It’s more serious than I thought.
And, like many, Ive been dusting off all of my old stuff wondering what is still usable.
Some things, like high heels, need some retraining.
And others, like my cute leggings that have lost elasticity, need replacing.
I cast makeup aside in March 2020 and forgoing that daily habit has had numerous upsides.
Most notably, I finally began taking care of my skin and I got comfortable with my bare face.
Whenever the world opens up, I have no plans to wear makeup on a daily basis again.
Every makeup item I own sat for over a year untouched.
And while all makeup comes with an expiration date, I fully admit I’ve never adhered to it.
Stocksy+Unsplash/Design by Tiana Crispino
The answers may surprise you as much as they did for me.
It Depends On Storage
How you store your makeup has a big impact on its longevity.
I keep my makeup bag in a dark drawer.
I delved deeper into how where we store makeup impacts it.
Presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Citrobacter freundii was detected.
Enterobacteriaceae and fungi were detected in all product types, and were prevalent in makeup sponges.
This study alone gives you many reasons to keep your makeup out of sight.
Its also important to note that preserving ones products falls more on the consumer than the manufacturer.
Surprisingly, there are no laws requiring stability testing for cosmetics.
1223/2009 for the stability testing of cosmetics."
That makes your own sound methods for storage even more integral to your products lasting.
As we open and use cosmetic products, we introduce microorganisms and oxygen to the product.
The Big Risk: Bacterial Infection
Over time the risk of bacteria on your makeup products proliferates.
Sometimes products can dry out and become flaky or cracked, making them unusable.
Do We Really Need To Replace It All?
Im someone who is fastidious about food storage and age.
When I work as a private chef, the health and safety of my clients is in my hands.
I wont use ingredients that have been open for long, even if they arent near their expiry dates.
The risk of making someone sick isnt worth it.
How, then, did I become so laissez-faire about makeup?
I simply didnt know of any major risks involved and I never anticipated old makeup functioning less well.
Will the discoveries of my research lead me to replace all my cosmetics and should you do the same?
The answer here is pretty obvious.
If you might afford to replace your makeup from before the pandemic you definitely should.
I know my trash will be filled soon, and I encourage yours to be, too.
