When was the last time you cleaned out your makeup bag? In a recent (albeit early) spring cleaning kick, I emptied my makeup bag and was shocked when I realized how old some of my products are.
Women absorb up to FIVE POUNDS of chemicals from beauty products every year, including arsenic in eyeshadow or cancer-causing parabens.
Just like food, makeup products also have a shelf life. Over time, products build bacteria and (gross) little bugs can even start to grow! This can lead to irritation, rashes, infections, boils or allergic reactions.
The general rule of thumb is that mascara shouldn’t be used for longer than three months, because there’s so much bacteria in or around your eyes, which then transfers into the mascara tube. If your mascara starts to dry up or go clumpy, don’t EVER add water to the bottle – it will only increase the chance of infection.
Eye shadows shouldn’t be used for longer than one year, though you can lengthen the lifespan by using a clean brush every time you swab the shadow. And just like mascara, if you’ve had an eye infection, you should throw the product away.
Any creamy products, like foundations, cream blushes or powders, should be used within one year. If they start to smell strange or discolour, it’s a definite sign it’s going bad!
Sadly, in my recent clean-up, it was also time to say goodbye to my trusted Le Sportssac makeup case – it’s been with me through so many adventure! I’ve replaced it with an adorable metallic pink case from Rihanna’s limited-edition Ri-Ri [hearts] MAC line.
But I am feeling much better about what I’m putting on my skin, knowing it’s all new and fresh!
Text: Lydia Parafianowicz