When To Keep And When To Toss

We’ve all cracked open a gallon of milk, taken one whiff, and winced as the violent scents escaped their milk jug confinement. With food, it’s pretty easy to tell when something has gone bad. It’s disgusting to find spoiled food and disheartening to throw it out, but the signs are obvious. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about makeup. You can open up mascara from 2008 and think it still has prime years left, but, unfortunately, that couldn’t be farther from the truth, Beauty Bebes. Not to worry! Let’s take a look at your makeup’s shelf life and when to toss old products.

The Shelf Life Of Your Beauty Products

First off, let’s have a short rundown on why you should break the habit of using old products—a habit even I’m guilty of. Beauty products are stored in bacteria-imprisoning containers and have ingredients in them with an expiration date; if used after their prime, beauty products can irritate your skin or infect your eyes. As far as looks go, an expired product—even if it cost you a fortune years ago—will not perform all that well. Imagine getting a variety pack out of the clearance bin at a dollar store; that’s just about the level of quality we’re looking at with old cosmetics. Clumpiness, separation, and discoloration are only a few examples of how and why aged makeup doesn’t hold up. Also, using products that are expired or poor in quality can be discouraging as they don’t apply as easily.

Now that we’ve covered that, it's time to talk about when to toss your makeup. According to PopSugar, here’s the recommended shelf life for each product.

• Powders: Two years
• Cream shadows and blushes: 12–18 months
• Oil-free foundation: One year
• Cream compact foundation: 18 months
• Concealers: 12–18 months
• Lipstick and lip liner: One year
• Lip gloss: 18–24 months
• Pencil eyeliner : Two years
• Liquid or gel eyeliner: Three months
• Mascara: Three months

Of course, these are just guidelines. If you’ve noticed a dip in quality or any of the warnings mentioned above, do yourself a favor and move on—buy a new product. 😊

Lexi Noel Beauty

Don’t save your cosmetics for a rainy day. Use them every chance you get and be the best, most beautiful version of yourself. At the end of the day, I know being a beauty enthusiast doesn’t come cheap. To get top-notch products, you usually have to spend a good chunk of a paycheck; I say usually. The exception is Lexi Noel Beauty! We offer beauty products that are quality, cruelty-free, and affordable. Visit our products page to see all Lexi Noel Beauty has to offer. Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more.