We all pay attention to the expiration dates on the foods we eat, but many of us don’t pay attention to the expiration dates of the skin care and beauty products we put on our skin every day. Like food, skin care and beauty products can harbor harmful bacteria. There are reasons why these products have expiration dates.
Here are some signs your makeup or skin care products are expired:
- Changes in color.
- Product is separating (most commonly in lotions, sunscreens, foundations, and nail polishes).
- Changes in consistency
- Products with a bad scent.
- Product is cracking.
- Product becomes watery.
- Product that looks gunky or thickens.
What happens if you continue to use expired products?
Products being used after the expiration date has passed won’t give you the full product benefit or protect you. For example, sunscreen being used past its expiration date could leave you with a sunburn, because the SPF is no longer working. Some products like acne and anti-aging products contain medication and just like regular medicine they expire too.
Important expiration dates to remember:
Below is a list of the general life span of makeup and skin care products once they have been opened:
| Facial cleansers: | 1 year |
| Anti-aging and acne treatments | 1 year |
| Sunscreen: | (if your in doubt, purchase a new one) |
| Body lotion | 2 year |
| Mascara | 3 months |
| Eye liner/lip liner | 2 years (sharpen before each new use) |
| Liquid or gel eye liner | 6 months |
| Powders (foundation, eye shadows, blushes) | 12-18 months |
| Cream foundations | 18 months |
| Concealers | 12-18 months |
| Lip stick | 1 year |
| Lip gloss | 12-18 months |
| Perfume | 2 years |
| Nail polish | 1 years |
Always check a products PAO symbol or expiration date. Products using natural preservative systems have shorter expiration dates. If a product does not have an expiration date, write the date you opened the product on it with a permanent marker. To get the most out of your skin care and beauty products, you want to make sure to store them properly. Keep perfumes, lotions, skin care products and sunscreens in cool, dark places. Some women keep foundations, lip products and nail polishes in the refrigerator to prolong the products’ life.
The FDA doesn’t require skin care and beauty companies to provide the expiration dates of products. It’s up to you to make the call when a product has expired. As difficult as it may be to toss out your products, it needs to be done. When in doubt, throw it out!
