What’s in your makeup bag?

Spring clean your routine

Spring blossoms are awesome — especially after the long winter we’ve just had. The trees are fresh with new green leaves and flowers are showing off all the colors of the rainbow.

Chances are your makeup bag is in dire need of a cleanup as it is probably overflowing with timeworn cosmetics — last year’s clumpy mascara, that dried out gel eyeliner you so desperately wanted, and don’t forget the yellow foundation weighing down your clutch as you realized it never really matched your skin tone.

Clean up or clear out!

Time to clear the desk and empty all the contents of your makeup bag to see what is really lurking in there. First things first, if you can’t remember the last time you used a product, put it in the recycling bin. This goes for the brown lipstick that used to be your favorite for years but have not worn since who knows when. How about this eyeshadow that’s crumbled into a million pieces? I bet you haven’t dared use it in a while fearful of the mess it will make upon opening. Don’t wait until it explodes all over the inside of your toiletry bag…

How many times have I heard “I’ve got sensitive skin.” In reality, expired or contaminated products applied to the face could simply cause additional irritations that after a while may be deemed or thought of as normal by the wearer. We don’t think twice about food expiration dates, so why the carelessness toward cosmetic one?

Here are some valuable time frames to respect when it comes to cosmetics:

• Mascara: 3 months
• Liquid eyeliner: 6 months
• Eye & lip pencil: 18 months (always sharpen with a sanitized sharpener)
• Liquid foundation: 18 months with a pump (9 months with a screw top)
• Powder (face, blush, bronzer): 18 months
• Lipstick: 18 months
• Concealer: 9-12 months
• Durable makeup sponge: Wash weekly and then toss after two months
• Brushes: Wash weekly and keep a long time

Even if the product has expired, you probably would not see anything wrong with it. Bacteria are not exactly visible to the naked eye. That’s what happens when you have too much makeup on hand and try to buy everything at once as if all new makeup collections were going to go extinct… Make no mistake — cosmetic giants bring out newness two to three times a month to ensure newness is ever present whenever you are.

Top tips for healthy beauty

• Eyelashes are naturally filled with bacteria, therefore the moment a mascara brush touches them, it gets contaminated. Repeat the process on a daily basis and over time you get a natural buildup of bacteria increasing the chance of eye infection or an allergic reaction with each use of the product. Hence the three month mark.
• Needless to say, avoid sharing cosmetics as cross contamination may occur, increasing chances for infection.
• Be mindful not to store or expose cosmetics to temperatures higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius). Makeup left in a car will surely deteriorate faster and unnecessarily test preservatives.
• Avoid leaving your cosmetics open without lids or caps on your vanity exposed to dust.
• And most basic of all, always wash your hands before applying your skin care and makeup.

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