Many women have had cosmetic products in their makeup bags for a long time. Unfortunately, some of them are probably using expired products, especially if they don’t routinely clean their makeup bags. For this reason, it is crucial to know the expiration dates of your beauty products to avoid skin problems. So, here are some important details about the expiration dates of skincare and makeup products.

How Long does Beauty Products Lasts When Unopened?

Always remember that the expiration dates printed on your beauty products are only guidelines. As such, it is hard to determine if your makeup or skincare product is expired when unopened or sealed. Generally, sealed products can last two to three years when stored in a cool and dry place. However, cream products with butter or oil may expire earlier because oil can go rancid quickly. Also, natural products that don’t contain strong preservatives may expire earlier, even if sealed.

Expiration Dates of Skincare and Makeup Products

Among the most important details about the expiration dates of skincare and makeup products is when to throw away your old beauty products. As you know, most of these products don’t have clear expiration dates printed on their packaging. As such, you must know the average shell life of these items.

Makeup Products:

• Foundation – 12 to 18 months
• Lipstick – 18 to 24 months
• Lipgloss – 12 to 18 months
• Liquid eyeliner – 3 to 6 months
• Mascara – 3 to 6 months
• Powder products – 12 to 18 months
• Cream products – 12 to 18 months
• Makeup sponges – 1 month

Skincare products:

• Bar soap – 18 months to 3 years
• Body wash – 3 years
• Shampoo and Conditioner – 2 to 3 years
• Face cream – 2 years
• Eye cream – 1 year
• Sunscreen – 3 years
• Deodorant – 1 to 2 years
• Hairspray – 2 to 3 years
• Loofah – 6 months
• Toothbrush – 3 months

Keep in mind that after a product’s expiration date, its active ingredients start to degrade. As a result, it won’t perform efficiently. Aside from that, products that have a dropper, like serums, are exposed to bacteria. As such, you have to dispose of them after nine months.

When to Throw Away Your Beauty Products?

As mentioned, expired beauty products will not perform efficiently. Aside from that, you may also experience skin problems when using old makeup tools. As such, it is vital to know the average shelf life of these items. Additionally, you should also remember the date you opened the product.

Usually, beauty products have a stamp with a jar and the letter M, which is the “Period After Opening” symbol. It tells the number of months you can use the product after opening before it expires.

If the product doesn’t have a symbol or you’ve thrown away the packaging, you can look for some signs of degradation.

• First, you can check the odor of the product. You can throw it away if the smell is off.
• A change in color is another sign that the product has gone bad. For instance, a concealer will turn orange when it is expired.
• You can also check the texture of the product. You can throw it away if it feels different when applied to your skin.

The Bottom Line

Many women have a stash of old beauty products, especially if they only use them occasionally. However, experts recommend knowing the important details about the expiration dates of skincare and makeup products to avoid skin problems like irritation. Also, you can routinely clean up your makeup bag and throw away items showing signs of degradation.