How closely do you adhere to expiration dates? Do some products get a pass?
Powder products, in general, get a pass. For the most part, I keep products past their expiration dates, but products I do regularly toss out closer to those dates would be mascara and skincare.
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Honestly, since the economy is so bad, and I’m out of a job, I usually ignore the throw out dates! Unless it’s smelling odd, or making me react, I’ll use something until it’s completely gone.
Most products get a pass. I toss mascara, skincare, and sunblock/sunscreen according to the expiration guidelines. I won’t apply really old cream/liquid products, but I don’t get too concerned if they are a little older than guidelines dictate. I notice more often than not that if I get any sort of eye issue, it is at a time when I’m actually not applying much makeup. I’m more likely to get an eye problem from rubbing them than wearing any of my makeup.
I change my mascara when I’m supposed to – just because it’s always being used and gets dried up after the expiration date. Also – skincare is a major one for me, too – creams for the most care. Cream based blushes I follow, too. Otherwise I have eye shadows and blushes for pretty much forever
I usually don’t worry about specific expiration dates. I’m more of a smeller: if something smells weird, that’s when I’ll throw it out.
an +1 for this 🙂 If it passes its expiration date, then 5-sense-detection starts for me as well! I usually smell or if it is a cream or stuff like that I look at its texture if its gone bad (like for emulsions, if it is parted in water-oil phase again, etc.) But most of my powder products get a pass..
I’m just about the same. Mascara I start watching closely after 3 months and if the formula changes or if it develops “the funk” I chuck it. I’ll occasionally do a freshness test on lip products or on liquid foundations and such just to make sure that they haven’t gone bad.
For the most part, I tend to keep things past expiration, but I throw things out once the texture, color, smell or performance in general starts to veer. Foundation, skincare and mascara I have one open at a time and use up well before its expiration anyway.
same as you Christine! deffs liquid products are tossed after expiry date! 🙂
Never….the only thing I toss out are mascara.
I have a lot of blushes and other face products, i know many of them expires within 12 months or 24 months. I know I’m not going to be able to use all of them by the time, do you think it’s okay to keep it for that long and still use it?? Thanks <3
I don’t adhere very closely -___-‘. Mostly I pay attention to changes in consistency, scent or taste to let me know when to toss something. I’m most vigilant about skincare because I don’t want to make my acne worse. I almost never throw out powder products or lipstick unless they are very obviously spoiled. Tbh with all the preservatives in most makeup I’m not too concerned as long as I keep things sanitary.
In fact, I don’t know where to find the expire dates in most of the products. I just throw away those products I think I am not going to use anymore.
Actually not at all, except for products with SPF. And recently, a consumer show here hosted by 2 women addressed this issue. They brought in expired cosmetics of their own and some from their friends, some of them QUITE expired and had them all tested by an independent lab. I was really interested to see the results, since I did sometimes worry. Well, absolutely NOTHING – including mascara that was about 18 months old – grew any bacteria! I was actually really surprised by the results but reassured as well. While I’d be a bit more careful with mascara, it was really reassuring. The chemist who did the testing said something about how bacteria grows best when undisturbed, so if you let a product sit a long time without using it, it would be more likely to become contaminated but that daily use (and exposure to air, movement, etc.) would actually inhibit bacterial growth. Having said all this, if something starts to smell funny, separate, etc., I toss it. I had an Estee Lauder eye shadow trio years ago that got a very strong, unpleasant smell in a short period of time and the mirror in the case went all strange…don’t know if water got into it somehow or something was growing in the glue that held the mirror but I tossed it and it was maybe 3 months old.
I don’t worry about the expiration date on mascara because it gets too hard to work with just before the expiration date. Life is too short to work with old mascara! Powder products don’t collect bacteria as well as mascara does. If a cream product has an expiration date, I abide by it but, if it doesn’t, I go by smell. If it doesn’t smell right, into the trash it goes.
I don’t adhere to expiration dates, at all, with the exception of mascara & sunscreen (which I usually finish, anyway). Unless a product changes in texture, smell, or begins I’ll still use it. Makeup is so full of chemicals, anyway, so I don’t see how it can “go bad. I use a *clean* brush for everything, and never “double-dip”, so I don’t see a problem.
I don’t adhere to expiration dates, at all, with the exception of mascara & sunscreen (which I usually finish, anyway). Unless a product changes in texture, smell, or begins to separate, I’ll still use it. Makeup is so full of chemicals, anyway, so I don’t see how it can “go bad. I use a *clean* brush for everything, and never “double-dip”, so I don’t see a problem.
Well when a cream pasts its expiration date I always use it as a footcare ! And it works. Regarding make-up I really pay attention to the expiration date for cream eyeshadows or cream blushes. Otherwise I keep my powder blushes very long, nail polishes too and lipsticks too in fact. I keep my beauty products away from light and heat. That’s important, avoiding light. I still have my Gash nail polish, I think it’s 12 years old by now ! I don’t use it but I will ( on my feet ).
