My #1 beauty tool in my vanity is my black sharpie. I use it to write the date the item was purchased on all my makeup, sunscreen, and skin care products. It's very important to know these dates because they could be the reason of acne prone or sensitive skin problems (if they're old or expired).
How do you know what's expired and what's still good.....??
1. I know which makeup I use less often and I always make sure that its marked. Products I don't use up quickly are lipsticks, lip balms, concealers, cream base blush, cream base eyeshadows, anything cream base....period!
2. The most important things to mark are your foundations, concealers, primers, and anything else that's cream or liquid based that is topically applied all over the face. I ALWAYS make sure that I have labeled because I have super sensitive skin to these types of products- including skin creams.
3. Remember good hygiene is so important--Wash your face and hands before doing your makeup, ALWAYS! Try not to directly touching your makeup in its containers, such as dipping your fingers in jars, pots, trays. Pour it or scoop a little out with a disposable spoon or applicator.
Throw it OUT- Yikes!
3 Months or Less:
Mascara
3-6 Months (give or take):
Liquid Foundation, 3-6 months (Cream foundation can last 4-6 months)
**Bottled products should last this long but wide mouthed jars can expose the product to more air and should be tossed out sooner.
Natural Cosmetics, 6 months
**short shelf life products are "all natural" products that contain plant-derived ingredients--these products typically have very little or NO preservatives at all.
6-8 months:
Concealer
Facial Cleansers & Moisturizers
Up to 1 year or more:
Powders, Pressed powder, eye-shadows, Lip gloss, Lipstick, Eye/Lip Pencils, and Facial Toners.
**Sharpen pencils at least once a week to prevent bacteria building up. It has gone bad if it dries or crumbles.
Caution:
**Keep these 'time frames' in mind....in order to lessen the possibility of makeup contamination. You be the judge of your own makeup.
**Be careful of your saliva, or worse others saliva, which could introduce bacteria that could easily grow out of control.
**If makeup has lost its original texture or consistency, the preservatives have probably broken down.
**You'll know it's time to purchase a new bottle, when the ingredients begin to settle or separate, the texture thickens or thins, or the smell changes.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOLS!!
(This is the hardest one for me...I tend to get lazy when having to wash brushes/sponges, etc. But it can be more important than all the above tips...)
Oils and bacteria get trapped in the bristles of the brushes.
*Wash natural-bristled brushes once a month
*Synthetic brushes three to four times a month
*Cosmetic makeup sponges are disposable tools. Try to wash after each use.
1. Use luke-warm water and mild soap to clean. I use a baby shampoo to wash my brushes.
2. Swirl in palms of your hand bristles faced down and rinse.
3. Lay the brushes flat to dry on a towel so that the bristles don't break, and to maintain the shape of the brushes.
