The big makeup bag or small skin care "closet" is full of products, some of which have expired and we are sure of that. You probably sometimes forget, but yes, cosmetic products have an expiration date that you should not ignore. If you remember the products you bought before the pandemic, it's time to look at them carefully and why not: DISPOSE them.
Medical experts told the Huffington Post what is the perfect time to throw away makeup and skin care products.
"Depending on the quality of the product, the formulation and the chemistry, they are safe for a year," said certified dermatologist Harold Lancer. "Unless it is a high quality product, the shelf life is three to six months."
Any skin care product opened in March of last year (or earlier) should be discarded. If you have thrown away the packaging or can not see the expiration date, there are ways to find out if the product is safe.
"Pay attention to an open product," advises Purvisha Patel, dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. "When it does not look or smell the same, it has expired and should be discarded."
Unopened products may be safe to use, but it depends on the type of product and the formulation.
"If you have dust that is not exposed to the air, then they should be fine," Patel advised. "If you have a lipstick or a liquid foundation, they can create cracks. "These products need to be mixed and evaluated for thickness and structure to see if they still work."
Patel notes that most cosmetic products that are unopened should be okay, with the exception of natural products.
What if you use an expired product?
"Keeping a product for a long time can cause allergic reactions and if there is contamination of the product with bacteria, there is an increased risk for infection," Patel added.
The eyes are more sensitive to these products, so with eye products (eyeshadow, brush, tone, etc.) you should be more careful.
