Fab Tips: Cosmetics Shelf Life Guidelines
If you’re like me, you may have a habit of keeping products past their expiration date.
Guidelines on when to throw out Cosmetics (I really should follow them):
- Foundation: Powder – 1 year, Liquid – 6 months
- Concealer: (6-12) months
- Eyeshadows: (2-3) years
- Lipstick/Lipgloss: 1 year
- Pencils: Lipliner/Eyeliner – 1 year
- Mascara: 3 months
I’m guilty of keeping cosmetics way past their expiration date, because they are either (A) untouched/hardly used or (B) I forget how long I’ve had them for.
So how do you keep track of your cosmetics shelf life?
It may seem like a no-brainer, but I label my cosmetics once I purchase or receive them. Trust me…labeling does help! Personally, I like to use file folder label stickers that are cut into little pieces to fit onto beauty products. Post-its or little pieces of paper strapped with tape would work just as well.
This might be a little too time consuming for those with an extensive beauty collection, but you can try labeling products that have a short shelf life – ex. Mascara, liquid foundation…This may help prevent unwanted eye infections or blemishes. Also, when you throw out expired products, it’s a good excuse to buy new ones!
If anyone else has tips…please share them!
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September 10th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Thanks for the informative post. I think I’d be too lazy to label each product I own, but I’ll try it out with the liquid products, since most of the stuff I own is mineral makeup that supposedly has no expiration date as long as it’s not contaminated with water.
September 10th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
i just threw out a bunch of stuff last nite. aren’t i a good girl?
September 10th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I’m so bad with keeping track of dates too
I believe there’s at least one item laying in my beauty drawer that’s over 5 years old….ewww..gosh…but I don’t know which it is. LOL
September 10th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I’m so bad at this too… ah I only have one more year left to use up most of my eye shadows. =(
September 10th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
god i feel so bad not throwing away expired makeup..
I’ve been having some eyeshadows that are like FIVE years old XD. Since I don’t wear makeup too often, I feel bad if I wasted something I hardly touched..
especially with lipglosses as well. I receive lipgloss as a gift lots of times and I have like TOO many lipglosses to use up! So I end up feeling bad if i threw them away cuz they were either (a) gifts and/or (b) I hardly used them and i dun wanna waste it, or (c) I want to get my money’s worth! Yes, i’m THAT stingy. I paid for it, therefore I will use it!
The only stuff I’m actually good at throwing away on time is mascara. After going through serious infections, I pay more attention to the mascara cuz I actually wear mascara more than I do eyeliner and eyeshadows.
However, just a year ago, my bf bumped into a Tyra episode of throwing out makeup, and he called me up and told me to throw away my old makeup XD HAHA!!! needless to say, I literally threw away half of the stuff I didn’t like and didn’t use…..hmm…i guess guys sometimes are a good influence regarding makeup…
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I don’t really have much tips, but I think a makeup bag should be cleaned out just as often, if not much more than the amount of times you clean your purse/change purses. Things always get dirty, or leak out, and spending less than 20 minutes to surf through your products to see what you need or don’t need definitely reduces clutter–so maybe that’s something else we can use as motivation to throw away stuff: reduce clutter lol.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I have sooooooo much mascara! I’m not tossing it just because 3 months is up. I just toss whatever has changed texture or smells bad.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I think everyone is guilty of not throwing old makeup away. I know I am… hehe~ :X
To answer your question, I prefer NYX singles over the trio. The singles are more pigmented from my experience, but I still buy the trio because I can use a base underneath it.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:03 am
That’s very informative, thanks!
I’m guilty of hoarding unused makeups as well. It’s such a waste to throw them out, yet you don’t wanna risk it by using them on your face. So after each major cleaning out (not without heartache, I must say), I always vow to keep a minimal makeup collection with only things I know I’ll use.
But of course, the vow was never kept.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Thanks for all your comments!
Tracy – I agree that labeling every product is a little too much. I’m not quite sure about mineral makeup shelflife as well.
Cheryl – See..now you can make room for new products!
eBeauty – I still have a couple products that I’ve neglected.
Katy – I feel you and I love your red hair btw, it’s so vibrant!
Ichigo- Thanks for the heads up on cleaning your makeup bag. I’m guilty of not cleaning it! As for cosmetics, once you buy it, use it like no other! I have a problem of wanting to “save” my makeup.
Alyssa – Thanks for getting back to me about NYX trios.
Missmall – Thanks for visiting! Yes, it’s a waste to throw them out, but if it could prevent unwanted side effects.
November 9th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
i am a major product whore, and i do hate to throw away things to, a good cosmetics company is M.A.C.. they have a recycle policy, bring in 6 of their products which u no longer have a use for, and u can get a free lipstick, blush or eye shadow.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Anonymous – Yes, I know about the MAC recycling policy and it is fab! Other cosmetic companies, especially department store brands should pick up this idea as well.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I think companys should be required to put expiration dates on cosmetics.
July 26th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
[...] sites don’t even agree on the exact numbers. Some say you can keep lip gloss for 18 months, while others say throw it out after a year. I can never remember when I bought my lip glosses so I just toss them if [...]
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:17 am
Many people are not aware of the effects of make-up used past its prime, a “Period after Opening” date (mandated in Europe) or that permanent markers are not resistant to oil and shouldn’t be used to mark-up products. It’s exciting to use my many years of risk management experience, coupled with my studies as a PhD candidate in Instructional Technology, to start my own business educating consumers.
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