I try to keep them in mind for products like mascara, liquid eyeliner, etc. and to a lesser extent, any cream or liquid-based products. For powders, I’m definitely not concerned about expiry dates. I typically consider smell, texture, consistency, etc. and if there have been any changes.
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Not very much at all. I’m a bit attentive when it comes to sunscreens but my feeling is that mineral sunscreens – those with zinc products in them – last waaay beyond any printed expiry date and so I continue to use them until they’re finished unless they start to smell bad or look like the consistency is changing. With powder products, I think of the late Way Bandy’s comment that powders last “between the wars, darling”. For creams, liquids and skin care products, I go by smell – if it smells okay and the texture hasn’t changed, I’m sure it’s fine to use. I have a few pencil liners that have dried up but I revive them with a drop or two of Inglot Duraline on the tips and within a few days, they’re usable again.
I guess all of the above is a long-winded way of saying “no, I don’t really pay much attention…”
I’m not very concerned, unless I’ve purchased an organic/’natural’ brand that might have few to no preservatives and stabilizers. I’ll try to use up one mascara/foundation/brow gel in a timely fashion versus having several bottles going at once so that I lessen the chance of it going off, but if my liquid eye products last more than the three month recommended period, I won’t bin them. I’m usually done with a bottle of foundation in about 6 months. I have never had a powder product go bad – I’m more likely to toss it because I’ve grown bored with the palette and don’t see a need to keep it any longer or the packaging broke.
I get rid of mascara after 3 months of use. I had 2 large styes in the fall/winter of 2018 and although my ophthalmologist thinks the extra rich eye cream I had been using was the culprit, he said it was a good idea to play it safe and trash mascara after about 3 months. I declutter the rest of my collection often so I rarely have anything that’s way past expiration date.
Generally speaking, I am mindful of expiration dates, particularly for any liquid or cream products. I also keep it in mind for powder products but don’t adhere to a strict “use by or best by” date; often those products are okay for a bit longer — but not much longer since I am sensitive and have had adverse reactions.
No. Powder products last for decades. Liquid and cream I go by smell and if the texture has changed.
Never had an eye infection, thankfully, so use mascara until it dries out. Now, certain brands dry out quicker than others but I can get far longer than the 3 months they state on the packaging.
Literally NEVER for powder products. Only minimally for lip products. But absolutely so for liquid and cream eye makeup, including eye liner and mascara.
Yes, very carefully. Once I purchase a product I note down the manufacturing date based on batch code and when I open it I note down the opening date as well. For cream and liquid products I follow the guidance of the jar symbol (n months from opening); for powders I follow the 3 years from manufacturing date rule.
The exception is mascara, no matter the expiration date or how much product is left, it goes out after 3 months.
I know it seems overly cautious, but I have a small makeup collection, I open one product at a time, so I usually finish products before expiration. Also, I use my powders almost everyday or on a weekly basis… someone with a larger eyeshadow and blush collection might not experience the same… but I do feel eyeshadows and face powders perform worse after 2 years or so.
Only for ingredients that would lose their effectiveness over time so that would be sunscreen and tretinoin and perhaps Vitamin C. Anything else will be used so long as it is not smelly or separated or otherwise yucky.
Never have and at my age, likely won’t in the future. As I previously answered today, I have a shadow that I have had since the 70’s. I am a terrible representative for the makeup community because I don’t clean my brushes, I don’t throw away products because they are old and I don’t even get rid of mascara because it is old. I guess I have been lucky that I have never had a problem and I had better knock on wood right now to tempting the makeup God’s.
It seems we have a very similar attitude to expiry dates. Many years ago, there was a great tv show here in Canada called The Shopping Bags – it was fashion, food and consumer information. They actually did a feature on expiry dates and asked staff to bring in all manner of old, “expired” makeup. I was most interested to see what the results would be when they tested the mascaras they’d received. All of these products were sent to an independent testing lab and the mascara – several years old – came back with little to no bacterial growth on it. I was actually surprised (having had eye issues – retinal problems – I was always very concerned about mascara) and so were the hosts! We’d all believed that mascara older than 3 months was a toxic danger waiting to attack! With all other products, I’m like you – if it looks okay and smells okay and performs okay, I keep it and use it. When it starts to smell “off”, separate, etc., then out it goes.
I should pay attention more to cosmetics , I only do on relatively short expiry dates like 6 months for one of my Cushion Foundations then I try to finish it quickly. .
When I had the Salon my Esthetician made me very aware of skin care like Vitamin C serums which can gradually darken when expired.
Only really mascaras – and if the lipstick starts to smell, I toss that too. I don’t own any cream kind of eyeshadows and I do use only one blush at at a time, so that is OK. Foundations I go through pretty quickly and generally only have one or two open at the same time – so they’re OK as well.
Powder eyeshadows are pretty good, but I have had a major declutter a few months ago and tossed quite a few oldies.
I am careful with some products like mascara and brow gel. These get thrown away after 3 months of use. Lipgloss can stay around for 6 months, but it does get gross after awhile of redipping the applicator.
But some products like my Urban Decay Naked palette I’ve had forever. I don’t use it anymore, it’s kinda around for sentimental reasons.
Don’t ask about my brushes. I’ll clean them tomorrow.
I keep my stuff pretty clean, and try to only open something once I finish off what I have open, etc. But if I followed the recommended times, I would throwing some palettes away before I even get to really explore them fully. I know that means I have too many, which is odd because I really don’t have that many, it just takes me forever to hit pan and use a shade up really. Powders I go by texture, if its too clumpy or brittle, I know it may be getting scraped and will get low enough to be swapped for something newer soon.
I definitely pay attention to expiration dates for mascara and find myself buying the mini mascaras as I am wearing makeup less frequently. I don’t use liquid eyeliner so it is not a worry for me. The remainder of my makeup is kept cool and dry in a dark drawer so I watch for performance and smell. I keep my brushes clean.
Not at all! I’ve revived a couple of dried-up mascaras with nonmedicated artificial-tear eyedrops and I only throw an item out if it looks wrong, feels wrong, smells wrong, repeatedly applies wrong compared to how I’ve normally applied it in the past, or generally seems off.
For makeup absolutely a big no!
When I started using makeup, there were no expiration dates, so maybe that’s why I don’t care. I keep trusting with my senses, look, smell and feel.
I do pay attention to sunscreens, but I use sunscreen all year round so I doubt they would go bad.
Not at all. If something smells weird or seems “off” it gets tossed but otherwise it stays.
Nope. I’m a human with senses capable of interpreting information from the world around me. So, yeah, I can SEE when mold is there. SMELL when something is off. and FEEL when a formula has changed. Perhaps it’s in my best interests to listen to myself over a corporation whose only interest in me and my welfare is how much more money they can take out of my pocket without working for it.
Ditto to your comments; dates mostly for liquids and smell and texture for lip products and most others ones.