When it comes to make-up expiry dates, the majority of us will admit that we pay little or no attention to that….am i right or right?

hmm arrgh….

That mascara that makes my lashes feel like eagles wings, i cant part with you..no no. There’s another in a beauty shop sis.

Is it really okay that you’ve held on to the same lipstick for years for those rare occasions you want to go gothic with a black lip?

And what’s wrong with keeping a lip balm forever?

Unlike edible items, cosmetics aren’t required to have an expiration date on their packaging. Instead, you’ll have to keep track of when you opened them. Most products have a Period After Opening (PAO) symbol which acts as a guideline for when you should throw out a product after you’ve opened it. The symbol includes the letter ‘m’ which stands for month and a number before the letter ‘m’ (which stands for the amount of months), i.e. ‘6m’ means that once you’ve opened a product you should realistically stop using this product after six months. So in the case where there’s no PAO symbol on your product, how do you know when to toss away that product?

We’ve put together some guidelines to aid you:

FOUNDATIONS AND CONCEALERS

Water-Based: 12 months

Oil-Based: 18 months

Expiry signs: When the oils rise to the top and the consistency thickens

Maintenance tips: You can prevent your foundation from separating by keeping it somewhere cool and regularly shaking the liquid to mix the components together. Keep your application tools clean too and avoid touching your foundation as much as possible to keep bacteria at bay.

POWDERS (INCLUDING BLUSHES, BRONZERS, AND SHADOWS)

Shelf life: 1 – 2 Years

Expiry signs: Forms sort of a hard rim on your powder. This is due to minerals in your blush mixing with oils from your skin overtime.

Maintenance tips: Minimize the risk of bacterial contamination by cleaning your makeup tools regularly and never leaving the powder exposed to air – that means keeps lids closed tightly and throw away powders without lids or that are broken.

MASCARA

Shelf life: 3 months for everyday use,  6 months for occasional use

Expiry signs: It smells less than fresh when its expired. However, just toss it away after 3 – 6 months.

Maintenance tips: Stop pumping your mascara immediately . This forces air into the tube, which dries out your product and facilitates bacterial contamination. Instead, slowly move the wand in a circular motion whilst in the tube for full coverage. Throw out mascara once it dries out, changes texture, colour or scent and never try to add water. Also, never share your mascara and never reuse a wand when you have eye infections.

EYE LINER AND  KAJAL (LIQUID OR GEL)

Shelf life: 3 months

Expiry signs: if its clumpy or drier than it used to be, throw it away.

Maintenance tips: Limit germs in liquid eyeliner by cleaning the tip after each use. If you use a pencil,regularly sanitise your sharpener with cotton wool and rubbing alcohol to stop bacteria from dwelling on the razor and ending up on your eyeliner.

LIPSTICK AND LIP GLOSS

Shelf life: 1-2 years

Expiry signs: Any beading of moisture, funky smells or chalky texture means it’s time to let it go.

Maintenance tips: Keep away from heat. Also don’t apply them immediately after eating to avoid bacteria.

LIP LINER, BROW PENCILS

Shelf life:  1-2 years

Expiry signs: If maintained properly, it would last till its finished.

Maintenance tips: sharpen them regularly and keep that cap closed firmly between usage.

MOISTURIZER AND SKIN CARE (INCLUDING DAY CREAMS, NIGHT CREAMS AND ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS)

Shelf life:  1-2 years

Expiry signs: These include a change in color, consistency or odor.

Maintenance tips: Store in a cool, dry place. This will keep light and extreme temperatures from altering the ingredients.

BRUSHES, SPONGES AND TOOLS

Shelf life:  If brushes are maintained properly, they can last long,

Expiry signs: When the bristles start falling out, that’s when you know it’s time to replace it.

Maintenance tips: Brushes should be washed at least once every two weeks, and try to spot-clean your eye brushes after each use to avoid infections. Click here to know how to properly clean your tools.

If you are not certain about when you opened your product, so as to calculate the months, or there’s no PAO number specified on the product, don’t stress. Here are a few pointers to guide you:

• For a mascara that has dried up, do away with it.
• Evident change in texture, color and/or smell of the product is a bad sign.
• If the storage environment was exposed to prolonged heat and/or moisture
• Instant reaction on skin or in the eyes such as redness, itching or irritation.

Quick tips on maintaining your products.

• Generally, water-based products tend to harbor more bacteria. So for that liquid eyeliner you remember opening more than 3 months ago, just toss it away. When it comes to eye products, it is better to be on the safer side. Also, if you notice any eye irritation, please discard the product.
• If you’ve got an old but unopened product, of reasonably good quality, you could still use it for 3-6 months.
• If you are careful about keeping makeup and other skin care products in a dry area, away from sunlight, they would be less prone to contamination.
• Wash your hands before and after makeup application and do not share your makeup (especially water-based ones that transfer germs rapidly) with anyone else. Do not dilute makeup using water or saliva, it increases the chance of infections. If you take care of these hygiene requirements, your beauty products will have a better shelf life and will most likely not cause any harm if you extend their use by a few weeks.
• Keep your applicators (brushes, sponges, tools) clean. Sponges should be discarded when they start becoming worn out or within a month, whichever is earlier.