The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we shop of beauty products. With brick and mortar retailers forced to closed for several months, and testers and makeovers remaining off-limits, many of us may be stretching out old beauty products – particularly if lockdown budgets are tight.

As experts in beauty PR, we decided to delve deeper into health and hygiene issues associated with expired and grubby beauty products. Read on to find out more…

Expired beauty products

To get some expert advice into the subject, we questioned Dr. Sreedhar Krishna, Consultant Dermatologist from skindoc, about the lifespan of popular beauty products and how to know when they’ve expired.

Firstly, how do we know the ‘expiry dates’ of our beauty products? Well, while some products will have specific best before dates printed on them, the majority of beauty items will include a PAO (period after opening) symbol depicting an open cosmetics pot, which is used alongside a written number of months (M) or years (Y).

Dr Krishna explains that “the expiry dates listed [on beauty products] are there for a reason. If used beyond their shelf life, the ingredients degrade over time. This can simply mean that the product may not work in way that you at expect. However, the broken-down ingredients may actually be harmful and trigger breakouts and skin irritation”.

Dr Krishna continued that “unopened products will last longer than those which have been used. Over time and with use, toiletries and beauty products can become contaminated with organisms – if left long enough, these can multiply and lead to skin infections”.

Here’s the key products that make up your make-up bag and how long you’ve got before they need to be binned…

Face wipes

Expiration –

  • Typically 2 months

Potential issues –

  • The preservatives in face wipes can degrade over time leading to skin irritation

Mascara

  • Expiration –

Typically 3 months or earlier if it begins to flake during wear

Potential issues –

  • Eye infections and pink eye

Concealer

Expiration –

  • Varies, but usually 1 year for concealer

Potential issues –

  • Sponge-style or cream-based products are dangerous since they are easily contaminated with bacteria and yeast

Moisturiser

Expiration –

  • Depending on the active ingredients, anywhere between 6 months and 2 years

Potential issues –

  • Creams in jars are particularly dangerous as putting our fingers in introduces bugs into the cream. Pumps are safer!

Lipstick

Expiration –

  • 1-2 years

Potential issues –

  • Lips colonise bugs (e.g. yeast, bacteria) and these can live without being killed by saliva on the surface of lipstick. Any infection on the lips, such as a cold sore, can contaminate the lipstick

Nail varnish

Expiration –

  • Between 1-2 years

Potential issues –

  • If applied to a toenail with a fungal infection, this can spread infection to other nails

Pencils (e.g. eyeliner, lipliner)

Expiration –

  • 2 years (6 months for liquid versions)

Potential issues –

  • Risk of infection

Shampoo and conditioner

Expiration –

  • 1-3 years depending on the active ingredients

Potential issues –

  • Open shampoo bottles can become colonised with mildew from shower water

Powders

Expiration –

  • Around 2-3 years

Potential issues –

  • Skin irritation

Sun cream

Expiration –

  • 3 years

Potential issues –

  • These lose their effectiveness over time and so you may unexpectedly suffer a sunburn. Even rare episodes of sunburn can increase the risk of developing a skin cancer

Perfume

Expiration –

  • Usually around 3-5 years – the alcohol component has antiseptic properties and means that they have a longer lifespan

Potential issues –

  • Applying expired perfume could result in an unpleasant smell, skin irritations or even allergic reactions in some extreme cases

Dr Krishna continued to discuss that the “build-up of dirt, germs and bacteria can cause a range of issues from mild skin irritations and breakouts to more severe illnesses like conjunctivitis, cold sores, atopic skin conditions and fungal infections. All sorts of bugs can live on or in beauty products – these include not only bacteria and viruses but also yeast. There are many different types of bacteria with some only able to last for a few hours and others for up to three months. Herpes simplex virus which causes cold sores can last up to seven days. Yeast, however, can thrive in these products and last for up to five months without a problem”.

