It's high time you revamp your cosmetics and skincare products. Come this festival, gives your dressing table a makeover, and throws out the expired, the old and the ones you no longer use.

 

Hack, cough, and wheeze! Does this happen every time you use your makeup? Newsflash: food isn't the only thing that can expire; your beauty products can too! That's right, everything on your dressing table from that precious anti-ageing cream to your daily beloved lipstick. Dermatologists are urging you to throw out old stuff because they not only cause breakouts and blemishes but can also lead to serious skin allergies and infections.

 

Contamination and Expiration Most skincare and cosmetics products contain preservatives such as paraben and formaldehyde to lengthen their shelf life. That is why they all have expiry and use by dates because once the preservatives had run its course, your product is going to go bad. Why would you want to continue using bad products on your skin that might do more harm than good? Even if your products don't have preservatives, it doesn't mean they can last forever and are bullet-proof when it comes to contamination. Some expensive serums (especially those containing vitamin C) are very volatile to environmental exposure.

Sunlight, oxygen and other factors like germs can easily alter a product's ingredients and original effects on skin - making it less potent and effective on skin. So the next time you're not seeing results with that expensive jar of cream, don't be too quick to calion its ineffectiveness before contemplating if you might've contaminated it.

 

These days, most serums are cleverly packaged in individual little bottles that are meant for single usage each time. Simple method; open, use, discard. However a majority of serums and essences are still packaged in a single bottle or jar - the product itself has proven to be expensive enough without customers having to bear the cost of complex packaging. So, we have to be ultra careful when using our pricey serum or essence. Lucky for you, all of them are housed in squirts bottle so only the right amount is dispensed at one time. However, the active ingredients in anyone product generally lose their potency after about one year. As for jars of creams, they're even more prone to contamination.

Every time you open the cap, they're open to environmental pollution and germs when coming into contact with your fingertips. Always wash hands thoroughly before using skincare products. Uses the little spatula provided and washes it after every use if you don't want to spoil your cream before it's due.

So, isn't it high time you take a good look at what you have on your dressing table right now and spring clean away? Throw out the old and the ones you've not touched for ages that the liquid has started to cake. If you can't remember what year you bought that cream, do yourself ~ favour and throw it out. While you're at it, do your bit in eliminating global warming by recycling the containers.

 

Colour Me Beautiful Make-up products and their packaging can be so lovely you'll want to hold on to them forever. However, they too have to go at some point in time. Your cosmetics have expiration and sell-by dates on their "life contracts". Makeup is like food, you can smell when something's gone bad. It's always tricky when deciding what makeup products to throw and when to bin them.

But sentimentality aside, the loot of beauty products can be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs so get rid of them once they've passed the expiry date. It might be painful to throw out expensive products (especially when there's a lot left) but not doing so may prove to hurt more! You should be extra careful with eye products such as mascaras.

You don't want to risk going blind or even having a sty do you? Old and expired mascaras and eye shadows have icky bacteria that can do serious damage to your eyes.

The bacteria can get in there and the preservatives might not be working quite as well as they were when you first opened it. If you get some of that in your eye you may develop conjunctivitis which we know as ‘pink-eye’.

Dirt and grime may cause itchiness that leads to scratching and if you happen to scratch your eye, it's a whole new infection. These infections can lead to ulcers on the cornea (clear covering of the eye), loss of lashes, or even blindness.

The general rule is wet products such as mascara; liquid foundations and concealers last the least amount of time and should be tossed out after eight months to a year. If your concealer is a year old and if you squeeze it out and if there is no contact with the hands, it will last longer. If it flips open and everyone sticks their fingers in it, it is apt to go bad faster.

Some women may develop perioral dermatitis from using some old, expired makeup that might irritate the skin and cause little red bumps that look like acne.

Sharing lipsticks is another way that makeup can cause health problems. Sharing lipsticks, lip glosses or lip balms with someone who may have a strain of the herpes virus could leave you with cold sores of your own. Remember, people can harbour this particular virus on their lips without having an active cold sore so it will not always be visible, but doesn't mean it's not transferable.

 

Out With the Old, In With the New While the big picture here is to throw out the old and expired to avoid infections, it's also one of the ways to revitalise your makeup and skincare collection. Once in a while, spice things up with a new lipstick or a new shade of eye shadow. Renewing your beauty collection makes using makeup so much more exciting and fun.

Don't limit yourself; play with colours until you find your signature look. Whether it's that luscious lashes look or that rosy cheek that scream’s robust health, you should have fun with makeup.

As for skincare, sometimes it's trial and error. A girl's got to try a few products before chancing upon one that will work miracles for your skin. Besides, change is good. As you grow older, or go through different changes in your life, your hormones fluctuate.

You'll need different products to target the various problems. So, recycle, revamp and renew your beauty products because your skin will thank you for it!

 

Timeline of products  Follow these general timeline to keep your skin healthy and keep infections at bay. Throw out your mascara after three months, powder eye shadows every nine to 18 months, and cream eye shadows every six to 12 months. Sharpen your eyeliners often to keep them clean.

Foundation, cheek and lipstick colour stay well for around 6-8 months. Powder will still be safe for up to a year, but your skin can begin reacting to it after only 8 months, so it's wise to discard it at the 8 months mark.

 

Recycle Containers Many brands now offer recyclable compact powder and eye shadow containers. It’s great but don’t over recycle because old containers harbout bateria and germ that are not visible to your naked eye.

 

Clean Tools Clean brushes regularly with specialised brush cleaners. You can also use a mild shampoo to gently work through the bristles. Rinse it under cool water and pat dry or better yet, dry brushes and sponge in the sunlight. But if your brushes are old, throw them away and buy new ones. For sponges, clean them regularly (preferably every weekend) with warm water and anti-bacterial soap. Better yet, keep replacing sponges with new ones.