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Every cosmetic has an expiration date, whether it has already been used or still sealed and kept in a box. Expired cosmetics are usually a repository of many contaminants and bacteria, and they grow rapidly, which is the bacteria that damage our skin. Although cosmetics still look as good as normal, you’d better throw them away for the sake of your skin and face health.
Side effects of using expired cosmetics often have allergic reactions, skin irritation, itching, red rash and acne problems. It may be caused by germs, bacteria or microorganisms that come from deteriorated cream or cosmetics. Especially cosmetics that are close to the eye area such as eyeliner, mascara or expired eye shadow can cause eye inflammation due to infection.
To read the label of cosmetics, flip the box and look for MFG/MFD, which means Manufacturing Date / Manufactured Date and EXP/EXD means Expiry Date / Expiration Date, which is often attached to the product box.
However, most cosmetics use the term Period After Opening (PAO) or the expiration date after opening, which usually has an open packaging symbol with a label indicating how many months can be used. For example, 6M means 6 months after opening or 12M means 12 months after opening.
If we’re not sure if the makeup has expired, let’s take a look at the product as follow:
1. A foundation has a lifespan of 6 months.
If the foundation starts to separate layers, has oil, and not be the same as before, then this foundation has expired. If you continue to use it, the separated oil will clog your pores, cause acne from allergies to cosmetics, and it can cause Pustules from inflammation. The separation of the foundation layer is caused by heat and humidity. Try shaking the foundation bottle. If you try it and the texture doesn’t mix as usual, throw it away.
2. A Mascara has a lifespan of 3-6 months.
Unwrapped mascara can last up to 2 years, but in general, mascara should be changed every 3 – 6 months. If you still use mascara for a longer period, it will become powder and fall under your eyes or get into your eyes, which is not very good.
The reason why we should change mascara so quickly is that our eyelashes usually protect our eyes against dust or air-contaminated foreign matter, preventing it from entering our eyes. So every time we put on mascara, the dirt that accumulates in our eyelashes will also contaminate mascara.
In addition, the expired mascara check can be done by sniffing. Yes. If you smell something strange or different, you’d better buy a new mascara.
3. A Blush-on has a lifespan of 1 year or more.
These pressed powders can be used for many years because bacteria can’t grow in them, so we can store them for up to 3 or 4 years. To keep the blush on for a long time, it is recommended that you find a clean knife tip to scratch the layers that touch our facial oil frequently. This will make the color become more stuck on our faces. But if the blush-on dries up, it’s better to buy a new one.
4. A cream blush has a lifespan of 1-2 years.
For cream blush, which requires fingers to touch the cream frequently, it is recommended to change once a year because bacteria may form to harm our skin. If it is a cream blush with bars and other types, it can be used for up to 2 years, if using alcohol-wet wipes to wipe the cream blush head bar clean at least once a month.
However, cream products can cause skin irritation and congestion easily. It’s better to change them annually.
5. A lipstick has a lifespan of 1 year.
Remember that lips are the thinnest part of the body and are very sensitive to bacteria. Lipstick is a cosmetic that can easily touch bacteria and viruses. It can cause skin inflammation or herpes on the lips, so lipstick should only be used for one year.
6.An eyeliner has a lifespan of 3-6 months.
Note that if you have itching around your eyes, swelling, redness, or inflammation, this eyeliner has expired. Products used near the eye area should be careful. If the eyeliner starts to not give color, dry, and cannot be used the same way, it is better to trow it away.
Other cosmetics have an approximate lifespan as follows.
Plastic bottle cosmetics can be recycled into two categories:
1. Clear plastic bottle
For example, a toner bottle and a cleansing bottle, underneath the bottle will be embossed with PET 1 or PETE 1 or plastic number 1. If this symbol is shown, it can be recycled into plastic fibers and sold at a good price.
2. Opaque plastic bottle
Such as sunblock bottles, and skin creams which have PP5 symbols, if any, can be sent to be recycled into many different tools.
The remaining expired cosmetics can be donated to various foundations for funeral makeup and to help the deceased without relatives. There are organizations or foundations that request to donate expired cosmetics, such as the project to bring their loved ones home in Lopburi and the volunteer team putting makeup on dead bodies.
So, let’s start opening up your cosmetics bag and check for their expiration date. If your cosmetics have a strange color or smell, read the label and if the cosmetics are expired, throw them away! To fix your face is more expensive than buying new cosmetics.
