Friday, May 15, 2009

Makeup shelflife

The news article linked in the title of this post has a few tips about how long you can keep an open cosmetics item before you should toss it. So, once you open an item:
  • Liquid foundation: 3-6 months. (If bottle has wide mouth, toss sooner)
  • Cream foundation: 4-6 months. "You'll know it's time to purchase a new bottle when the ingredients begin to settle or separate, the texture thickens or thins, or the smell changes."
  • Concealer: 6-8 months.
  • Powders, pressed powder, eye shadow, blush: 12 months.
  • Mascara: 3 months. "Never keep it longer than that (air pushes bacteria back into the tube). Never "pump" your mascara."
  • Lip gloss and lipstick: 12 months.
  • Eye pencils, brow pencils and lip pencils: 12 months or more, "but you should sharpen pencils at least once a week to prevent bacteria from being transferred to your eye area. If the material dries or crumbles, replace it."
  • Facial cleansers and moisturizers: 6 months
  • Facial toners: 12 months.
  • Natural cosmetics, 6 months ("all-natural body washes," etc.). "Among other cosmetics that are likely to have an unusually short shelf life are "all-natural" products that contain plant-derived ingredients (which are conducive to bacterial growth) or products with no preservatives."

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