Don't let this give you pink eye. (©iStockphoto.com/RainforestAustralia)
The last time I moved houses, I realized that I’d accumulated quite a collection of half-used blushes and eye shadows, along with clumpy mascaras and stubby eye pencils. I hated to toss out a pretty penny’s worth of old makeup, but it turns out that it was the right decision.
Like food and wine and even perfume, makeup has a finite shelf life. After a while, makeup harbors bacteria that can lead to infections like pink eye and cause irritating blemishes. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t require manufacturers to list expiration dates on cosmetics, which can make it hard to decipher when that lip liner or blush should go (hint: if smells old and/or has lost its original luster, it’s time to say sayonara).
The driest cosmetics — face powders, powder eye shadows — will last up to two years. On the other end of the spectrum, wet mascara and eye liners are bacteria farms waiting to happen and should be tossed every three months. Good Housekeeping errs on the side of caution and advises rotating liquid foundation and cream eye shadows every six months, while Marie Claire says you can hang onto them for a year.
Lipstick and lip liner should also be good for at least a year. But refrain from sharing lip products with gal pals, since they can pass along viruses including herpes. In fact, sharing makeup is generally a bad idea if you want to keep yours bacteria-free.
To maximize makeup life span, store it in a cool, dry spot. And when it’s time to send it to the grave, don’t let eco-guilt get you down. On Stuff Mom Never Told You, Molly and I discussed how some drugstores accept used containers for recycling, and MAC cosmetics will actually give customer new makeup for sending in six old containers to its Back to MAC program.
More on HowStuffWorks:
How Natural Cosmetics Work
Is mineral makeup really natural?
How to Remove Lipstick Makeup Stains
Posted in How-to Stuff Tagged: cosmetics, recycling
