Your Guide To Replacing Makeup

Makeup has a surprisingly short shelf life, but we're all guilty of hoarding mascaras like nobody's business and gleefully hanging onto all of those freebies you get with "spend over $40" offers. Using crusty mascaras can lead to conjunctivitis, dodgy lipstick to cold sores and old pressed powder to shiny pores, but this is easily remedied by knowing exactly how often you should be replacing your makeup.

We're not going to tell you to religiously throw out your mascara every 3 months (although that is the suggestion), but to follow these general guidelines - not only for hygienic reasons, but also to make sure that it stays in tip top condition.

With that said, let's get started! Here's your SteadyHealth guide to replacing makeup.

Foundation

Generally, foundation will last around 6-8 months provided that it has a pump. If you use the pump to dispense the foundation onto a surface like the back of a hand or the inside of a compact mirror, then use your fingers or a brush to apply it, you're not transferring any bacteria into the bottle and so it'll be good until it runs out. If, however, you use your fingers to wipe it from the bottle you'll be transferring bacteria and so it'll have a longer shelf life. Keep in mind though that for most of us, our foundation color will change once or twice a year as our skin tans and pales with the seasons, so you'll probably need to bin it every six months anyway!

Powder Blush, Pressed Powder, Bronzer And Eyeshadow

Powders are the most hygienic makeup item of them all, which is good, because they make up the bulk of most of our makeup bags - well, mine, anyway! Generally, provided that you use clean makeup brushes with natural fibers and the powder doesn't turn shiny, it can last for up to four years. Once it turns shiny, it tends to mean that there is some bacteria present, but it also becomes quite difficult to use as it hardens, which means that you'll be unable to load your brush with product. 

See Also: 7 Simple Makeup Tips For The Office

Mascara, Liquid Eyeliner, Liquid Shadow

Liquid eye makeup generally should be replaced every three months, but provided that your makeup is still "wet" (as in, not dry or clumpy) and still smells fresh or fragranced, it should be okay for a little while. Try not to get it actually in your eye when you're applying it and make sure that when you apply it, you apply it to clean skin. That sounds obvious, but it helps to prevent infection and also to prevent the spread of bacteria - if you have conjunctivitis, for example, and apply makeup, it'll transfer to the brush or wand and could cause infection in the future.

Longlasting Eye Pencil

Kohl pencil is my FAVORITE piece of makeup - it makes me look more "done" in an instant, and it's really rather cheap. You can get decent eye pencils for as little as $2. Generally, they last as long as they are - once you can no longer sharpen them, you can chuck 'em. They're really easy to keep clean because you can sharpen away any worn down, potentially bacteria-ridden bits, which means that you can usually keep them even if you have an eye infection, provided that you sharpen the pencil before use (using a clean, new pencil sharpener).

Eyeshadow pencils differ a little bit to kohl pencils because they're a lot softer, which means that you sharpen them less and they are therefore more difficult to keep bacteria-free, so they should be thrown away if you get an eye infection. If not, they should be good for around a year or two.

Lip Pencil, Lipstick And Lip Gloss

Lip pencil, lipstick and lip gloss are all in regular contact with your mouth - duh! But that means that they're also in regular contact with lots of bacteria, which means that you have to throw them away quite frequently. With lip liners, you can sharpen them and so they'll last for quite a while, but lipsticks and lip glosses cannot be sharpened, so if you put them directly onto your lips, you'll need to replace them often. One way to increase their longevity is to use brushes with them - that way, your mouth never comes into direct contact with them.

Infection

If any of your makeup products comes into contact with an infection, or you develop an eye infection, bin that product immediately to avoid spreading the infection elsewhere. And if in doubt? Throw it out. As a general rule of thumb, if it smells funny, looks funny, is cakey or crusty or just plain wrong, or is the wrong color, chuck it in the bin - after all, it gives you a good excuse to go shopping for new products!

Keeping Your Brushes Clean

The easiest way to increase the life of your makeup is to use brushes to apply it - they provide an even finish and also ensure that your makeup lasts longer. Using brushes means that your makeup won't come into direct contact with your skin, which means that it should be like brand new for as long as it takes you to use it up!

You can wash them with normal shampoo and then just leave them to dry on kitchen paper. Don't rough them up too much as you'll pull the bristles out and try not to handle the bristles with your fingertips too much to avoid transferring bacteria onto them.

See Also: Fakeup Vs. Makeup: Falsies Or Mascara?

Or, you could just replace your makeup each season to reflect the catwalk looks - a great excuse to go shopping, we think!