When Do Beauty Products Expire?
Expired products don’t belong on your shelf or on your body. Here’s a general rulebook to make sure you know when to replace your products.
If there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that everyone has at least one expired beauty product in their stash. We know it can be hard to throw away that product you splurged on and haven’t finished, that product that’s your number one and you take everywhere, or that one discontinued product that you’re using every last drop of. It can be time-consuming, and especially expensive, to follow that cosmetic expiration date, but we promise you it’s worth it. Using beauty products, either makeup or skincare, that have expired can be quite harmful to both your skin and your health, not to mention a waste of time for skincare, as many products lose their effectiveness after their expiration date.
Luckily, most beauty products come with a small symbol that informs you of how long you can use the product once it is open—typically, this is usually six, 12, or 24 months. Although these dates are excellent benchmarks, the way you store your products can have a major effect on how long your products last. If your product does not have a cosmetic expiration date or you suspect your product may have expired prematurely, here are a few rules of thumb for each kind of beauty product that we recommend you go by.
Mascaras, Eye Pencils, and Liquid liners
Considering these products are in contact with your eyes, it's best not to take any chance with the freshness of these products. It can be quite easy for bacteria to build up in eye products and thus get transferred to your eyes, so to avoid this it is best to switch out your mascara, eye pencils, and liquid liners every three to six months. Don't mess around with this cosmetic expiration date.
Foundations and Concealers
Any liquid foundations and concealers generally can stay fresh for about a year. However, watch out for any signs of premature expiration such as changes in color or consistency, as well as separating in the container or cracking on the skin. If any of these occur, it means the cosmetic expiration date has passed and it's time to swap out your product for a new one.
Lip Products
Lip products such as lipsticks, lip pencils, or lip glosses can usually stay good for about one year. But again, if anything about your product changes, it’s a sign it’s time for a new one. Tip: to make your lipstick last longer, wipe the product with a tissue after each use.
Eye Products
Like makeup products for your eyes, skincare products for your eye area are also at high risk for developing bacteria so it's best to trust the cosmetic expiration date. We suggest keeping your eye products around for about six months before switching them out.
Facial Cleansers
When it comes to face wash and facial cleansers, we recommend capping their use to about eight months. A past-due cosmetic expiration date could change the trajectory of your skin journey completely.
Powders
Moisturizers
Face creams’ and moisturizers’ cosmetic expiration dates can vary greatly depending on whether it is in a pot or in a pump tube. If in a pot, it will be good for about six months, however, if it is in a pump tube it can stay fresh for up to one year. Tip: if your product is in a pot, use a cotton pad or makeup spatula instead of your fingers to avoid bacteria from your fingers transferring to your product.
SPF Products
In order to stay effective and actually protect you from the sun, your sunscreen needs to be fresh. In short: don't wait for the cosmetic expiration date to come to you. It's best to replace any SPF products each season for them to properly do their job.
