If your makeup products and makeup brushes have seen better days, now is the perfect time to detox your beauty bag and declutter with these tips and product expiry guide.
Why Can’t I Use Expired Products?
Ask any makeup artist, and they will tell you why you should never use makeup essentials past their expiration date. This is because your makeup can cause skin irritation, clogged pores and eye infections if you do not adhere to their recommended shelf life. Throwing away make-up might not seem like eco-friendly beauty, but some make-up brands and high-street stores offer recycling services. Doll Smash use natural and organic ingredients, avoid harsh chemicals, and also incorporate sustainable packaging. Declutter your beauty bag for both your health and well-being!
What Makeup Should I Throw Away?
Any makeup you only keep for special occasions will likely be out of date by the time you come to use it next! The active ingredients in makeup mean that over time, their formulation breaks down and will compromise your application and not yield the desired results. Also, your makeup will collect bacteria over time, compromising your skin health. Powder products and eye shadows will break into clumps, making them difficult to blend and apply, and cream blush and lip products will dry out.
Why Should You Declutter Makeup?
You should declutter your makeup every six to twelve months. Every couple of months, you should look at all your beauty products and check for any broken face powders and expired products, especially eye products, which can be a breeding ground for germs. Throw away damaged and expired items as part of your beauty routine. Unopened and unused products may have a shelf life, so double-check these. Your beauty goals should include a minimalist beauty routine with only a handful of beauty essentials in your capsule makeup kit.
Why Clean Your Cosmetics Bag?
Just like your makeup, your cosmetics bag can harbour bacteria. Invest in an organised makeup bag; this professional-grade makeup bag will allow you to create a well-organised makeup bag with removable compartments and section off your ‘going out’ makeup from your daily essentials. Your makeup organiser will help you plan your routine and regularly clean it with disinfectant wipes.
Beauty tools, beauty blenders and beauty sponges should also be regularly cleaned as part of your daily routine. Check the washing instructions; some may recommend cleaning in a low-cycle washing machine. In contrast, others may recommend washing by hand in soapy water or baby shampoo, wiping with a damp cloth in lukewarm water and leaving to dry naturally. For specialist makeup brushes, including natural hair brushes, you can invest in brush cleaners or gentle cleansers, which should restore them to their natural beauty.
Your Product Expiry Guide
Here is a recommended product expiry guide; however, how you store your makeup and how often you use it or clean it are all variables you need to consider. If your favourite items begin to look or smell different, then you replace them, regardless of expiration dates.
- Mascara/ liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months.
- Powder makeup: 2-3 years if regularly cleaned. Always opt for pressed powder rather than loose, as this can easily be cleaned with a clean, dry tissue to remove bacteria.
- Cream + liquid makeup: 6-12 months if in a jar, 1 year if in a tube or bottle (so the product isn’t as exposed).
- Lipstick, balm + gloss: 1-3 years if regularly cleaned.
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