The Dangers of Out-of-Date Cosmetics

A Word About Product Shelf Life Vs. Home Use Life Span

Beauty is timeless. Unfortunately, beauty products are not.

To ensure that your cosmetics are safe to use, bear in mind two important phases of the product's life:

Shelf Life Shelf Life is the length of time a product can remain in a warehouse or in a retailer's display case without spoiling or losing its effectiveness. Often a bar code on the packaging indicates the Shelf Life, which the wholesaler or retailer must be trusted to read and heed. Once the Shelf Life date has passed, preservatives in the product break down and bacteria can breed, even in an unopened container.
Once, Stacya, one of the creators of Beauty Alert!® stickers, won a bag of beauty products from a skin care line at a raffle. Eager to try out her prizes, she used the eye cream that night, only to wake up the next morning with a nasty rash under her eyes! Through her puffy lids, she closely inspected the product and found evidence of spoilage and bacteria growth in the cream. Yuck! As the product was unopened when she received it, the product was clearly past its Shelf Life.
Home Use Life Span As long as a beauty product is not past its shelf life, the second phase of its life begins after the product's seal is broken. Once cosmetics are exposed to air, the spoilage process begins to compromise the product's effectiveness and weakens its defense against bacteria growth. The amount of time make-up or skin care products should last after they are opened is the product's Home Use Life Span. Once its time is up, it's time to throw it out!
The Home Use Life Span for mascara is different (and much shorter!) than the Home Use Life Span for nail polish, but because the FDA does not require expiration dates on cosmetics, it is up to you to know when your product was first opened and the duration of its Life Span.

But who can remember these things?

Beauty Alert!® stickers eliminate the need to remember, because the Home Use Life Span is printed right on the label. You only need to write in the date you broke the seal on the product and apply it directly onto the cosmetics container.

An actor in Seattle recently became a Beauty Alert!® convert. He had to visit a dermatologist and take antibiotics for an alarming infection he contracted from using spoiled make-up in the dressing room. Don't wait to get a disgusting rash or a painful stye before you replenish a product that is past its prime! Stay beautiful AND healthy by alerting yourself to expired make-up!

Additional resources:

Join Beauty Alert!® On:

Hey, check out our blog.