We always keep a track of expiry dates of medicines and food items we consume, but what about the makeup and skincare products we put on our face on a daily basis?! Do we bother to check their expiration dates before applying them on our skin?! Yeah, most of you probably do (and that’s a good habit!), but if you don’t, then you should do it from now on!

Here is a detailed post about the expiration dates of makeup products and some tips on how you can extend their shelf life!

Complete Guide To Makeup Expiration Dates

Nail paints

Most of the nail paint bottles last up to 1 to 3 years, depending on the expiry date specified by the brands. The thing is, they dry out much before their expiration date. To prevent them from getting dry, always keep their caps tightly closed and store them in a cool place like drawers.

Mascara

Mascaras are the most important part of every woman’s makeup routine. They make our eyes look bigger and more awake. Unfortunately, it’s that one product which needs to be replaced in every three months! If you don’t replace your mascaras from time to time, you might get eye infections. That is why we need to give our utmost priority to mascaras when it comes to maintaining the hygiene of our makeup products.

Eyeliner

The average shelf life of liquid eyeliner is 6 months. You might need to chuck your liquid eyeliner if you feel that it is starting to get dry. Pencil liners can be used for about 8 to 10 months.

Foundations

It’s much easier for us to use up our foundations completely before their expiration date because we use them most of the times and that too in a lot of quantity. Their expiry date is always mentioned on their packaging, but it is recommended that you chuck them after 12 months.

Concealers

We don’t use concealers on an everyday basis, that’s why they’re hard to finish! Try to stick to only one concealer before you buy another one (unless you are a beauty blogger or have severe dark circles, you can’t help but buy every new concealer that gets introduce in the market!). Concealers can be used for about 18 to 24 months after their MFG date.

Lipsticks

Lipsticks have a shelf life of 1 year. It is pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to finish a lipstick, unless you keep using the same one everyday for like a year! But, we girls keep on trying new shades of lipsticks and forget about the old ones until we spot them after a couple of months and realize that it might’ve expired! Brands usually don’t write expiry/MFG dates on lipsticks because there is almost no space to write them. You can find the dates only on their outer packaging. So next time you buy a new lipstick, write down its expiry date and MFG dates somewhere in your diary or add a reminder to your phone’s calendar. If you really like that lipstick shade, you can always buy another one or find a dupe for it. Will be better than using an expired lipstick, no?

Also Read: 12 Most Popular MAC Lipsticks Of All Time (+ Their Affordable Dupes)

Lip gloss

Lipglosses have different shelf life than lipsticks. The ones which come in bottle packaging (with doe foot applicator) can be used for only 6 months. Tube ones can be used for up to 8-12 months because they are more hygienic.

Eyeshadows

Eyeshadow (palettes or singles) doesn’t really go bad, but it’s a cosmetic product so it does have an expiry date. Usually, their shelf life is 2 years and that is sufficient amount of time to hit the pan!

Tips to maintain the hygiene of makeup products and extend their shelf life

• Check before you buy! Don’t be in hurry when you’re buying makeup products in stores. Always check their look, smell and consistency before heading out of the store. If you find something weird about the product, the store person can get you another one.

• Wash and dry your hands before using or even touching any makeup products.

• Keep them away from sunlight and moisture. According to me, the best place to store them is in dressing table drawers!

• Don’t dip the brushes in products (like mascaras and lip glosses) for more than twice during the use.

I hope my post was somewhat informative and helpful for all you makeup lovers! If you like this post then please do share it with your friends. You can also rate the post by using the form below. It will help me to bring you more such posts in the future. ☺

*main image source – Sheknows / Getty