Have you ever wondered when or even why your skin-care products expire?
If this is the first time you are hearing of expired skin-care products, then buckle up, because skin-care products DO expire, and you might be hoarding them on your shelves without even knowing it.
Go grab a few of your favs from your collection, turn them around, and look for this symbol (see image). Most of the time, a product has a shelf life of about 12 months. This means that after 12 months, for your skin safety and health, it is recommended to throw away that product. This is because with use, bacteria and dust particles are prone to enter the product and they tend to stick there (eeuw right?)
So why the fuss over expired skin-care products ?? Well, there have been reports of severe skin breakouts, massive skin irritation, and even eyelashes falling out from using expired mascara.
SIGNS THAT YOUR BEAUTY PRODUCTS HAVE GONE BAD
Molecules in your beauty products can break down and form other molecules that can give you a bad reaction on your skin. If you’re intending to take some risks with expired products and continue using them, then you may want to take note of these definite tell-tale signs that the beauty product has gone bad.
The product smells funky or stale
The color is different than before
It has changed to a different texture as before
You see white or green spots on it (this is likely to be mold)
WHY EXPIRED SKIN-CARE PRODUCTS NEED TO GO
According to the FDA, a product’s shelf life refers to the length of time you can expect a product to look and act as expected and stay safe to use. Once your products have expired, no matter how much you may have left to use up, they lose their effectiveness. That means at the very least, you’re covering your skin with something that isn’t delivering the benefits you seek. Of course, the effects of using expired products can be worse than a loss of potency, including irritation and breakouts. Better safe than sorry, who is with me
WAYS TO MAKE SURE YOUR PRODUCTS LAST LONGER
If you are living in humid weather, it creates a "great" environment for our beauty products to turn bad easily and for bacteria to breed. However, there are a few things you can do to help your makeup and skincare products have a longer shelf life:
Keep it away from direct sunlight
Store it in a dry and cool location
Always put the cap back on after you’ve used it
Sanitize your hands before you use the product (especially for products that require you to dip your finger in). If possible, consider getting spatulas for skincare products and applicators for makeup, so that you can reduce contact with your hands as much as possible
Avoid using beauty products that require direct contact, such as lipsticks, when you’re ill. You may be transferring the bacteria from yourself to the product
For products that you don’t use very frequently, (eg. sheet masks), you may consider storing them in a fridge
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