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When makeup expires, it won’t necessarily look bad or disintegrate on your skin, but it can gather bacteria, fungus, and mould, causing infections.
Mclean Dermatology and Skincare Center owner and Derm to Door CEO, Dr Lily, joined Good Day DC to explain how to know when it's actually time to throw out some of that old makeup in your bathroom.
READ MORE: Here's how often you should replace makeup brushes and beauty sponges
So how do you know when some of your makeup products have expired?
Every single makeup product has a number followed by the letter ‘M’ on it. This indicates the ‘period after opening’ date, which means you should discard the product that many months after opening it.
For example, a product with 18M on it should be thrown away after 18 months. Most makeup is good to use between six and 12 months after opening. But products to look out for in particular are wet items (or anything that goes around the eye area) such as liquid liners and mascaras.
Also look out for products that contain active ingredients. These are usually sunscreen and acne medications, and they tend to expire over short periods of time.
When it comes natural products, parabens/preservatives are used to keep them on the shelf longer. What this means is that these natural products expire in a much shorter time, particularly those containing essential oils and/or fragrant oils.
READ MORE: 'Stop using soap in the shower' - and more tips dermatologists want you to know
In the case that the label has worn off (or there is none), can you tell by naked eye observation that a product has expired?
If you use makeup frequently, you should know by now that colour doesn’t fade away that easily, particularly with items like eyeshadow and blush and other dry products. However, any liquid-based products – foundation, concealer, liquid liners – get clumpy, harder or separate in the bottle.
If you see that happening, just throw it out.
It’s better to throw something out in a short period of time than put something on your face that might cause irritation, a breakout, fungal acne or yeast growth on your skin.
Source: Fox
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