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Your beauty products' real shelf life

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Image: Getty

We try to be as hygiene-conscious as possible and act with extra caution in obvious bacteria-ridden spaces like public toilets. But have you ever considered what lurks closer to home; especially in the cosmetics we use so frequently?

Your makeup has an expiration date, and it may be sooner than you realise. Bacteria and natural oils speed up the toss-it time, but you can follow these simple tips to extend the life of your favourite products.

Eye spy

According to Good Housekeeping, powdered shadows last longer than cream ones as they are less prone to contamination from water content. Cream shadows last only up to 6 months and powder shadows can last for up to 2 years. 

Tip – Use applicators instead of your fingers and wash them directly after you apply your makeup using warm water and soap. Follow these steps from the Makeup Geek.

Love that lipstick

Lipstick can live on for 2 years, depending on frequency and care of use. We are all guilty of overextending that period, but make sure to toss it if your lipstick has a funky odour. 

TipShape recommends you wipe it down or shave off the top every now and then, especially if you’re into sharing.

Solid foundation

Water-based foundations last up to 12 months and oil-based foundations 18 months. The risk of breakouts or irritation increase if you repeatedly dip your brushes and fingers into liquid foundation. Powders will last longer - up to 2 years before crumbling or becoming too hard.

Tip – Store in a cool, dark place. Cosmopolitan recommends storing it in your refrigerator. And make sure to always wash your hands before application.

Eyeliner rules

Pencil liners will last 2 years whereas liquid eyeliners only keep for 3 months according to Allure. The small tubes are great breeding grounds for bacteria and can lead to eye infections - save your eyes and use a pencil liner.

Tip – Sharpen your eye pencils regularly to remove the bacteria on the outer layers. You can also soak your liners in diluted bleach or makeup remover.

Blush blunders

Powdered blush and bronzers will last for 2 years and liquid or cream blushes for up to 18 months. Preservative-free marked products will deteriorate faster.

Tip – Blush will last longer if you clean your blush brush regularly. Use a makeup sanitiser to keep them going for longer say the pros at Makeup.com.

True lashes

We love our long lashes and most of us will ignore this fact, but mascara has the fastest toss-it time of just 3 short months.

"A mascara tube is a dark, wet environment — the perfect breeding ground for bacteria," says New York City optometrist Andrea Thau, O.D.

Tip – Never pump the wand, slowly draw it out and twist the brush to scrape the tube's interior.

Do your skin a favour and know when to let go and accept reality. After a certain period, just because your makeup looks okay, doesn't mean it shouldn't be tossed out.

Some makeup will develop a bad smell once it’s become contaminated. You wouldn’t use food past their expiration date, so take the same cautions for what you put in your body, as for what you put on it.

RELATED ARTICLES - 8 game-changing makeup tips for acne-prone skin


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