Cosmetic Shelf-Life

How to Keep Your Products Fresh 

I don’t know about you but I love my products and getting new ones. Replenishing products is more fun when they run out as opposed to having to toss them because they went unused. We know when it comes to your groceries, checking expiration dates is a no-brainer. If you don’t check you can end up sick which is a huge pain. Well, it should be that way for your cosmetics too! Not checking the expiration dates of your skin care and makeup products can lead to health issues originating on your skin. So, read on for our guide to keeping check of your products cosmetic shelf lives. 

In this post you’ll see 

Cosmetic Expiration Dates 

Tossing the Old Stuff 

Extending Cosmetic Shelf Life 

Cosmetic Expiration Dates  

Unlike old clothes, old gadgets, or old jewelry, old cosmetics can lead to health issues that can break down the integrity of the skin, which is the largest organ of your body. It is important to regularly examine your cosmetics and beauty tools on a regular basis. We recommend that you regularly set aside time to evaluate the integrity of the contents in your cosmetic bag of tricks. 

Hot Tip: Repurpose those makeup wipes and use them for cleaning off your make-up containers! 

Tossing the Old Stuff 

I’m sure when we do check those expiration dates, we find ourselves asking “How bad is it to use old stuff?” Have you ever experienced the shock of opening concealer and smelling crayons? Air and water exposure are the culprits responsible for product spoilage. Minerals and oils can’t grow bacteria, but water does and the air carries it! Your toothbrush, mascara, face & body cloths/loofahs can all cause common disorders such as conjunctivitis and angular cheilitis, stomatitis, perleche, the list goes on and on! And we know it isn’t fun to think about, but it is true that we ingest most of our lip products. Eye and lip products are the quickest substances to gain entrance into the body. And it’s even worse when your fingers dip into the container, get in direct contact with the mucus membrane, and then go back into the container.  Ever notice skin irritation and wonder where it came from? Well, occasionally old grimy makeup and soiled cosmetic packages lead to skin irritation, leaving us clueless about the true culprit.

 From lipstick to mascara, find out exactly when you should be replacing your favorite cosmetic items. If you have sensitive, oily, or acne-prone skin use the lower end of the spectrum. 

Typical shelf life of make-up:
Gel, Cream, and Liquid Eye Liner: 3-9 months

Mascara: 2-3 months  

Concealer: Up to 12 months

Foundation: 12 months for water-based or oil-based

Lip Liner: up to 1-2 years

Eye Shadow: up to 1-2 years 

Powder and Powder Foundations: 1-2 years 

Pencil Eye Liner: up to 2 years

Lipstick: 1-2 years {shorter in hot climates}. 

Typical shelf life of skin care:
Moisturizers, Scrubs, Masks: 3-9 months 

Extending the Life of Your Cosmetics 

When trying to extend the life of your cosmetics, not only is it important to keep them fresh, but it is also important to keep them clean. There could be changes in the appearance of your products when they have gone bad, such as a difference in color, appearing cloudy, cracked, or crumbly. Product separation (usually seen in liquids where a layer of oil starts to form on the surface, giving the look of 2 different layers of products) can occur when you’ve not been using your cosmetic for a while. Most of the time a good shake will mix it all up, however, products tend to take a while to separate, which could imply that you’ve probably left it out for far too long. These are our top tips to extending your cosmetics shelf lives: 

-When you first open your products make sure to give them a sniff. This way, as you continue to check them you can tell if the smell starts to turn sour. 

-Store your cosmetics wisely. The optimal storage option is away from copious amounts of heat and light. 

-Only handle your cosmetics with clean hands. Starting clean and staying clean when handling cosmetics helps to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria. 

-Our Bioelements products are packaged with a convenient spatula to keep the formula effective, safe + free from contamination. This is helpful in keeping our fingers out of the containers. 

-Wipe off containers and clean makeup brushes often. 

-Write the  date  on the bottom of your product when opening it for the first time. 

So, don’t forget to regularly check the color, scent, and texture of our products. And always remember: When in doubt toss it out! 

I am encouraging you to pull out your beautiful cosmetics and use them. Let us get back into the swing of looking and feeling good. Here are few ways we can help: Keeping impeccable records we can let you know when you have purchased products from us when your not sure how long you may have had them. Time can go by way faster than we realize…We also send out reminders and will check in with you from time to time to keep you on track with product usage and replenishment. 

Reminders on cleaning your make-up brushes …Use warm water to saturate the brush hairs only. Be sure not to soak your brush as this will ruin it. 

1. Place a small amount of baby shampoo, into a basin and swish the cleanser into the brush hairs.  
2. Rinse the brush thoroughly until the water runs clear. 
3. Repeat as necessary. 
4. Squeeze the excess water, pressing it out with fingers to remove excess water and maintain the flat shape of the hairs. 
5. Lay flat to dry on a towel. Never place the brush in an upright position as this will ruin the brush barrel and degrade the brush’s integrity.

Hot Tip: For instant freshening for in-between the deep cleaning above request a  Jane Iredale Botanical Brush Cleaner available to protect and sanitize your brushes. You can use it to instantly remove makeup from your brushes. Spritz and quick wipe on a  tissue will remove all the makeup, oil, and debris from your makeup brushes.  

Love you lots,

Violet