla
I have a tendency towards makeup hoarding and would love to keep my favorite lippie with me forever. But, cosmetics do go bad at some point. When your lipstick starts smelling a little funky, or your liquid foundation starts to separate, or your bronzer makes you sneeze, its time to put these products into retirement. If the thought of bacterial build up on makeup isn’t enough to give you the heebeegebees, here is something that might. Using a stale concealer on your face could leave your skin looking less than perfect by causing acne and blemishes. Swiping on old mascara and eyeliner could put you at risk for an eye infection. Old makeup sponges? Don’t even get me started.
So how long should you keep your makeup products for?
- Foundation – 2 years
- Concealer – 2 years
- Powder – 2 years
- Lipstick – 12 to 18 months
- Lipliner – 12 to 18 months
- Eyeshadow – 2 years
- Eyeliner – liquid or pencil, 18 months
- Mascara – 3 months
- Blush – 2 years
- Bronzer – 2 years
Remember:
- If you want to stretch out the lifespan of your products, give your makeup a little TLC.
- Keep your makeup clean by using clean brushes.
- Keep it out of direct sunlight. Don’t leave it in the car.
- Store it in a cool, dry place.
- Seal lids tightly after each use.
- Most cosmetics have a Period After Opening (PAO) sign on their box and label. It looks like an open jar with a lid. On it is a number followed by a letter M (months). That is the number of months that a product is good for after you’ve broken its seal. If it says 12M, then the product is okay to use for a year.
- Short of having a photographic memory, there’s almost no way of keeping track of when you’ve opened each item in your cosmetics kit. Here’s a tip on how to keep tabs on it: buy small price tag stickers and write down the date you opened the product then stick it on the bottom of your lipstick, powder or eyeshadow.