Shelf Life: Lipstick from Ten Years Ago Is a No No

Every woman has a pile (ok a drawer.  ok maybe a closet) full of makeup that she rarely uses.  Applying a particular color of eyeshadow once a month or so and keeping it in a drawer for a year is fine.  But I cannot tell you how often clients come to me telling me they haven’t worn makeup since their wedding.  “Your wedding was ten years ago?  And you STILL HAVE the lipstick?”  For the safety and health of your skin please pay attention to these guidelines.  Once you’ve opened a tube of mascara or a lip liner pencil, you’re committing to use it before the next millenium rolls around.

These guidelines are not set in stone– they are a mixture of my opinion and a bit of internet research.  If in doubt, err on the side of caution.

Concealer: Generally speaking, once it’s opened, use it up within 12 months.

Powder: Once it’s opened, use it up within 2 years.

Cream & gel cleansers: 1 year.

Pencil eye liner: Should be sharpened regularly. Will last up to 3 years.

Eyeshadow: Will also last up to 3 years.  If you’re mixing colors, using the same brush or sponge tip applicator in different colors, be careful not to make your colors muddy.  Wash your eyeshadow brushes and applicators regularly.  (see below)

Brushes: Wash once a month in a mild detergent.

Sponges: Wash weekly and discard monthly

Foundation Check the ingredients: A water-based foundation will last up to 12 months, oil-based will last up to 18 months.

Lip liner: Up to 3 years.

Lipstick: Some experts say 1-2 years. Others say up to 4 years. What everyone agrees on is that if it smells rancid, throw it out, it’s spoiled. Personally, I do have a color that I don’t wear very often (but I do love) which is about 4 years old now.  It still smells fine and looks fine so for the next little while I’m not (yet) replacing it.  Extra tip: If you store lipstick in the refrigerator, it will last longer. (be careful your family members don’t think it’s food…..)

Mascara: This product expires the fastest: Throw out after 3 months. Extra tip: If you don’t want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don’t pump the wand in and out — you’re only exposing the product to drying air. Not sure you’ll remember to toss your mascara after three months and begin a new one?  That’s one great reason to have a personal skin care and beauty consultant.  A good beauty consultant, if asked, will be happy to call or email you every three months or even do auto ship.  For those of my clients who request autoship of mascara every three months, I throw in a free bottle of eye makeup remover when they sign up for autoship.  Something good to consider!  Interested?  email me at heatheramyprice@gmail.com

A few more things to keep in mind:  if the consistency, color or odor of your makeup item has changed at all, throw it out.  If it no longer performs the duty for which you purchased it, throw it out!  The bathroom is not a good storage place, as it gets exposed to heat and steam.  Above all, do not share your makeup with anyone-ever!

Heather Price of Cleveland, OH, has been a skin care and beauty consultant since August of 2000.  Have you ever wished you had a skin care program that was personalized for your needs by a personal consultant?  That’s what Heather does- she sends you home with skin care and color products that meet your specific needs.  The result is smoother, softer, younger looking skin.  Clients feel better about their appearance which gives them the self confidence they need in their lives.  You can join Heather’s email list at http://freeskincarehelp.com – she answers every email response personally.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 11:57 am and is filed under Shelf Life. The entry is tagged under You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.