All my powder pressed or loose get a pass but I use Beauty so Clean to help maintain them as well. Cream product I watch for when the consistence goes off (lipstick last about 4 years before I find they start to break down) and liquid products last longer then the 12 months but usually get tossed by 18 months for me.
Mascara I toss after 3 month and skincare I was for any changes as this product do impact my skin/eyes the most.
I don’t really adhere to them. After all, the core ingredient in nearly all makeup is highly refined petroleum byproduct, in one form, or another, and I don’t think petroleum has an expiration date. Unless the scent, texture, or performance ability changes, I’ll still use it. The whole concept of expiration dates is a relatively new one, and it’s really in place primarily to limit manufacturers liability. Prior to cosmetic expiration dates, the “rule” was basically go by smell & texture. I’ve never had an adverse reaction to wearing “old” makeup, but then, I only apply product with a clean brush, and I never “double-dip”. The only exceptions I make are mascara (but still a bit longer than suggested) & sunscreen (which I follow pretty strictly). I also find it amusing that higher end products tend to have longer limits listed than some of the cheaper brands; could be due to wanting to increase profit margin…
I don’t really adhere to them. After all, the core ingredient in nearly all makeup is highly refined petroleum byproduct, in one form, or another, and I don’t think petroleum has an expiration date. Talc is another favorite ingredient. Unless the scent, texture, or performance ability changes, I’ll still use it. The whole concept of expiration dates is a relatively new one, and it’s really in place primarily to limit manufacturers liability. Prior to cosmetic expiration dates, the “rule” was basically go by smell & texture. I’ve never had an adverse reaction to wearing “old” makeup, but then, I only apply product with a clean brush, and I never “double-dip”. The only exceptions I make are mascara (but still a bit longer than suggested) & sunscreen (which I follow pretty strictly). I also find it amusing that higher end products tend to have longer limits listed than some of the cheaper brands; could be due to wanting to increase profit margin… Also, brands that produce more LE items tend to have shorter lives, as well. My NARS duos have a 24 month limit, yet my UD Naked palettes are 12 months.
First of all, I love your website and read it every day. I don’t know how you do such a beautiful job reviewing the products so quickly and so many at a time.
I am a stickler for cosmetic expiry dates. I don’t necessary need the date but having been in the cosmetics industry for a while, I know when it’s time to throw something out. Some of the creams get a funky odor too.
Nail polish and mascara are really the only two products I seem to get rid of the second they smell or dry out. Otherwise, I have never had a problem with other products.
@Daniellenm30 You can revive nail polish with a nail polish thinner (not remover or acetone). They can be kept forever, since bacteria doesn’t grow in nail polish
Almost never for anything, except for mascara when it becomes clumpy. I am almost at the end of a NARS Scarlet Empress lipstick from 1992 and I still use on occasion a Pupa (old Italian designer brand) lipstick that my mother bought for herself sometime in Milan in 1978!!! It’s as smooth and velvety as it ever was, has no rancid smell, and is a perfect true red, so I’ll probably continue using it until 2025. LOL. 😉 I have a Calvin Klein blush from 1987 that I love and use and my Holy Grail aubergine eyeshadow is a CK one from 1985 or 1987 too. I do throw away blushes after a decade or so but *only* if they turn so hard they are impossible to use. I throw away those (few) lipsticks that turn rock hard and bad, but generally, I’ve found only the cheap brands have gone bad on me. I guess I’ve been lucky. Old creams, if they’re a good brand, then I just use on my body or feet. I hope some of those dates don’t give you a heart attack. 😉
I love this particular post because I have always wondered what other women thought about expiration dates on cosmetics. For me, my rule is if it smells bad or changes in consistency, then I toss it. Mascara will get thrown out after 3-6 months, but I will be honest and say that if I spent big $$ on it, then I will keep it for 6 months for sure before throwing it out. I go through my skincare products too quickly to have to worry about expiration dates. As for my colour makeup, I have some natural ingredient lipsticks that I purchased more than 5 years ago and they are still in great condition. As for my other lipsticks and lipglosses, along with my eye shadows and blushes, I will keep them until they are obviously unusable via scent or appearance. I do not have an issue with keeping some cosmetics for years as long as their consistency remains constant. I think with pressed powder products, as long as you use a clean brush or powder puff, they should keep for years. I don’t keep my eyeliners for too long as I use them on a daily basis, however, with all the sharpening I do, I don’t think that keeping an eyeliner for 6mths to a year is such a big deal. Basically, just use common sense when considering expiration dates. The cosmetic companies do put on dates on products in order to avoid issues of liability. I do, however, toss sunscreen products once the expiry date has been reached. They are so inexpensive, there is no reason to keep them past that particular date.