When was the last time you cleaned out your makeup bag or drawer for expired makeup? Be honest. Whether you are a minimalist or like to put on the glam, your makeup doesn’t last forever. Every category of product has an expiration date, aka shelf life. The FDA says this is the time for a product to look and act as expected and be safe for use.
We asked Shenelle Mays-Smith, a makeup artist and skincare expert, to guide us on when to toss our makeup. “It is important to keep track of how old your cosmetics are because you are putting these products on your skin, which is our largest organ,” she explains. “And we are applying makeup near our mouths and eyes that secrete fluids, so we must be hygienic and sanitary.”
Your products can be compromised by how you use and store them. For example, if you dip your fingers into a product, preservatives guard against microorganisms for only so long before bacteria and fungi grow. And if you are storing your beauty stash in the bathroom, the moisture accelerates bacteria growth. In addition, expired products may clog pores and trigger breakouts.
Check out her advice below and some picks of products you might want to add this year.
Eye Products
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsie Mascara, $7.99
This category includes mascara, eyeliner (pencils and liquid), and eyeshadow (powder, cream, and liquid).
Mascara
“When you pump your mascara wand before applying it, you pump in air and bacteria,” Mays-Smith explains. It is safe to use for up to three months. But you can also tell it’s time to replace it when the product clumps.
Eyeliner
Mays-Smith points out that liquid and gel eyeliners have a shelf life similar to mascara, even if they are retractable. Replace it after two to three months. “Eyeliner pencils are different because we sharpen them. Each time we do, we are revealing a new product.” Are you sharpening your pencils? Mays-Smith says you don’t have to do it with each use, but you should do it often.
Eyeshadow
Cream eyeshadow lasts three to six months. Since it is often applied with the fingertips, please wash your hands before using it, or bacteria may grow on it over time. Powder eyeshadow has more longevity than other eye products. It can last a year or more. But if the product is cracked or falling apart, or you have had an eye infection, replace it.
Naja Hall Peacock Paint Cool Night Duochrome Shadow, $34
Face
This category includes foundations (liquid, stick, cream, and cream to powder), Concealer, and Powder.
Foundation
Water-based liquid foundations can last up to a year. Cream-based stick foundations have a similar shelf life. But if your product contains organic ingredients, May-Smith says it may be good for three to six months if you keep it refrigerated.
Oil-based formulas last a little longer, up to 18 months. The product may separate between uses, but if the formula doesn’t reconstitute effortlessly, it is time to replace it. She says, “It’s like ketchup. If it is very watery at the top, toss it.”
According to Mays-Smith, packaging may impact the longevity of your face products. Squeeze tubes and pump bottles allow you to control how much of the product is applied, and there is less room for cross-contamination. Cream foundations are good for between six months and a year. She recommends keeping a pancake-style cream-to-powder foundation for no longer than a year. “It can go rancid and oxidize on the skin (changing how the product appears),” Mays-Smith says.
Loose powder has one of the best shelf lives because it is oil-free and is packaged with a sifter top that reduces contamination. They can be good up to two years from opening. Pressed powder can also last a year or more, but if it cracks and crumbles before that, toss it.
How long you can keep a concealer depends on its formula. Cream concealers last three to six months; liquid concealers can last up to a year, and powder concealers last even longer.
Cheeks
How often you replace your blush depends on its formulation, Mays-Smith points out. Like a cream-based foundation, replace your cream blush every six months to a year. Depending on your hygienic practices, powder blushes can last a year, maybe more. The only caveat is blushes and highlighters that contain glitter, light-reflecting particles. She suggests tossing them when you see a film or it starts to separate and doesn’t come back together quickly.
 Lips
If you want to know if your lipstick is still good, smell it, according to Mays-Smith. “Lipsticks get a waxy smell when they are going bad, like crayons,” she explains. “The color won’t go as smoothly, and its texture may change too.”
Lipglosses are suitable for a year, maybe longer. But formulation matters here, too; if your matte lipgloss starts to dry out, it is time to toss it.
Brushes
You can tell your brushes need to be replaced by looking at them. Are the hairs of the brushes coming out? Are the bristles stiff or mishappen? But Mays-Smith says a tell-tale sign is when there is soot on the color you are trying to apply because the previous product altered the brush hairs. Washing your brushes weekly with Dial Antibacterial soap is the best way to keep them in tip-top shape.
Keep Your Makeup Clean
Mays-Smith suggests adding this simple routine to keep your make safe and bacterial-free. Once a week, spray your eyeshadow palettes, powders, blush, and twist-top lipsticks with 75% alcohol and let them dry.