Expert cleaning advice

So, in light of the above, should we be cleaning our beauty items to keep them hygienic and germ-free? We questioned Karen MacDonald, founder of Blomma Beauty, Henry Paterson, Senior Operations Executive at Housekeep, and Lynsey Crombie, Queen of Clean, about which beauty products we should be cleaning, how often we should be doing so, and the process we should be using to sanitise them:

Lipstick

How often? –

  • Weekly

How? –

  • Gently scrape off the top layer of the product, or leave it overnight in your freezer to kill bacteria

Mascara

How often? –

  • Never

How? –

  • Its is not recommended to clean mascara because (depending what you use to clean the wand with) it can irritate your eyes, or if not dried properly can grow fungus or harbour bacteria. Try to put the wand straight back into the product after every application to save it from picking up germs, and not pumping the wand multiple times during application can help avoid oxidisation and bacteria growth too.

Powder (pressed and loose)

How often? –

  • After each use if shared by multiple people, or weekly

How? –

  • A quick spritz with rubbing alcohol keep powders germ free

Pencils (eyeliner, lipliner, etc.)

How often? –

  • Weekly

How? –

  • Sharpen before use to minimise the contact area with your skin, reducing the risk of infection. Keep the lids on and then wipe over with a facial wipe

Sponges, or products with sponge applicators

Why? –

  • When using a sponge or sponge applicator, some dirt and oils will be transferred to the sponge from your face. If left unwashed, you could then reapply these to your face during your next use. This could damage your skin and lead to breakouts. Regularly cleaning these items also prolongs their lifespan

How often? –

  • Weekly, replacing every 3 months

How? –

  • First rinse completely with water; you should then rub with a bar of soap or apply a liquid soap and work this in. Although you can use any soap effectively, you should ideally use a specialist product designed for beauty sponges, which you can buy in solid or liquid form. Once you’ve worked the product around your sponge, you’ll start to see the colour change as the makeup leaves the sponge. You can then rinse fully and allow to air dry

Make up brushes

Why? –

  • Make up brushes can hold a lot of dead skin, dirt and oils which can harbour bacteria and mould

How often? –

  • Weekly, or after every use if you suffer with any skin conditions

How? –

  • Spray with rubbing alcohol or dip them into a container filled with rubbing alcohol. Once saturated, rub the brush against some paper towel to remove the makeup, and then allow to dry
  • Depending how hard wearing your applicators are, you can also pop them in to a drawstring bag, or even an old pillowcase that’s secured with a hair bobble or elastic band and wash on a delicate cycle with eco, delicate or wool wash

Fake tan mitt

How often? –

  • Weekly, or after every use if you suffer with any skin conditions

How? –

  • Wash in warm water with a drop of shampoo. Do not use harsh detergents and this can ruin the fibres and mis shape it. Lay flat to dry

Hard makeup packaging

How often? –

  • If taken out of the house, wipe down once you arrive back home. Otherwise, weekly

How? –

  • With an alcohol cleansing wipe. Alternatively, you can use a small quantity of 60-90% isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol applied directly to a microfibre cloth. Rubbing alcohol is fast drying and won’t leave any excess moisture which could damage your beauty products

Karen MacDonald explains that “anything that’s soft or porous like sponges and brushes can harbour bacteria as well as anything that’s applied to eyes and lips are the most obvious things to be mindful of. But it’s also important to avoid sharing make up when possible, always wash your hands before any application, and ideally avoid reapplying lipsticks and make up on top of products you applied earlier in the day as you’re just applying on top of dirt and grime which will lead to an uneven application and recontamination”.

Henry Paterson added that “studies have even shown that bacteria (including E. coli) could be transferred via makeup sponges, and it’s not impossible that viruses (including the COVID-19 coronavirus) could also survive on these surfaces”. Lynsey Crombie mentioned that “make up should be stored in a cool dark place, direct sunlight can turn the colour and warm conditions will encourage bacteria”.

Karen continued that “there’s also no point in putting all that effort into weekly and monthly cleaning to put your products away in a grubby make up bag. Buy one that can be wiped clean or put in the washing machine and give your whole make up bag a regular cleaning overhaul, so it stays fresh and bacteria free”.

We hope the advice in the article helps to answer any questions you may have about expired beauty products, and cleaning…

Disclaimer: The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. As the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, it’s possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. Fox Collective are not liable or responsible for the accuracy of the advice provided by third party experts, nor for the content or operation of any third-party websites, webpages, or resources which have been linked to within this article.