Do you follow expiration dates on your cosmetics? Share!
Nope. I go by smell, consistency, color, etc. – if any of that changes, it’s time to toss.
Thanks to Caroline for today’s question!
Got a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I have lipliners that aren’t old (I don’t think), but when I open them, they look like the have white film and spots on them. Is it mold? If so, do I sanitize it or toss?
You should sharpen then then see if the stuff inside Is still good. 🙂
I’ve seen white spots on new and never used pencils before and I believe (need to confirm) it the waxes that are surfacing. Either way I wipe then off with alcohol then sharpen the pencil again.
No. If a mascara is dried up, then it goes. Same for most other products unless I notice something is really “off” like a change of color.
I’ve used mascaras for more than the 3 month expiration date and I have yet to lose an eyeball so I think I’m good. So many people get all crazy about throwing their mascara away, but honestly 3 months and a week (or more….) is not going to give you eye infections…
Agreed! And I’ve found that most mascaras can go for at least 6 months and still be fine. I don’t toss mine until it starts applying drier, or differently.
Honestly, I think those “rules” were made to make us think we need to spend money to replace “expired” things. I agree that going by smell, texture, etc is the sensible way to go.
Nope, never! I use indicators like texture/taste/color/smell, to know if something’s gone bad, as I find most products are fine, even after “expiration”.
That’s a good question. It depends. If the product has a specific exp date printed somewhere, I will dispose of it after that date. If the exp date is more like a guide line (like throwing away liquid products after a year) then I tend to be a little more lenient.
I agree, and as for mascara, it is good up to 6 months esp. if not used daily; however, I religiously throw away mascara every 3 so as to prevent any bacteria buildup and potential eye infections.
I follow the 3 month rule for Mascara, but the rest as you say. If it feels OK, it stays.
nope. i go by my senses. if it smells, feels, looks, etc funny then i’ll trash it.
Nope, I don’t got by them either. Like you, smell, or funky change in color. About the only thing I WILL toss and get new of is a full body sunblock each summer. SPF will loose it’s effectiveness quite fast. It needs to be replaced each year if you are still working off an old bottle.
I didn’t know that! Thank you so much
I am the same way. Sunblock gets tossed @ the end of the summer. For everything else (including mascara) I go by sight and smell.
Oh yeah! I do that too! Vey important.
Oh man. Worst burn I ever got was from a day at the waterpark with expired sunscreen. Tossing sunscreen after a year is definitely SUPER important!
not at all. i just use my own judgement on when things go bad.
No not at all. You can tell if a product is not good anymore.
nope, if it still works like new i still use it like new!
No I look at the products the same you do.
I do on skincare and mascara. For other stuff I go by sense. Powders basicaly never turn bad (as theya re dry), lippies I toss when they smell weird ditto for foundation.
No. Like you I go by any changes in consistancy, smell, etc.
no… just for mascara. i don’t use the same mascara for more than 3-4 months, even if it’s still good.
Only the ones with sunscreen. Even then, I don’t toss just because the month of expiry has arrived – sunscreens lose their effectiveness gradually once the expiry date hits so they are still reasonably effective for some time after the expiry date. If something smells off, the consistency changes or it looks like something weird is happening – colour change, etc. – I toss it no matter the expiry date.
No, but same as Christina: when they smell or their consistency and color change, I toss them. Thankfully I didn’t need to do this lots of times. I have makeup that is OLD and it still works pretty well!
Is it all items that go off??? If I don’t use will they still go off?
I have to go with Christine’s way because I’m the same way anyway with my makeup. To me powder makeup like powder foundations like MAC Studio Fix, any powder eyeshadows, or powder blushes never seem to change or go funny or smell funny anyway.
I know that MAC MUAs like to tell people not to wet their brushes to put directly into their eyeshadows, but if you already don’t do that anyway, what kind of a risk is there?
With mascara, and that ‘change it every week or two weeks’ rule maybe that works for certain people especially professional MUAs but I can see where people come from as it must make a lot of different makeup companies very rich particularly the drugstore/pharmacy brand ones. To me mascara seems to work even better when it’s just a tad dry, just a tiny tad dry!
I’m like you!
i agree with Christine, If I see any change in consistency, color or smell I toss it. Only exception to my rule is sunscreen. I never keep sunscreen for next summer even if it looks/smells ok.
The only ones I somewhat fallow is cream products since they can and will go bad. On the other hand my TFSI last 18 months before it started to smell funky. Mascara usually only lasts about 3 to 4 month with me.
