Just like all other material things in life, cosmetics aren’t meant to last for an eternity. No matter how much you love your makeup, you really need to chuck em’ out once they reach their expiration dates.

 You must be wondering, “Why can’t I hold on to my favourite lipstick? It looks fine…”. Unlike the moulds that you can see on the knobby end of your bread loaf, makeup pretty much works the same way, except you can’t really see the nasties.

Imagine this: You apply makeup to your face, using your fingers or brush, leaving them open for a few minutes. That’s basically opening the gates to bacteria infestation. The longer you keep them, the more bacteria will grow in your makeup. This will cause breakouts and worse, infection. Got a pink eye out of the blue? The mascara you bought 3 years ago might be the main culprit.

Not only that, but old makeup also has lost its ‘magic’ because the ingredients in it have broken down so don’t be surprised if your old eyeshadow palette is not as pigmented as it was when you first got them.

Look For Your Makeup Expiration Dates

Many makeup products have their specific expiration dates, making your life easier because you just get rid of them accordingly. Here are some of Velvet Vanity products' expiration dates.

Check The Period-After-Opening (PAO) Symbol

If you’re the kind to inspect every little detail on your makeup, you must be familiar with a small container symbol with numbers and the word ‘M’ on it. It actually stands for the number of months you can use your makeup before you need to throw it out. If it’s 12M then it simply means 12 months!

Makeup Expiry Date Hack

Can’t find the expiration date or opening period? Here’s a simple rule of thumb, just remember this formula, 3:1:2. Mascaras, eyeliners and eyeshadows last for 3 months, lipsticks and complexion products like foundation and concealers last for a year and 2 years for blushers.

Stop Hoarding The Same Shade

While it’s totally normal to feel like grabbing every nude shade of lipstick and brown eyeshadows on sight, hoarding a whole load of them is where you should draw the line. Not only you won’t end up using them as frequently as you thought, but your wallet will suffer from it too. One pro tip is to donate unused makeup if you don’t reach out for your makeup that often (Not the expired ones, please!).

Put Them Away From Direct Sunlight

Ever left a lip balm in your car and when you finally remember about it, your poor lip balm turned into a hot, gloopy mess? Your other makeup will spoil just as quickly if you place them under direct sunlight. It’s time to reorganise because your makeup doesn't need the extra Vitamin D.

Remember, no amount of expired makeup is worth the risk of getting an infection. Make sure to always check your precious babies every once in a while and keep them at a reasonable amount so you can enjoy new makeup once your current ones expire!