How Long Can You Hold On To Makeup Products? Expert Tips On When To Toss It

Question: When was the last time you gave your makeup bag a spruce? If it's been a few months or if your immediate thought is some iteration of, Uh, whenever I run out of product? it's time to take a good, long look at your arsenal—it's probably time to replace a few products. 

Check your makeup labels, and chances are you'll see a number followed by the letter "M." That icon conveys the number of months the product should last, and you should consider it the absolute "must-toss" date. 

Mascara has a notoriously short shelf life—perhaps the quickest of all makeup products. Since you're pumping the wand in and out of the tube before applying it to your eye areas (and repeat), it's easy for bacteria to sneak its way into the formula. So you'll want to snag a new tube every three to four months. It may sound like a quick turnaround, but trust that you don't want to introduce bacteria to the sensitive eye area. 

On the other end of the spectrum, you have lipsticks—these have a pretty decent shelf life, says Patinkin. "Often because they are made with preservatives that keep them from oxidizing or hardening," she notes. "A couple of years, or sometimes even more, is fine to hang on to a lipstick." 

For all your cream products (including cream or liquid blush, we should add), user behavior can shorten the shelf life quite a bit. "So much about keeping your foundations or other cream products fresh is about making sure to put the cap or lid back on tightly after each use and making sure to store it in a temperature- and light-controlled place," says Patinkin. "When it heats and cools, the ingredients can separate and change the consistency. When too much air gets to it, it can oxidize and change color." 

Powder products (like blushes, bronzers, setting powders, eye shadows, etc.) should theoretically last a long while—there's no water or oil in the formula, so there's no shot of it going rancid, right? 

Not so. "The biggest problem with powder products is the transfer of oils from your makeup brushes on to the pan, building up and leaving those shiny little speckles on the surface," notes Patinkin. Ever opened your compact only to find it riddled with chalky, hardened areas? That hardpan can make it very difficult to pick up product with your brush, not to mention a less than enjoyable makeup experience.