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Spring is approaching so soon it will be time to switch your
dark colored winter gear to a pastel, light spring wardrobe. The transition
from winter to spring brings on the excitement of newness and change in the
environment. Many people often take on the task of spring cleaning, which is a deep and thorough cleaning of your home to welcome the change of the season. During Spring cleaning one may even switch out
winter interiors (curtains, bed linens, table settings, etc.) for light, airy upholsteries
in pretty spring colors.
One of
the areas of spring cleaning people often forget is personal care products, specifically cosmetics.
With the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life, we often lose sight of the
beauty products we have in our makeup bags and the date we purchased them. I remember
going through my professional makeup bag to get ready for an upcoming wedding.
When going through the bag I found bottles of expensive foundation in an array
of shades, along with eye shadow and contouring palettes. Although they had been
barely used, because I had them for so long, they had to be thrown away and restocked.
You may be saying “well you didn’t really use them often, so what is the big
deal in keeping them?”
Expired
cosmetics can cause skin irritations and eye infections. This is because
products can harbor bacteria due to the transference of germs every time they
are used. Products can also grow mold if stored and kept in heat and humidity. Most
people do not realize that most cosmetics are not required to have expiration
dates on their labels. Before we go into how we can keep track of the date of
purchases, let’s look at a timeline on how long you should keep your cosmetics.
Face
makeup (foundations, concealers, etc.) can be kept for six months for liquids
and up to two years for powders. The time span for powders is longer since
powders do not consist of water, which is needed in order for bacteria to grow.
Face makeup should be replaced after these times to avoid face breakouts and
irritation.
Eye
makeup (mascara, eyeliners and eye shadows) should be replaced every three
months for mascara and liquid eyeliner, six months for cream eye shadows, but
will last as long as two years for powdered eye shadows. Unlike powders
mentioned above, mascara, liquid eyeliners and cream eye shadows can become
breeding grounds for bacteria, based on use and time.
Lipsticks,
lip liners and glosses should be replaced every year or two years. Lip liners
will last longer since every time you sharpen your pencil you remove a layer of
the old surface previously used. The top of lipsticks can be wiped to remove
the previously used surface as well, but lipsticks can lose its shelf life
depending on the ingredients it contains based on special effects (i.e. long
lasting)
You may have that favorite eye
shadow palette with your best spring colors that make you feel marvelous, or
that special lip color that you couldn’t wait to wear this spring because you
had so much fun with it last spring. Unfortunately, based on the time you
purchased it, you may need to toss it and start anew. One way to keep up with
your makeup is to use a marker (in a legible color) and write the date of
purchase and the first date of use. It may seem like a lot, but you may not use
that liquid eyeliner immediately after you purchase it. You want to make sure
your dates are accurate.
With the price of makeup these days, no one wants to toss a seemingly perfect tube of lipstick or a half empty bottle of foundation in the garbage, only to turn around and purchase another in the next six months to a year. While this may seem wasteful, you may save money in the long run when you compare it to a copay for a doctors visit followed by a prescription fill, due to a skin irritation based on expired makeup.
www.idesignbeauty.com
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