'Use By Dates' On Makeup.

Sep 28, 2013

Alice D.

I read in Bobbi Brown beauty bible that all makeup has a 'use by date' once opened... like I think eyeliner is about six months'

does anyone actually pay any attention to this? or do you think it's just a way of selling more items?

does old make up start to lose its affect? like old foundation doesn't cover so well... I'd like to know people's opinions

Sep 28, 2013

Heather D.

I definitely think mascara goes a bit funny after a while.

Sep 28, 2013

Katherine L.

Old makeup usually don't work so well and most of the time there's a whole lot of germs and bacteria in it, especially in liquids products like mascara and lip gloss. So open only what you need!!

Sep 28, 2013

Yolande P.

Good question! they might mean like a certain product will break you out or dry up by that time?I pay no attention to the use by dates.and it probably is a way of selling more,who knows oo,going to do some research now!

Sep 28, 2013

Alice D.

Thinking about it I suppose liquid products do go a bit funky in their old age... I feel an experiment involving several mascara and date labels rising

Sep 28, 2013

Dorthe K.

Makeup like mascara is feed a lot of bacteria from your skin and lashes, so that's why it's wise to not use it for longer than the use by date...

Sep 28, 2013

Diana J.

I can't say that always respect this dates for example for blush, shadows, lipstick... but usualy products like mascara, liners etc.are spent before term... and yes, I observed that some products lose their effect, for ex. base under shadows, mascara etc.

Sep 28, 2013

Shelley W.

I follow the sniff test for foundation and lip products. Smell bad or separates...toss. Mascara automatically hits the can after three months. Pencils,eyeshadows, blush and eyeshadow get the alcohol spray on occasion.

Sep 28, 2013

Alice D.

You can tell with products like lipgloss they go very gluppy and sticky with time... but powder products don't change too much

Sep 28, 2013

Shelley W.

On skincare products definitely follow the "use by date" because over the course of several months a product does lose its potentcy. Especially treatment serums, acne products, moisturizers for example. Luckily I use up everything in my skincare arsenal before it goes bad.

Sep 28, 2013

Isabella K.

I do not pay any attention to this, honestly. Soecially if it's like a high end product.

Sep 28, 2013

Isabella K.

Except for mascara, cux it gets really dey and bad aftr a while.

Sep 28, 2013

Meg K.

Well would you want to put old products on your face? I wouldn't. Especially sponges, be full of bacteria

Sep 28, 2013

Grace K.

The 'Use by' dates TOTALLY should be paid attention to lol. Products collect bacteria over time and become gross and not something you want to put on your face. If it says it's expired, it's expired. You wouldn't eat expired food, why put it on your face?

Sep 28, 2013

Diana J.

Have someone ever thought that this terms could be just marketing to make customers buy more often products? of course, everything has it real availability, but maybe they just use it to make more money.

Sep 29, 2013

Yolande P.

You can even eat some food past its use by dates and it will be perfectly fine,but super markets throw it away because health and safety.I said that I never pay attention to use by dates but I never have products that go past them to be honest.I'll deffiantly throw a product out if its lumpy or stinky,but I'm so heavy handed with face washes! so they never go off.

Sep 29, 2013

Diana T.

The higher end brands definitely have use by dates its the cheaper stuff that's chalked full of nasty preservatives that don't so definitely pay attention to your makeup because it can go bad esp if use it every day also makeup does have a "shelf life" esp liquid makeup it will start to separate on you n lose its spf too so definitely be careful if you are using "old" makeup.

Sep 29, 2013

Aubrey C.

I honestly don't pay much attention to it. You can usually tell when a product has gone bad. The use-by dates are mostly a gimmick to get consumers to get all hyped up and scared so they go buy more. Obviously yes bacteria and whatnot collects with time, but if you sanitize your makeup time to time, it's not as big of a problem. I keep my makeup until it's gone. Haven't had a problem yet.

Skincare is a different story though. I do pay attention to the dates on those. If you're using something with say, salicylic acid in it, it will lose its effectiveness after the use-by date. Same with most other "active" ingredients.

Sep 29, 2013

Louise U.

Good point grace ;)