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Hello Gorgeous,

Cleaning of the makeup and skincare collection should be done regularly.  Below is a guide to lifespans/expiry dates of beauty products, from when you open an item.

NOTE **Should a product at any time cause an irritation, smells ‘off’ or change in consistency, toss it to be safe regardless of the guide below.  Using fingers in any product as well as method of storage may also reduce the lifespan. This list is based on my 20+ years of industry experience, my own consumer habits and refers to products for personal use. My rules are even stricter for my professional makeup kit!

Skincare (Face & Body) 6-12 months Most of these are in quantities that with daily use, would be used up before they would expire. Many brands are now including the expiry symbol on the box which gives a lifespan from the time you open the jar (# of months vary)

SPF  ANY product with an SPF in it has an actual expiry or best before date on it. After that date the efficacy of the SPF is no longer what is labeled on the package…you are no longer properly sun protected.

Natural/Organic products 3-6 months  they often lack traditional preservatives and that means bacteria can grow rapidly, many brands even use smaller containers so that quantities are used up faster.

Mascara ~ 3-4 months   This really is true, as this is one of the first cosmetics to ‘turn bad’ and a fresh mascara is cheaper than antibiotic eye prescriptions or worse, eye damage.

Eyeliners 12-18 months   If applied in the eye, shorter time. Liquid, creams and gels are mostly used with brushes so they may go longer.

Foundations and concealers (gels, mousse, cream, liquid, stick) 18-24 months  I have bought a shade of foundation/concealer for a season, (different shade for summer and winter) used it for 3-5 months then put it away and brought it out the following summer and used it for that season and it is still good.

Foundation and Pressed  and Loose Powders  12-36 months  Compacts of powders tend to be used up faster than their liquid friends, so you’re probably replacing even before 12 months. It grosses me completely that sooooo many people leave a dirty sponge sitting on top of the powder without washing it and keep using it for months…a sponge with your dead skin, face oils and makeup is a bacteria farm! WASH. IT. OFTEN. Loose powders have sifters with holes, so you don’t often touch the actual product, just what you shake out, it’ll  have a longer life than a compact version.

Lipstick and Gloss and Lip Pencil 9-24 months  Glosses seem to last less than lipsticks, and lip pencils out live lipsticks. If it tastes or smells funny…toss it

Cream Blushes and Eye shadows 12-24 months  Use clean brushes often, especially for eye products. You’ll get a better application too!

Powder Eye Shadows and Blushes  24 months  - 36 months I’ve heard client stories of owning  eyeshadows and blushes for years, like 5-10 (pretty sure that means a long term beauty rut) I don’t suggest that ever on any beauty item!!

Nail Polish 24-36months

Using clean tools will help with life span and hygiene of course, but to be honest if you are keeping makeup and skincare over  36 months, you have to consider a few things:

• you have a skincare or makeup routine that no longer fits your lifestyle,
• too many products,
• constantly not testing or buying the wrong shades/formulas,
• not using store return policies,
• not getting the most out of what you spend your money on
• And the big one…you may be truly stuck in a beauty rut and need a beautervention stat!!!

Cleaning your Tools:  All brushes and sponges must be cleaned regularly, not just for hygiene and bacteria prevention but for best application. You won’t get the makeup result you want with a dirty brush.

Brush Cleaning Sprays:  A quick way to sanitize and pull out color from your brushes (not for sponges) this is great for a quick clean up but you still need to wash them as well. Sephora brand shown above

Sponge Cleaner: my all time fave is the BeautyBlender solid (find@ beautymark.ca) great for travel too. It works on sponges and brushes while  maintaining the texture of your high end sponges (BeautyBlender) White triangle sponges can be cleaned a couple of times, but as they are often bought in bulk, they are meant to be tossed after a few uses.

Brush Shampoo: this is the deep clean for your brushes. Often a liquid to be used with water. Wet the bristles, add brush shampoo to palm of hand, wiggle brushes around, rinse well. If there is a lot of makeup in the brush (foundation brushes) then repeat washing till brush rinses clean. DO NOT use people shampoos or conditioners they have ingredients that leave a film or residue even after  rinsing, something you don’t want on your face, especially breakout prone. I often use Dawn Ultra (the original blue formula) dish liquid on my own brushes and my professional ones. (same brush brands and quality in both collections). It pulls out all the color from the dirtiest brushes and never leaves a residue. I’ve used it for years and never had a problem.

Makeup Sanitizer: The Beauty So Clean brand is just that, sanitizing products for your makeup, even the powdered ones! It’s a must have for any professional makeup artist. It does not replace good hygiene habits or cleaning your tools, but it is an additional fight against bacteria. (shown above is the pro size mist)

 Happy Cleaning Bellas

Until Next Time,

~Melody xo

The opinions expressed here are my own. Products and/or items mentioned in this post or any other post on this site are for general purposes only and are not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition, illness or disease. By trying any suggestions from this site you do so at your own accord.