Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics

Did you know expired cosmetics can create a dangerous chemical mix?

Have you ever wondered how long can you keep your cosmetics for? What about if you are using your favourite lipstick (we all have one) and it’s actually past its expiry date? I’ve always wondered how long can I use my face creme and makeup products before they start to have a reverse effect creating breakouts on my skin or worse.

Chemicals inside expired cosmetics can be extremely harmful. Women can use about 20 beauty products a day, combination of various substances contained by these, some of them damaged, can be harmful to health. According to Genius Beauty if you use makeup products every day, your body can absorb through the skin over two kilograms of chemicals per year!

How to check the expiry date of your cosmetics with an App

When was the last time you checked the expiry date of your cosmetics? Don’t worry there is an app for that! You can check the validity of your cosmetic via the batch code.

– Enter the brand of the product and its batch code and you will find out its production date, shelf life and the expiration date.

What is the batch code?

The batch code identifies the manufacture date of the product. Usually it is printed on both the primary container and outer packaging. The batch code consists from numbers and letters. If the product is not marked, than the product must have the expiration date written. This app has over 305 reviews, it’s a must-have.

If you use makeup products every day, your body can absorb through the skin over two kilograms of chemicals per year!

Batch code can be located:

– printed on the bottom of the product

– printed on the package

– ink-stamped on the product

More than 50 brands are presented in the app such as Benefit, Biotherm, Body Shop, Bourjois, Chanel, Clinique, Dior, Garnier, Guerlain, Kiehl’s, Lancome, L’Oreal, MAC, Neutrogena, Pupa, Shiseido and others.

What are the suggested cosmetic expiry dates from the big brands?

Mascara: 3 – 6 months
Blusher: 12 – 18 months
Lipstick: 18 months
Foundation: 6 months
Eye shadow: 12 months
Liquid Eyeliner: 3 – 6 months
Shampoo: 24 months
Shower Gel: 24 months
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Powder eyeshadow: 2 years
Cream eyeshadow: 12-18 months
Nail colour: 1 year
Fragrance: 2-5 years

Only one in four women frequently check the ingredients of the cosmetics she buys, and over half of them do not consider it necessary to read the list of ingredients if a product is natural. I know it can be hard for you to let go of your favourite product, like the perfect eyeshadow palette or lipstick, but try to think that after a few months this product that was your best friend can become your skin’s enemy.

Advice: Don’t buy so many makeup and beauty products if you don’t use makeup everyday because you will not have the time to finish them before they become harmful for your skin. So every couple of months try to look over your beauty products and check them, if they smell strange then it’s time to say goodbye.