Powder and pressed powder product should last you a very long time if you take care of them. ^__^
The rules are guide lines to the type of bacterial exposure the product could receive.
No. I do what others have mentioned and just go by look, smell and texture changes. I did notice that many of you said that the the mascara rule was 3 months— I thought it was 6 months. I usually hold onto my mascara for 6 months and it still works great! I’ve never had a problem with having my mascara for that long (no drying out or no affecting my eye or lashes). It just seems that having to buy four mascaras a year can be pretty pricey (especially if you go for the mid- or luxury- brand mascaras…) just sayin’
The only expiration dates I follow pertain to mascara–three months from opening. The rest is somewhat arbitrary. I don’t ever trash eye shadows because they are usually by MAC (i.e. pricey and or LE). I just dab them with rubbing alcohol periodically. I do the same sanitizing process with lipsticks. The drugstore brand lipsticks, powders, etc just get replaced when they smell funny.
Only on mascaras and automatic eye liners. I’m prone to chalazions so it’s very important for me to toss anything that I can’t disinfect that I use on my eyes. For everything else, I keep it till my senses tell me it’s time to throw it out. Just in case anyone else here suffers from chalazions or styes, getting new mascara(every 4-8 weeks) and eyeliners that can be sharpened, will definitely cut your chance of recurrence. Also, if anyone here gets canker sores, acne, or other type of eye infections, you should google Dr. Oz how to disinfect your makeup.
Take his advice with a grain of salt, though. Some of his disinfecting tips (like sticking makeup in the freezer overnight) are not actually effective.
No I usually just wait until they seem unusable
i toss my mascara when it starts to flake on me, i dont remember exact dates so i go by consistency. i keep products like eyeshadows and liners until they lose their efficacy. if a liner doesnt go on well after ive had to use a lighter to soften it, i toss it regardless of age, if a shadow has that filmy layer no matter how much i scrub at it to try and get product, i chuck it. if its ten years old and works like the first day i bought it, why throw it out? i never even knew what those 12m 6m 3m things on the backs of makeup meant i just use my head to determine haha!
sorry to butt in but i just had a bit of an annoying make up experience and i’d appreciated some help :S I bought mac blush ‘peaches’ yesterday, got it home and hated it on me! I dipped into it one time, it looks pristine. Still have the box/ receipt. Do you think I can get a return exchange? I finish work in an hour…I went to the mac store at lunch and the SA told me to ‘try to sell it to your mum’!. She also said once a product has been used they can’t do anything about it, but I’ve seen so many return/ exchange stories for used products on the net 🙁 can anyone help? thanks in advance! and i do follow expiration dates, of course 😛
In the U.S., I know you can, but from what readers have said, most other countries don’t have return policies.
Ah, ok 🙁 Sucks to live in London right now, thank you anyway Christine 🙂
I keep it in mind but it isn’t the deciding factor for me. Same for milk, bread, and eggs, too!
Almost never; I think they’re bunk. If something smells, separates, etc., I dump it. Otherwise, I keep using it (including mascara). I have 10+ year-old blushes and concealers that are fine. I think most powder products will last indefinitely, especially if stored in a “cool, dry place.”
I only follow the expiration date with mascara. You can’t really sanitize it. But mascara is my ‘thing’ so it usually doesn’t last the 6 months!
nope! i have tons of cosmetics that are old and still work perfectly fine. it kinda bothers me that people buy those $30 mascaras and dump them 3 months later when its still 100% fine. after a year yeah, toss it, but 3 months? unless you use it on people other than yourself i dont think it should be a problem, and i have sensitive eyes.
No for make-up – i keep things till they alter in colour/smell/ consistency.
Yes for skincare products like sunscreen; masques etc. I toss them once they reach the expiration date.
This is a great question. I do believe that those expiration dates are there for legal purposes. The cosmetic companies have to protect themselves so they add on the dates so that people are aware of approximately how long they can use the product after the first use. I do go by the smell and texture test for lipstick, gloss, and eyeshadow. For powder products like blush and face powder, I will make sure that: a) in the case of blush, my face is alway clean when I apply the product and I will clean the brush every so often depending on how much the blush is used, and b)I use disposible cotton pads for my face powder, this way the bacteria is kept at bay to some extent. We all pay good money for our cosmetics, I have a lipstick from Dr. Hauschka ($32CAD) that I bought in March 2006 and it still smells and applies the exact same as it did when I first use it way back when. I have a few natural lipsticks that have lasted me a few years. Same goes for the DS and higher-end cosmetics I have. And my MAC makeup has lasted me a few years, too. I think there is nothing wrong with using your own judgement when it comes to keeping or discarding cosmetics. I used to toss my mascara after 3mths, but if I can get a couple more months out of it, then I will. And I should mention, the makeup that is not currently in use gets stored in my fridge or in a cool and dry area. This extend the shelf-life for sure.
