Beauty comes with an expiry date

We all know that beauty doesn’t last forever – and if we’re truly philosophical about it, nothing lasts forever – but we sometimes forget that beauty products, on which we rely to keep us in the limelight, come with expiry dates. We’re all guilty of holding on to our lipsticks and eyeliners for way longer than we should, so here’s a quick guide on what you should keep and what you shouldn’t.
We scrub dead skin cells and bacteria off ourselves with a loofah, and yet we don’t think of changing it for a new one until it begins to go brown and tear at the edges. Here’s a tip: don’t wait for it to show its wear. Wash it thoroughly after your bath every day, and dump it for a new one once every two months.
We do the same with toothbrushes too. Until the bristles bend away and hurt our gums, we plough on, using the same brush for months sometimes. The absolute maximum your toothbrush should last is three months, and that is assuming that you’re a gentle soul who doesn’t let his moods transfer into his brush and onto his teeth.
What about eyeliners and mascara? Look out for signs of them going clumpy and dry when you apply it. You wouldn’t want out of date products going anywhere near your eyes. Perfumes, too, can lose their zing if they are used for too long. If you’ve not finished your perfume bottle in a year after buying it, throw it out: one, it is no good any more, and two, you probably don’t need it in the first place.
On the other hand, products like make-up brushes, moisturisers and powdered foundation can easily last for two years or more, so buy these with a long term view. Nail polish may become runny and sticky after a year, but storing in the fridge could prolong their life span. But again you must ask yourself a more fundamental question: if you haven’t used your nail polish in two years, is it likely that you will in the future?
So be aware that all your beauty products come with an expiry date, and when they reach theirs, be ruthless about recycling them.