Makeup expiry dates: Are your beauty products past their prime?

You'd never eat food that's months or even years past its "best before" date, but why is it that we seem to remain blissfully ignorant about the shelf life of our beauty products? Believe it or not, all makeup and beauty products have built-in expiry dates which, if ignored, can lead to the product no longer looking or feeling as it should, and worse, becoming dangerous to use. Yes, dangerous. See, makeup carries all sorts of invisible bacteria and while most of it is harmless, pathogens (any bacteria, virus, or other organisms that causes disease or infections like staph aureus, E. coli, strep, salmonella, etc.) are another story altogether. And while sanitising your hands before and after makeup application, regularly washing your brushes and cleaning your makeup can help keep your products safe, most of us tend to get a little lazy with those steps. You might even share makeup with friends which increases the chances of exchanging those lovely little germs around. One solution is obviously cleaning your products thoroughly (I'll talk about that soon). But if you haven't been doing that until now, it's time for a makeup kit declutter. Don't know where to start? Don't worry. Below I'll give you a guide as to how long each product lasts before you should bin it. There are obviously exceptions to this rule, so if you notice that the look, feel or scent of something has changed before this date, throw it out to be on the safe side. MAKEUP EXPIRY DATES (GUIDE ONLY) 2 TO 3 MONTHS - Mascara - Face peels & masks 6 TO 12 MONTHS - Pot foundation - Liquid & gel eyeliner - Liquid & cream concealer - Eye cream - Serum 12 TO 18 MONTHS - Liquid foundation (pump bottle) - Lip gloss - Cream eyeshadow - Eyebrow gel - Moisturiser 2 YEARS - Lip pencils - Eye pencils - Lipstick - Powder foundation - Powder blush - Eyeshadow HOW TO CLEAN MAKEUP PRODUCTS There are 3 ways to clean makeup products which should cover everything you have in your kit. Yes, it takes a little time and effort, but if it extends the life of your products, it'll save you a lot of money (and potential eye infections, unnecessary breakouts!) in the long run. ALCOHOL WIPES This method is perfect for lipsticks, concealer sticks, lip pencils, eye pencils as well as any metal tools you might own (like eyelash curlers). Simply use one wipe to gently wipe the top layer of makeup off the product or to thoroughly wipe down your metal tools then dispose of the wipe. Make sure the surface is dry before you use the product or tool again. ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL SPRAY Also known as rubbing alcohol, Isopropyl alcohol can be purchased at the drug store and will last you a long time. Pour some into a small spray bottle (those travel size ones are perfect) and then spray it once or twice onto your pressed powders (including eyeshadow & blush), cream makeup (in pots or sticks), metal tools and even the inside of your makeup bag. WARM SOAPY WATER The best method to clean your Beauty Blenders, makeup sponges and brushes is with good old fashioned warm soapy water. You'll need a large glass bowl or plastic container half filled with warm water and then you'll add a couple of squeezes of handsoap or shampoo. You could also use a bar of soap by first wetting the sponge or brush then rubbing it onto the soap to create a lather. Sponges hold a lot of product, so you might need to repeat the process a few times, squeezing out the dirty water, then putting it back in the bowl and working the soap in. For your brushes, ensure you don't submerge them beyond the top of the metal part as this could get the glue wet which will lead to the brush handle falling off. Instead, hold the brush straight and dunk the bristles in the water, tapping it on the bottom of the bowl and swirling in circles, then squeezing the dirty water into the sink before repeating. I like to brush them over an old rag to help get stubborn build-up of foundation off (when you can see the little baubles of product on the end of each bristle). Allow them to air dry or you can speed it up with a hairdryer on very low heat (high heat can melt the glue). Putting your brushes & sponges in the sun for a while is great though as the sun will also work to kill bacteria. Want more? If you're ready to start decluttering your kit but need help replacing your old products with makeup that really suits your skin and looks fresh and natural, check out my free mini-course, #READYINTEN. You'll get 7 bite-sized daily lessons on how to create the perfect makeup kit and then apply your products in a natural way -- in only 10 minutes.