Lifestyle
OK or past its sell-by date? How to sort through your beauty products.
For some of us, beauty products are like clothes: we don’t necessarily wear everything we buy. But since our little pots and big bottles have a use-by-date (more like food than clothes), we can’t just ignore their shelf-life. Here’s how to understand what to keep and for how long.
The golden rule
Look out for a change in texture or smell or simple signs that something isn’t right. If you see or smell that something is a bit off it’s better just to throw the product away.
The 2 symbols you need to know
The symbol depicting an open pot of cream
In the center or next to this symbol, you will always find a number. Usually it is a 6, a 12 or a 24. This is the maximum storage period (in months), after opening. However, don't panic if you realize that you have used your product beyond this period: it is mainly because after this period, the brand is no longer committed to the effectiveness and appearance of the product.
The egg timer symbol
This one is comparable to the food that we buy with a strict use-by-date. It shows the absolute expiry date of your product.
And if the symbols are no longer visible?
It’s not the end of the world since for most cosmetic products the dates are comparable. The list below should give you an idea:
- Waterless products (shadows, powders, pencils, lip balms...): between 3-4 years without problem if stored in the dark and in a temperate area.
- Nail polish Nail polish : 2 to 3 years (but you can keep them in the door of your refrigerator to increase their duration and avoid the famous threads and clumps).
- Moisturizing creams, serums, cleansers 6 to 12 months on average. Products in jars allow for less variation than products in bottles or airless tubes.
- Mascara, eyeliner, eye contour 5 to 6 months maximum. Yes, we are not kidding with this area that can react quickly!
- Sunscreens Sunscreen should be used for about 6 months. The impact of UV rays on the skin should not be overlooked, so it is better not to reuse your cream for two consecutive years, as the protection factor decreases over time. This can also be explained by the way it is stored: at the beach, it is difficult not to leave your tube lying around in the sun or even in a bag, in the heat. ....
- Ask us! If the products come from us, we will have the answer online, or in store.
What to do with beauty products that you no longer want?
If they have been open for a while the only solution is the (recycling) bin sadly. Our top tip? A face cream that you have decided to part with will make an ideal body or hand cream.
Finally, if they have not been used (besides a donation to little sister or on a community online market), you can donate them to many associations. At Oh My Cream for example, we receive a lot of products for referencing, but we only have one skin... So we systematically donate the intact products to Un Petit Bagage d'Amouran association that helps mothers who are refugees or in precarious situations by donating clothes, products etc. Why not think of them during your next sorting?
Photo credits: © Lightology, © Modern
