When we moved house, I didn’t have time to *slowly and carefully* sort through all my stuff, and pack it all up in an efficient manner. I literally had to grab my bathroom drawers, tip all the contents into a box, seal and label it, and pile the boxes into the back of a truck!

So I approach this subject with much embarrassment… 8 months later, I still have many unopened boxes of shit stacked up in my shed.

The other day however, I managed to sort through all my makeup and skin care products.

There was actually a lot more stuff that I didn’t photograph, because they went straight into a rubbish bag.

I did a Google search on when to throw away your makeup and skin care products and created a summary to share. Behold!

Moisturisers : 6 months
Face creams: 1 year
Gel Cleansers: 1 year
Cream cleansers: 6 months
Serums: 6 months
Fragrance: 2 years

Foundation: 6 to 12 months
Concealer: 3 months
Loose Powder: 2 years
Pressed Powder: 18 months
Blush (powder): 2 years

Eye Liner (pencils): 3 years (if sharpened regularly)
Eye Liner (cream or liquid): 6 months
Eye shadow (powder): 2 years
Mascara: 3 months

Lipstick: 1 -2 years
Lip gloss: 18 months
Lip liner: 3 years (if sharpened regularly)

Nail polish: One year
Makeup sponges: Wash after each use, and throw away after 2 weeks
Body sponges: 6-8 weeks

All makeup and skincare products have this little symbol that tells you how long it will keep, with 3M, 6M, 12M, 18M etc. (M being months).

Needless to say, I was a little shocked, and a little grumpy. Firstly, because I tend to use my expensive products very sparingly (especially the stupidly expensive stuff!!). And secondly, the expiry dates all make sense and I always *knew* that you shouldn’t keep your products for too long.

I also discovered some interesting points…
- Products that have fatty acids go off quicker, dry products can last several years.
- Wet products (like lip gloss, mascara, liquid foundations) can harbour a LOT of bacteria!
- You shouldn’t mix water with your products (like shampoo) because it messes with the balance of preservatives
- 3-in-1 products for (lips, face and eyes) are a great way to spread bacteria all over your face. Clean the tips before using on different areas.
- Wash cloths and sponges can harbour bacteria and mould, you can microwave them for 3 minutes to disinfect it.