Happy to hear I am not the only one going by my own judgment rather than any set rules… 🙂 It is important to understand the reason behind any given expiration date. Sometimes they are just there because the producer can no longer GUARANTEE that it will be optimal, but that does not necessary mean that it turns bad overnight. You know in what condition a product has been kept. I would think germs probably accumulate faster in the tropics than on the North Pole… So it’s probably more important how often you clean your brushes or sanitize your stash IMHO.
I don’t and I don’t do that for items in my fridge. Once it starts smelling gross, I throw it away!
I keep pencils sharpened and store my kits in a cool place. I do throw out lipsticks that smell and glosses that have settled in their tubes. I keep shadows and blushes. I use my judgment on mascara. Lately, it seems mascara is lasting less and less these days.
Exactly what christine said, Im not going to stop using a cosmetic if its fine despite being past an expiration date and I will not keep using it if its got white film or a strange odor or is clumping even if, i dont know its not set to expire for another seven months
No way. The bastards just want us to buy more!
nooo way lol!! that would be such a waste of moneyy! and i havn’t had any problems sooooooo yepp u don’t really need to do that so often
Not at all. Only throw them out when they look & feel different.
no! never!
no waaay the only makeup that goes bad on me is normally nail varnish and sometimes mascara but i feel as tho the 6 month expiration on mascara is too much!
Don’t toss your nail varnish! With a good thinner, any nail varnish can be brought back to life, even the crusty ones. 🙂
Up until a couple of years ago, I didn’t even know cosmetics had expiration dates. And I still ignore them. I use something until it runs out or stops working.
Yes, mostly. I allow some leaway because I store in cool dry place but still bacteria grow, aside from bacterial issues products naturally break down. Solid powders and other dry items are safe longer. Anything cream or liquid that touches your eyes or a brush touches the product after touching eye, more careful on dates. Also those break down sooner even unopened. Natural products I’m also more careful as they lack the irritating preservatives (aka poisons–that’s what preservatives really are– poisons that kill little bacteria but in too small amts to kill a person).
I bought the pro-sized UDPP and I didn’t realize it had an expiry date of like three months. Now it’s all thick and doesn’t work as well. I’m sad I’ll have to throw it out and I barely even used it. 🙁
I have eyeshadows that’s I’ve owned since I was maybe 16, 20 now. And I own glosses I’ve owned maybe just as long. They all look and smell the same. The only gloss I found I had to toss due to a change in smell was one I was using on a very regular basis and was almost completely used up. Everything else smells and looks the same. I will replace mascara on a more regular basis though, simply because it dries out more quickly than other things can.
Normally, I don’t just because I sometimes feel that it is a ploy to get the consumer to buy more of the same product w/o necessity. I’ll go with the scent test before I follow the estimated time given
Nope. (I don’t think I’ve ever seen any expiration dates on my makeup, though, anyway.) I love it all way too much…and am way too cheap to replace any of it. I just toss out mascara when it gets clumpier than usual.
The only thing that gets tossed regularly is mascara–I throw it away when it starts making my eyes burn.
I once watched this show on when you should toss certain cosmetics but I never followed it. I agree with the mascara once it is dried it is ready to go. Also sometimes lipsticks can get this funky taste or even smell to them, that is a sign to toss as well. Other than that most cosmetics are used very quickly unless you have a huge variety of one product. for example having 5 different foundations is a little ridiculous, it’s easier to just stick to one or two so they aren’t kept for ages.
I collect many cosmetic items. I currently own 30 lipsticks, about 200 eyeshadows 5 different foundations that I rotate between and 5 mascara’s that I rotate and use. I am more concerned with the lipsticks since I have so many and they are so beautiful. The foundation bottles are small enough that they all will be gone within a year anyway. As far as the mascara I did not know they expire the quickest other wise I would not have been buying so many at a time. I got that many because I was trying different ones out to see which one I liked the best lol. After these five are done I will not be buying no more that two at a time. I think I will forever buy eyeshadow because I think it last the longest and I keep seeing too many colors that I fall in love with.