What's lurking in your makeup bag or drawer? Is your mascara clumpy? Your foundation lumpy? Can’t remember what year you bought your half-used lip gloss? Like food, makeup has an expiration date. 

Using expired makeup products can do serious harm to your skin and health. Unfortunately, beauty products tend to lose their initial ( leave-your-skin-flawless-and-smooth) quality as time passes. Every girl, as we know, has a pile of makeup in her drawer or a makeup bag that she "sometimes" uses. 

“Yeah I have worn expired mascara, I forgot that I have to change it every three months, but what girl doesn’t forget?” said junior Jazmin Lopez. 

Bacteria growing on mascara, brush can cause redness and itchiness, or even conjunctivitis or “pink-eye”. Also when mascara is out of date, it will sometimes have a distinct gasoline-like smell. Expired foundation and powder makeup might irritate the skin and cause little red bumps that look like acne to appear. If a smell or a change in color occurs, it is possible the formula has expired, so throw it away.

Concealers in powder form last for up to two years. On the other hand, liquid concealers should be tossed after one year because when concealer get old, they may cause breakouts, not cover them.

 Powders can last up to two years; once it is bad it will not apply well. The

same applies for powder blushes. Cream blushes, on the other hand, should be replaced after a year; once they have gone bad, their texture will become too hard. According to The Green  Beauty Guide, eye shadows can transfer bacteria to the product and then back to the face’s most sensitive area the eyes. Pencils last longer than liquid due to regular sharpening, while liquid eyeliners tend to dry out.

The Green Beauty Guide also noted that lip sticks and lip gloss last longer because they contain no water. When it has gone bad, it will start to smell like stale cooking oil. Also, 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. While out-of-date lipstick gets hard and lose its pigmentation, out-of-date lip gloss will feel streaky and globby. 

According to Marie Claire here is a guide to know the length of time your cosmetics should be kept and a few tips:

Concealer -12-18 months

Cream Blush -12-18 months

Eyeliner -18 months

Foundation -1 year

Lip Gloss - 8 months

Lipstick - 18 months

Lip Liner - 1 year

Liquid Eyeliner - 6 months

Mascara - 3 months

Nail Polish - 1 year

Powder - 18 months

Powder Blush - 18 months

Tips for keeping your skin clean and your makeup fresh

Smell your cosmetics; if they have an unusual odor, they may contain bacteria and should be discarded. Makeup is similar to food when it comes to the expiration date. If it smells bad, chuck it.                                                                                                                                     

Always make sure that products are closed tight and stored out of sunlight, as this can destroy the preservatives. 

Don't use any eye products if you currently have an eye infection. 

Avoid sampling makeup at department stores when possible. If you do test, never apply directly from the makeup. Instead, use a clean, disposable applicator (i.e., cotton swab, sponge) to apply cosmetics.

Be careful of expired eye products since they can become a breeding ground for unwanted bacteria.

Never share your makeup.