Finding the perfect makeup product and tool is not an easy task. That’s why, when you finally discover a few tools and products that work for you, it is difficult to part ways with them. But the truth is, there will come a time when your favourite tools and products will no longer give you the desired results. Sooner or later, you’ll have to bid goodbye to your trustworthy products and replace them with new ones for the sake of your skin.
But sometimes, after sitting in your drawers and purses for a long time, the expiry date on these products can fade and become unreadable. Therefore, to ensure you don’t end up using expired or worn off products, we put a rough guideline for when is the right time to toss old beauty products. Check it out.
- Makeup brushes - Five years
- Sunscreen - Three years
- Lipstick - Two years
- Foundation - One year
- Eyeliner and mascara - Six months
Makeup brushes - Five years
If you wash your makeup brushes regularly and take good care of them, they can last up to five years. They have a longer lifespan than most products. Ensure you wash them once every week and dry them upside down so the water doesn’t loosen the bristles. However, after helping you ace several makeup looks, the bristles are bound to wear off in about four to five years. Therefore, it is a good idea to replace your makeup tools every five years.
Sunscreen - Three years
If you are someone who uses sunscreen only in summers, chances are, you wouldn’t care to check the expiry date. Here’s something you need to know — as time passes by, your sunscreen becomes less effective. If you use sunscreen every day, you don’t have to worry about its expiration date; however, to give you a general idea, they last for about three years.
Lipstick - Two years
If you have two favourite lipsticks, they’d be getting over way sooner than their expiry dates. But what about that red and berry shade you got for special occasions? Lipsticks last up to two years if you clean the top and wipe it after using it when you’re sick or had a cold sore. Liquid lipsticks have a shorter lifespan of one year because you can’t clean the applicator and constantly dip the wand in and out.
Foundation - One year
We know how difficult it is to find your perfect foundation match and then say goodbye to it but believe us, your skin will thank you for it. Using an expired foundation will only change the pigment and texture, making it look very different on your skin and lead to skin problems like skin infections, rashes, eczema, etc. So, make sure you toss your foundation a year after you open it for the first time.
Eyeliner and mascara - Six months
You need to be extra careful with eye makeup, especially mascara and eyeliners. Anything that is dipped back into the product has higher risk of bacterial contamination. Avoid using eyeliners and mascaras for more than six months or if it dries off and smells different then toss it ASAP to prevent the risk of an eye infection.
Written by Sanya Hamdani on Mar 27, 2021
Sanya Hamdani is a skincare enthusiast and lipstick hoarder, she truly believes no two red lipsticks look exactly alike. With a Master's degree in Communication & Journalism and 5+ years of digital writing experience up her sleeve, Sanya has some of the biggest beauty experts in the country on her speed dial. When she's not swatching products or writing about the latest trends in beauty, you will find her watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.