Our society has become completely germ phobic. Every product on the market has some kind of super ingredient that supposedly protects us from tiny little microorganisms that will make us sick or cause infection. Did you know that almost 80% of all liquid soaps on the market are anti-bacterial? So, when people would talk to me about how important it is to throw out my old cosmetics, I have to admit I would nod in agreement and then roll my eyes once their backs were turned. I was one of those people who believed it was our society’s bacterial obsession at play as well as being a big scam by the cosmetics companies to get us to keep buying their products.

But, the truth is, the danger of using old makeup is very real, not only because of bacteria (which is bad enough!), but because of the ingredients within the actual products. The FDA does not place as stringent policies on cosmetics as they do on food, which means cosmetics companies can use whatever chemicals they want that are known to cause skin reactions and even cancer. The EU is far more progressive in that it has banned over 1,100 of these chemicals, while the US FDA – only about 11. What do these numbers mean? If you live in the US, Canada, or any nation that imports skincare and cosmetics from the U.S. (i.e. the majority of the world), you need to be THAT much more careful about what you’re putting on your face. Preservatives may make cosmetics temporarily safe, but they last for only a certain amount of time (hence, the need to clean out your makeup drawer).

How long can you hold onto products? Here’s a basic breakdown:

Mascara: Do not use longer than 3-4 months. I don’t care how much you paid for it. You need your eyes to see, and conjunctivitis (pink eye) causes blurred vision and is highly contagious (and honestly, it’s just gross). Tip: I know a lot of you like to pump the wand into the tube before using to get more product on the brush, but that pushes more airborne bacteria into the mascara – avoid at all costs!

Eyeliner and lip pencils: can last about 2 years but please sharpen at least every 2-3 uses, shaving off the part of the nib that’s been lying in your drawer will help prevent the transfer of bacteria to your face. If your pencil is dry – it’s time to toss it – PLEASE don’t wet it with your saliva – that’s the worst thing you can do, do you have any idea how much bacteria is in your mouth? Even wetting with water makes pencils prone to attracting bacteria.

Liquid eyeliner: 6 months

Gel eyeliners: about 18 months

Cream blushes and eye shadows: 1-2 years

Lipsticks/glosses: 1-2 years. Once they start smelling, throw them out. (Yes, girls you know you all have those strange smelling lipsticks – into the trash can they go!)

Powders (face, blush, eye shadows): because most of these don’t contain water, they can last for a little bit longer, about 2-2.5 years.

Cleansers, lotions, creams: sorry ladies, 6-8 month limit – they are preserved with fatty acids that go bad pretty fast.

Concealer: 6-8 months

Foundations: should be tossed after 8 months and definitely after a year (chemicals turn after a while and bacteria adds up from touching the opening).

Other important things to remember:

- We all like to share makeup with our friends – try not to – you’re just passing bacteria back and forth (trust me, you don’t want pink eye, or even worse – cold sores on your mouth).

- If you’ve had an eye infection, don’t use the same mascara or eye products. Toss the mascara out or you’ll most likely give yourself the infection again.

- The eyes you think are itchy from allergy season may be acting up from old eye makeup.

- Again, don’t wet your cosmetics with saliva!

- Acne prone ladies – pay special attention to using old foundation. Once your makeup starts to go rancid, you’ll break out even more.

- If your cosmetics change color, smell funny or change texture – throw them away ASAP

- Keep lids screwed on tightly and keep cosmetics away from sunlight (this is important for you ladies living in hot climates!) – preservatives will break down, causing your makeup to expire quicker.

- Keep your makeup out of the bathroom!

- We all like to use our mothers’ old makeup (yeah they used to have fun colors back in the 70s/80s). Girls, the preservatives in that makeup are long expired. Do you REALLY know what chemicals they used to use in cosmetics back then? And do you honestly want to know how much bacteria there probably is in those products? Don’t do it!!!!

Finally, unlike food, cosmetics companies don’t issue expiration dates because they aren’t required to by law. You have to fend for yourselves. Ladies, just because this stuff is going on top of your face and isn’t being ingested by mouth does not mean it isn’t being absorbed into your skin. I know, most of us can’t afford to keep buying new products – which is why with certain cosmetics and skincare, it may be safer to go with cheaper products so you can buy them again. After all, with the chemicals being put into our makeup, we shouldn’t take the chance of continuing to use them after preservatives lose their effectiveness. Seriously, we have no idea what we will find out ten years down the line about the products we use now. Fen-Phen anyone?

Photo Credits (in the order they appear):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sometrouble/381908930/
http://www.cosmogirl.com/blog/beauty-tip-of-the-day-0923
http://www.bellasugar.com/1796029
http://www.arzoomag.com/bollywood/bollywood-makeup/