5 Signs that You Should Toss Out Your Makeup

5 Signs that You Should Toss Out Your Makeup

So the other day I sorted and organized all my makeup, transferring some of the items, like my lipsticks, to new containers, wiping bottles/tubes clean, and inspecting each one for signs that the makeup’s gone bad or rancid i.e. which ones I should toss out.

While it’s useful to check for expiration dates (view shelf life for different types of cosmetics here) and keep in mind when an item was purchased or first used, I think that when a product shows signs that it’s already rancid, even if it isn’t past its expiration date or old yet, it should be tossed out. Pretty or expensive as it might have been, it needs to go into the trash bin. Or at least into a box hidden away so no one, including you, would be able to use it and risk skin irritation or infection. Below are 5 signs that you should toss out your makeup.

1. It smells bad, or different

An off, sour, or plain old bad scent is an instant giveaway that makeup’s gone bad. I wouldn’t dare put makeup that’s gotten stinky anywhere near my face. No way! Or if you recall a certain lipstick or blush of being unscented or having had a different scent when it was newer, you might wanna look at it twice before using it.

2. The color’s off

Some cosmetics change color slightly or oxidize on the pan or container when they get old. This is an obvious warning sign that it may have gone off already. The color of cosmetics can vary on the skin of each person, but in its packaging it’s supposed the same all throughout!

3. The texture looks cakey or changed

This is another telltale sign of makeup that’s gone bad. Liquid foundation that’s gone cakey or thicker than you remember it to usually be, smooth lip gloss that looks clumpy, dried out mascara, and one of the grossest I’ve seen on makeup documented on a beauty blog—fungus growth on lipstick. Eew. I’ve also had pressed mineral powder blushes that originally had a silky, soft texture but after less than half a year became totally hard and lost pigmentation.

4. The ingredients have separated

This is a pretty common occurrence with lipglosses and liquid concealers. If this happens to a product and it’s still fairly new, try shaking it to see if the oil and pigment mix back together easily and if it stays that way. With some products this can just happen though even if they’re not rancid yet, due to their position when being stored or due to the ingredients themselves, so inspect the product carefully for other signs—scent, color, texture—that it really may have gone bad already.

5. It suddenly makes you itchy

If the product causes a sudden irritation or adverse reaction when all along it’s gotten along well with your skin, double check its expiration date and try to recall when you bought it or first used it. There’s a possibility that it may have gone off so see if it shows any other of the signs mentioned above. But also make sure that you’re not just experiencing allergies before you chuck it into the trash bin.

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3

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