Do you buy expensive cosmetics and use it till they completely finished, without considering the expiration dates of these products?
Most women put their health at risk by using cosmetics beyond their expiry date. If you use expired make-up products, you are welcoming some serious skin and eye related problems.
Using cosmetics beyond their expiry date is extremely dangerous for our health. Chemicals in these make-up products accumulate germs on the sensitive parts of our skin which result in infection.
Many countries in the world have drafted strict guidelines for cosmetic manufacturers. They have been asked to provide all the necessary information including the mfg. and exp. date on the product itself. Although, the rules are in place, yet so many people still ignore the expiration dates and continue using old make-up products. Most women end up getting skin rashes, itchiness and eye infections by applying expired mascara, eyeliner, kajal, lipsticks and foundations. It is to be noted that organic make-up products have shorter life than other cosmetics.
Cosmetics use various kinds of preservatives to keep the product safe, when a product reaches its expiration date, the preservatives become ineffective, and the product itself becomes unsafe to use. Moreover some elements of the product may get degenerated with time, giving you various types of infections and health problems. Allergic reactions, itching, boils and skin redness are some of the commonly reported problems that arise with the use of old beauty products. Eyes are the most delicate part of our body so we need to be extra cautions about eye make-up.
Several brands in India still don’t mention the expiry dates on their eye-liners, mascaras, eye shadows and kajal pencils. In general the life of any beauty product is not more than 2 years, but the life of eye make-up is even shorter. Hence, eye make-up products should be discarded after a year. Almost all the cosmetic items are sensitive to high temperature, and should be stored in a cold and dry place all the time. High temperature speed up the deterioration of cosmetics, resulting in the shorter shelf-life of these items.
[Also Read: organic beauty products for sensitive skin]
You can store your beauty products inside a fridge; it will help in protecting them from bacterial growth and degeneration. Other than proper storage, you should also maintain good make-up hygiene level such as filing kajal pencils before using it; cleaning make-up brushes on a regular basis and discarding old items.
Face makeup
If you are using a water-based facial make-up, you should throw them away after six months, whereas make-up products in the form of powder may last for about two years.
The bacterial growth increases in old liquid products as you frequently dip your fingers in to it. An expired liquid foundation is not only risky to use but at the same time it also gives you a patchy and erratic finish with a lot of visible lines on your face.
Mascara
According to skin specialists, liquid mascara is an ideal place for bacterial growth.
In addition to that, old and expired mascara doesn’t work well; it becomes dry and flaky, and sometimes fibres become so thick and lumpy that the mascara doesn’t give a smooth and even finish to your lashes.
Eye shadows and eye-liners
Just like mascara, liquid eyeliner also get spoiled very quickly. These liquid eye make-up products need to be used within three months of opening. You can use creamy eye shadows for up to six months. Bacterial growth is very fast in liquid-eyeliner and if you continue using them past expiry date, you might be giving an open invitation to serious eye and skin related issues. However powder shadows are less likely to get contaminated as they don’t have any water content.
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Lipsticks and lip-liners
Lipsticks and lip-liners can be used for a couple of years, however the water content in them also provides perfect conditions for bacterial growth.
Nail paints
Nail paints can be kept for about a year. Old nail polish fail to provide you
a smooth and even finish.They become thick and lumpy after a year or so. These products need to be stored in a cool and dry place as these cosmetics are extremely sensitive to heat and dampness.
Skin care products
Anti-aging and skin-lightening creams should not be used for more than six months after opening the bottle. Some ingredients like vitamin C and retinol start to degenerate much faster if you don’t store them well. These components become thicker over time, so the ingredients no longer remain in correct ratio and your skin becomes prone to various kinds of skin problems like itchiness or dryness.
Hair care products
Shampoos and conditioners can be used for up to one year. Don’t forget to keep the bottles and tubes of these products closed tightly. If air or water drops goes inside the bottle, the chemicals present in the product start to separate and degenerate, making them less effective and unsafe to use.
Hope this article on what happens if you use expired makeup products was helpful.
