As makeup addicts, let's be honest — we've all got a selection of products that we absolutely refuse to let go of. Maybe they've been discontinued, maybe you can't splurge ATM, or maybe, that specific product just has a special place in your heart. And as for it expiring? Well, our answer to that is: expiry dates who? We don't know her.
Unfortunately, though, most products have been outlived by the pandemic, so if you've got pre-pandemic makeup in your beauty arsenal, chances are that it may be giving you an infection, which is a thought we can't even deal with. Our beauty bestie, betraying us like that? Regardless of how you feel about it, though, if you're still using dated makeup circa 2019, we've got some bad news for you. Read on to know everything about how your pre-pandemic makeup may actually be messing up your face and how to navigate your way through this epic betrayal.
How to check for the expiry date
While we've all sometimes kept things that have passed the expiry date thinking it won't hurt, the same nonchalant attitude doesn't work for makeup products. If you see the image above, it's an open cream jar icon, which lets you know how long the product will last once it has been opened. 6M means 6 months, 12M means 12 months, and so on. It's available on every single product you own, so you can't plead deniability, okay?
Go check your old products RN, and if you can't remember when you started using it, go with a ballpark figure. No cheating! Also, some makeup is stamped with a batch code that tells you when the product expires — you can use a website like Cosmetic Calculator to decode it.
What makeup to throw out
Okay, so the packaging's long gone and with it went the open cream jar icon and the batch code. What do you do now? Well, the jury's ruling that it's probably time you threw the product out! If you're pretty sure you bought it under a year, though, you're in the safe zone... unless we're talking about mascara and liquid eye makeup. The first thing you need to throw out is mascara and liquid eye makeup products you've had for over 6 months since those are the quickest to expire.
If you use them after expiry, you can develop a bunch of eye infections — we're talking conjunctivitis, or worse. Ick! Powders and lipsticks, on the other hand, manage to last a couple of years, so you might just be safe there. Choose at your own discretion about what pre-pandemic makeup you want to keep, though, since clinging onto the wrong thing could have some dire consequences.
How to make your products last longer
We're not saying that your products will outlive the expiry date, but maybe you don't have to be so rigid when it comes to throwing out your products. Most of them have this on their packaging anyway, but if you needed a refresher — store your makeup in a cool, dry place.
While keeping it on your bathroom counter may seem like the easiest option, at the end of the day, it's a humid spot with tons of germs, so keeping it stored in a cabinet in your bedroom is much preferable. Also, make sure you close the containers properly! Sealing the makeup will ensure bacteria and dust don’t get in and make you bid goodbye to your makeup sooner than you have to.
Written by Nishtha Bhalla on Aug 06, 2021
Nishtha is a freelance writer who loves all things beauty, fashion, culture, and lifestyle. With content covering a variety of topics, she brings a holistic, nuanced perspective to her writing. In her free time, she can be found watching reruns of The Office, reading anything she can get her hands on, and experimenting with astrology.