Did you know that your makeup expires just like the food in your pantry? It is true! All makeup has a lifespan from the time it is opened to the time it will expire. There are even mild dangers of using expired makeup. 

Signs of expired makeup

If there isn’t mold on it yet, some people will still choose to eat food that has expired until it goes sour. The same goes for people when they’re using makeup. Signs of expired makeup are changes in the scent or texture of the product. And of course the obvious one, the growth of mold on the product. 

Dangers of expired makeup

So, what are the dangers of using makeup products that are expired? INFECTIONS! Infections are a huge risk when using expired makeup. Makeup holds bacteria, like anything else. So, when you pair that with expired ingredients it is bad news bears! The risk of using expired makeup are infections of the skin and eyes, pink eye, and breakouts. All of this yucky stuff is easily avoidable by just throwing out your products when they expire.

When do your makeup products expire you ask? Don’t worry! The Pretty Pros have all the tea.

*Pretty Pro Tip: Never apply your makeup without first washing your hands! Not only will this help prevent the oils from transferring from your fingers to your face, but it will also rid you of any bacteria stowing away on your hands.

Concealer

Concealers, as long as they’re kept clean, can be good for up to two years! Concealers, like foundations, are easy to tell when they expire due to a change in smell and color.

*Pretty Pro Tip: Every so often, like you would clean your makeup brushes and sponges, wipe down your makeup product containers with disinfectant wipes. 

Foundation and Primer

Foundation and primer are products that should be replaced every two years. Foundations, as mentioned earlier, tend to change color and smell once they’ve expired. Water-based foundations should be replaced sooner than alternatives because bacteria are attracted to water particles. 

*Pretty Pro Tip: Start with freshly washed clean skin, so you lessen the chance of your products being exposed to dead skin, dirt and/or oil.

Powder, Bronzer, and Blush

All face powders alike, setting powder, face powder, bronzer, blush, and blush should be replaced every two years. If your bronzer, blush or highlight are cream products they should be thrown out after one year. The darkening of the products usually means that it is time to throw it in the trash!

Eyes shadow

The most important thing in the upkeep of your eye shadow is using clean brushes. If you keep your brushes clean, your eyeshadow can be good for up to two years. After a while, bacteria and dead skin from your eyes build up in the eye shadow and you need to toss it. 

Eyeliner and Eyebrow pencil

Liquid or pencil, these products should be replaced every three months. Depending on the way you look at it, it is kinda good that eyebrow products usually only last for around one month before they run out.

Mascara 

Mascara is one product that is hard to keep clean. Due to the way mascara is applied, from tube to eyelash and then back to the tube, bacteria are transferring back and forth. So, because there aren’t simple ways to avoid this, we recommend replacing your mascara every four to six weeks.

Lipstick

Along with the dangers of using expired products listed above, using expired lipstick can also cause swelling of the lips. Due to this, we recommend replacing lipsticks after one year of use.