Wearing makeup again? Be sure to check the expiration date

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Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Wearing makeup again? Be sure to check the expiration date
Did you know that your makeup expires and that expired makeup could carry dangerous bacteria.

After more than a year of working from home, putting on your work clothes and makeup might be a foreign concept.

While your clothes may fit differently, your makeup might actually be expired.

"Expirations dates are really important to keep in mind when it comes to makeup," Dermatologist Dr. Susan Massick said.

Massick works at Ohio State College of Medicine. She said in addition to having an expiration date, a lot of makeup has a "period after opening" date too.

"Often times it'll be a logo with an open jar with a number after it which means, for example, 6M would be six months after opening would be an appropriate expiration."

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If you're struggling to find your makeup's expiration date, Massick said in general eye makeup (like mascara or liner) should be replaced after three months. She said liquid blushes, concealers, foundations and pencil application (like lip, brow, eyelid liners) are usually good for about a year. Lipsticks and lip glosses are usually good for 1-2 years.

Expired makeup can harbor potentially harmful germs.

"The downsides to those kinds of contaminations which are generally things like skin infections, skin irritation, certainly eye infections, conjunctivitis, sties, those things can all arise from contaminated or expired makeup," Massick said.

If you're makeup is drying out, do not add water to it! Massick said that can introduce more bacteria which then ends up on your face.

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