Just before I got married, I decided it would be fun to get a makeover and test make-up out for the wedding. I eventually bought a handful of items. Then I resumed my typical make-up habits, wearing little to none most of the time. Yet, one day I put more on. And the strangest thing happened, my eyes swelled up and became quite red – the skin all around them. I’d reacted to the make-up. It wasn’t me as it turned out. Make-up expires, I discovered after calling the manufacturer.
The thing was that this wasn’t the first time that I used make-up that I had purchased a while back. I also tend to buy the same brands. It was the first time I ever reacted to make-up. I’ve always tried to use common sense – does it look and smell funny? Yet this last time, it hadn’t been that long and nothing raised the warning flags.
Make-up is easy to collect – it’s pretty small and is easy to have in different locations. I find that it can be challenging to part with – “I spent all this money to buy it, I should use it.” Yet, how much do you use all of it? Does it sit there waiting to be used? Here’s a picture of the pile of make-up I dumped out of a bag a while back – before I went through it and purged my collection.
Pile of make-up from a bag I found as I’m about to go through it
There are two ways they measure the time of make-up expiring – from the production date and the period after opening (PAO). Unfortunately there’s no real regulation on cosmetics though the FDA does oversee it somewhat. Although the smell can indicate something might no longer be good, it’s not as clear as the perfume that’s gone bad and is suddenly quite stinky.
Although it’s often convenient, storing make-up in the bathroom can contribute to it’s going bad more quickly. The moisture and humidity can shorten the life expectancy of make-up. Ideally, temperature and humidity will be controlled to maximize how long the make-up lasts.
Some people struggle with the feeling it’s so wasteful to toss those beauty products that have been around – “I’ll use it soon.” After my puffy eyes for a week, I’m more reluctant to push the limits now – even though this was several years ago now. That’s why when I found another bag of make-up, I emptied it out and threw most of it away – here’s what I kept, mostly brushes and a pencil sharpener. It was challenging to face the waste I’d inadvertently created and throw it away – yet red, puffy eyes are not something I want to risk again. 🙂
Pile of make-up after purging – mostly brushes, mirrors, and pencil sharpener remaining
Consider your own beauty products – how many do you have that you don’t use regularly? If you’re not using them, use the money to get something else you will actually appreciate and in the process avoid any risk to have a reaction to products that have gone bad.
