Just like wondering how much sugar is in a bowl of granola or how much screen time you spend each day, asking how often you should change your mascara is a similar question. Both of us are sort of unsure of what we want to know.
In addition to preventing bacterial growth, changing your mascara every three months can also help with dryness, allergic reactions, redness, and irritation.
The majority of cosmetics have expiration dates and are perishable, just like food. While many of us may be reluctant to throw away our favorite lipstick colors, eyeshadow palettes, or mascara tubes that are only partially filled, the reality is that the majority of cosmetics require replacement on a regular basis.
How Often to Replace Your Mascara
Most mascaras will need to be replaced every 3 months. In actuality, mascara has a shorter shelf life than other cosmetics. If you frequently wear mascara, you might discover that you use up the majority of the tube in this time anyway. The natural ingredients found in many mascaras are likely to lose their effectiveness more quickly.
Mascaras are more likely to become contaminated with bacteria because they contain water. Applying mascara to your eyelashes involves taking the wand out of the tube, bringing it close to your skin, and then re-dipping it to add additional layers.
Additionally, we naturally accumulate bacteria around our eyes, which is likely to spread to the wand and then the tube. The likelihood of bacteria building up on mascara increases with usage.
An old tube of mascara serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and potential eye infections. Because maintaining the health of our eyes is so important, you must make sure to change your mascara within this window of time to prevent any unpleasant and potentially painful eye infections.
Additionally, outdated mascaras will perform significantly worse. You’ll probably find that you need to insert the wand into the tube and remove it more frequently to collect some mascara if your mascara has passed its expiration date.
Along with this, you might discover that your old mascara smudges more frequently than usual, which means you can’t go very long during the day without noticing smudged patches beneath your eyelashes.
There may be an expiration date printed on the packaging of some mascaras. On other mascaras, this information won’t be as distinctly detailed. If you can’t see the expiration date on your product, try to recall the day you bought it so you can determine when the two to three months have passed.
We strongly advise you to stick to this 2 to 3 month replacement period even if you don’t use mascara every day in order to prevent any unpleasant reactions from mascara that has been frequently in contact with your eyes and potentially gathered a lot of bacteria.
Unused mascara should last for about two years. To be safe, you might still want to get rid of it before using it.
If you have used mascara just after getting an eye infection, you should also change it because the bacteria from the infection may still be on the mascara wand even if you are no longer infected.
Quick Facts About Mascara
Mascara is a cosmetic that is used to lengthen and volumize eyelashes. It comes in liquid, cream, and powder form. In most mascara brands, waxes, oils, pigments, preservatives, and pigments (typically brown or black) are the main ingredients.
A small application brush or wand is dipped into a mascara tube to use this beauty product. The mascara is applied to your eyelashes by brushing it through the tube with the wand removed.
The constant exposure of the wand to air causes old mascara to begin to dry out. The performance of your mascara is harmed by flaking and clumping, which are both caused by this dryness. Additionally, dust, dirt, and germs, including dangerous bacteria, collect on old mascara.
Your lashes may eventually break or fall out as a result of the accumulation of harmful bacteria, along with burning, redness, and irritation. Continued use of mascara that is past its prime can also result in inflammatory eye infections like conjunctivitis or pink eye.
When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to switch out that crusty old tube of mascara for a brand-new one.
How Long Does Mascara Last?
The FDA claims that there are currently no laws governing the cosmetics’ shelf life in the US. As a result, cosmetic manufacturers are not required to include an expiration date on their goods.
As was already stated, using eye makeup that has expired can irritate the eyes and cause redness, itching, and other symptoms of irritation. So, even though it’s unlikely that an expiration date will be printed anywhere, make it a habit to switch out your mascara every three months.
The majority of mascara formulas typically dry out and clump up after this 90-day period has passed, which results in less than ideal eyelash coverage. Additionally, every time you take the wand out of the tube, you expose the formula to a variety of pathogens and pollutants from the environment.
It’s also important to keep in mind that high heat and humidity can have a negative impact on the stability and shelf life of the majority of cosmetics. For instance, the formula of your mascara will degrade more quickly if you frequently leave it in a hot car because the growth of bacteria and fungi will be accelerated.
