Is it time to Trash your Makeup? 8 Ways to know what to toss and when!

It’s always fun adding to your stockpile of cosmetics — who doesn’t love buying a new lipstick? Less fun, however, is going through the stash and trying to figure out what’s past its prime.

But it’s important to do so on a regular basis. Old foundation can clog your pores or cause a rash, for example — and old mascara can give you a nasty eye infection. Here are some guidelines for knowing what to toss when:

• Mascara: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note that, “Because of repeated microbial exposure during use by the consumer and the risk of eye infections, some industry experts recommend replacing mascara 3 months after purchase.” Also, adds the FDA, “[i]f mascara becomes dry, discard it. Do not add water or, even worse, saliva to moisten it, because that will introduce bacteria into the product.”

• Lipstick: A good rule of thumb is up to 2 years for tube lipsticks and lip pencils. Shelf life can sometimes be extended by keeping lipsticks in the refrigerator.

• Liquid Foundation or Primer: Shelf life is generally 6-12 months after opening. If your foundation changes color or starts to separate, toss it.

• Nail Polish: Opened nail polish has a shelf life of 2-3 years, according to Fiona Hay of Orly Australia. Hay advises cleaning the neck of the bottle after each use, which will help prevent polish build-up that can affect the bottle’s seal (and, in turn, allow it to dry out and thicken).

• Powders (Face Powder, Blush, etc.)The shelf life for these is about 2 years.

• Eye Pencils: You can keep eye pencils for about 2 years. Regular sharpening both helps application and ensures a new, clean tip.

• Sunscreen: For optimum skin protection, try to use up sunscreens before the expiration date listed on the package.

• Miscellaneous: Regardless of the stated expiration date (or lack thereof), or how long you’ve had a certain product, if any cosmetic starts to look or smell funky, toss it! The FDA also points out those “all-natural” products containing few or no preservatives “are likely to have an unusually short shelf life”.

Also, if you have any kind of skin or eye infection, you should immediately discard all potentially contaminated cosmetics and get new ones.