Have your beauty products gone bad?
September 17, 2008
Check your bathroom or drawers and chances are you’ll find some rarely or never used makeup and skincare products you probably even forgot you had. But how do you know if these products are still safe be used? Beauty products gone bad don’t perform as well as they used to. In addition, they can also cause irritations or infections. Sometimes it is easy to recognize a product is gone bad (dried mascara or separated foundation), but for most products it can be tough to tell. Not all cosmetics companies print expiration dates on their products. In Europe products must be stamped with a Period After Opening date (for example 6 months, 12 months), but even then it can be difficult to remember when you bought the product. Here are a few signs that will tell you when it’s time to toss away a product:
Change in smell: if the product has a strange, foul or rancid odor it is time to throw it away.
Change in color: the color of a product is sensitive to light, so cosmetics in clear packaging may experience a slight change in color. However, if the change is more drastic (for example, if your red lipstick has become orange), it’s time to toss it away.
Change in texture: a products has gone bad if the texture has changed and become lumpy, grainy, very thick or thin, or hard to apply.
Separation into two layers: if the active ingredient has separated from the rest of the formula, the product may not work properly anymore.
Bacteria or fungus contamination: if you notice fuzzy, black spots in your product, it might be contaminated with bacteria or fungus. Throw it away or you might risk to get an infection.
Related posts:
Beauty products expiration dates
How to store makeup properly
Entry Filed under: makeup. .
1.
Connie | September 17, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Great tips! I was gonna do a similar post but ya beat me to it! Lol. Just kidding. Thanks for the info.
2.
Lydia | September 17, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I like to throw away my mascara every 3 months
Other than that I probably should go through my train case. In the post underneath this one that eyeshadow looks so pretty!
3.
Dao | September 17, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Great tips! Beside throwing my mascara every 3 months, I just follow the above rules. Pigments tend to last much longer than others, I guess.
4.
sab | September 18, 2008 at 2:15 am
my lotions are a bit liquid-y. i guess is hould throw all of them now huh? haha!
5.
Alyssa | September 18, 2008 at 5:38 am
I’m very good about changing my mascaras, but I need to be better with everything else… lol~ :X I just mark my calendar 3 months after I opened it. That’s the only way I will remember. :X
6.
beautifulwithbrains | September 18, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Connie: Sorry about that lol. I’m glad you like the post, can’t wait to read yours!
Lydia: I throw away mascara afte 3 months as well. As for everything else, I tend to forget when I bought them but I do regular checks though to see if soemthing has gone bad.
Dao: I do the same as you. One of the reasons why I like pigments can last for years.
Sab: some lotions are liquidy, but if you’ve had them for a long time then it’s probably best to throw them away.
Alyssa: that is a great idea. I usually remember when I bought my mascara, but I should probably start doing that with everything else.
7.
Anastasia | September 18, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Haha. I was going to post something similar, after reading about it in my Cosmo.
My old mascara was about a year old! Eww <.<;
8.
Jessica Dee | September 18, 2008 at 8:11 pm
LOL my make up is usually all used up before it expires anyways =x I’m not one to buy make up that I don’t need or have tons of soooo I guess that’s a good thing? BUT YEAAA.. you’d gotta be crazy to still use make up if it has FUNGUS on it LOL. The only things I’m not very good with is mascara @.@ I know, I know soo bad ;p
9.
Anastasia | September 18, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I know you can make your mascara last longer if you swirl the wand around the tube as you pull it out, instead of pumping it up and down. Pumping it up and down pumps more air into the tube, drying the product out faster.
It’s a safe bet you should use your Urban Decay Primer Potion and other things in similarly shaped packaging the same way.
10.
beautifulwithbrains | September 19, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Anastasia: I hope you are still going to post it. One year old mascara? eww. And great tips, thanks for sharing.
Jessica Dee: I’ve never been able to finish anything lol. I only try to buy what I need too but some products, like eyeshadows, can last a few years and it’s difficult to remember whn you bought them.