You’ll need to replace your beauty supplies even more frequently if you have a habit of keeping them in sweltering heat.
How Do I Know When I Need New Mascara?
There are a number of indicators that you need new mascara. The color, texture, and smell of your product changing will all be clear indicators that it is no longer safe to use. When your mascara appears flaky or clumpy on the brush and on your eyes, it is time to replace it.
Additionally, your mascara is probably dried out if it has a thicker consistency than when you first bought it. Applying mascara to your eyelashes after it has dried out is likely to be much harder, and you may end up using more product than you intended to because it no longer seems to have the desired effect.
Keep in mind that if you frequently insert the wand and then remove it to try and get more product, there is a possibility that more air will enter the tube. As a result, more germs will enter the tube, potentially leading to an even greater amount of product drying out.
A change in color is another indicator that your mascara has expired. It might be a good idea to switch out your current mascara and spend money on a new one if your product is no longer as bold and vibrant as it once was.
You can tell if your mascara needs to be replaced if it has gone bad by how it smells. Normal mascara typically has an ink or paint-like smell.
But once it begins to rot, it will start to smell bad and even a little sour. It’s time to replace your current mascara and buy a new one if you’ve noticed a change in the scent of your mascara.
It might be worthwhile to buy a new mascara if your eyes start to itch soon after using your current one. The bacteria that have accumulated inside the tube are most likely to blame for this irritation.
Although throwing away a high-end mascara can be disappointing, there are no methods of preserving the item to lengthen its shelf life. Since this is the case, we suggest that you open one product at a time.
Opening one mascara at a time will lessen the amount of waste because you are less likely to use up so much product if you have several mascaras open.
You’ll be happy to learn that there are lots of reasonably priced mascaras you can buy to replace your current mascara.
How to Make Your Mascara Last Longer
No trick will keep your mascara sparkling new for years if you use it frequently and open it as soon as you buy it. But if you keep light and air out, you can guarantee it will be in the best condition for the entire six months. Ensure that it is properly sealed after each use, keep it in a cool, dark place, such as a drawer, and avoid pumping the wand in and out while applying makeup, as enjoyable as that may be.)
Patel suggests that you try to refrain from lending your mascara to anyone else. “Regardless of how close you are to friends or family, the last thing you want to do is risk contracting an infection from them or contaminating them with bacteria from your makeup.” And if you can’t resist snapping up a hyped new formula (but aren’t quite finished with yourbest drugstore mascara at home) try not to open it until you’re ready to make the switch. “My advice to make your cosmetics last longer would be to not open any that you want to save, as this will keep them safe and hygienic,” says Cochrane.
Have you recently realized that your go-to mascara’s formula is past its prime now that you know how frequently you should replace it? No problem, you can find The One with the help of our guides to the best volumizing and lengthening mascaras, which are stuffed with products that our beauty editors recommend for every price range. The One, at least for the upcoming six months.
FAQs
How Long Should Mascara Last With Daily Use
Even though it’s unlikely that an expiration date will be printed anywhere, make it a habit of changing your mascara every three months. Most mascara formulas have a tendency to dry out and clump up after this 90-day window has passed, which results in less than ideal eyelash coverage.
How Often Should You Replace Makeup
Every six to twelve months, I do suggest changing your makeup. The cause is that the bacteria in your makeup can grow.
How Often Should You Replace Eyeliner
To prevent eye infections, it’s essential to frequently change your eye makeup. The rule of thumb is typically to change your mascara and your eye liner every four to six months. Actually, eye shadow can last for almost a full year.
How Often Should You Replace Eye Shadow
They say three months for liquid eyeliners, six months for cream eye shadows; and two years for pencil eyeliners and powder eye shadows. After six months, liquid face makeup should be discarded, but dry powders can be kept for up to two years.
How Often Should You Replace Your Foundation
Typically last two years.
How Often Should You Replace Lipstick
It’s recommended that you replace mascara every three months, lipsticks every year and eyeliner every three to six months (though pencils last longer than liquids). A two-year lifespan is typical for primers and foundations.
