Kick your Expired Makeup to the Curb & Get Organized!

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Expired Makeup

It’s Spring cleaning time at my house.  Last week, I stood in front of my makeup cabinet and realized it had been a LONG, LONG time since I tossed anything away. We’re talking years, not months.  Not good.

I struggle with throwing makeup away which is why I generally avoid doing it.  But with everything going on in the world right now, it’s important to be as healthy as possible and that includes not putting on makeup that could potentially be loaded with bacteria.  It was time to get rid of the expired makeup and get organized!  I hope you will take advantage of this down time and do the same.  In this post, we’ll dive into makeup expiration, how to know if your makeup has expired and a few ways to organize your makeup for the future.

Expired Makeup may contain Bacteria

When you consider what may be lurking in your 12 month old mascara or your 3-year-old blush, it’s scary.  There really isn’t a nice way to put it other than “gross”.   Old makeup can contain bacteria.  And bacteria can cause all sorts of problems including pink eye, clogged pores, irritated skin, breakouts and staph infections … just to name a few.

When to Toss Expired Makeup.

Makeup Expiration – How to Tell When To Toss It

Although cosmetic companies are not required to have an expiration date printed on the packaging, many of them do.  There’s a tiny symbol on the label that most people don’t even notice.  The symbol tells you how long your makeup products will last after you’ve opened them.  You’ll find this symbol on most makeup products and many skincare products as well.

If the product does not have the expiration symbol, simply keep track of when you purchase them. Then use the Makeup Expiration Guide below to determine when you should toss and replace.  There are several ways to remember when you purchased a product such as labeling the product with a sticker or a sharpie pen.  There are also a few apps that will keep track of your makeup and notify you when they expire.

Makeup Expiration Symbol
This tiny symbol on the back of most makeup and skincare products tells you how long the product will last after you’ve opened them.

Below is a general guide to makeup expiration dates.  Keep in mind that most Natural Beauty products have a shorter shelf life as they are free of preservatives.  Natural Beauty products should be replaced every six months unless the product package indicates otherwise.

Makeup Expiration Dates

MASCARAThree Months.
LIQUID FOUNDATIONS, HIGHLIGHTERS AND TINTED MOISTURIZERSSix Months.
POWDERED FOUNDATIONS, HIGHLIGHTERS AND BRONZERSTwelve Months.
CONCEALERSix Months.
BLUSH (POWDER)Twelve Months.
BLUSH (CREAM)Six Months.
EYE SHADOWTwelve Months.
EYE AND LIP PENCILSSix Months.
LIPSTICK AND LIP GLOSSTwelve Months.
ALL NATURAL MAKEUP Six Months.
NAILPOLISH Two Years.
MAKEUP PRIMER Two Years.

Organizing Your Makeup

Once you’ve sorted through your beauty stash and tossed all of your expired makeup, it’s time to get organized!  There are a number of options to store your makeup products and they come in all shapes and sizes.  A simple search on Amazon brings up a gazillion makeup organizers.

I use a makeup cabinet similar to the IKEA Alex 9 Drawer Makeup Organizer.  I found a dupe for it and saved $170.  You can check out my IKEA Alex Makeup Drawer Dupe here.  I also use a Makeup Organizer like the one here to organize makeup that I use on a daily basis.  Below are some of the best makeup organizers available to get organized so that you can easily find all of your makeup when you need it!

Organize Makeup efficiently with this rotating orgranizer.

DreamGenius 360-Degree Rotating Makeup Organizer

This 360 degree rotating organizer allows you to organize makeup and store your cosmetics efficiently while providing easy access to all of your makeup products.  Adjustable layers allow you to adjust the height of the trays to fit different types of cosmetics.  Available in clear, purple and black.

$26.99 USDFree Shipping with Amazon Prime
Buy Now

Organize Makeup with this 4 piece organizer set.

Felicite Cosmetic Storage 4 Piece Makeup Organizer Set

Organize makeup and keep it all in one place with this 4 piece Makeup Organizer SetMade of Premium quality acrylic, this set is thicker and more durable than the typical acrylic makeup storage boxes. Includes a 12 lipstick compartment and the other pieces are stackable and can be arranged together or separately.

$34.99 USDFree Shipping with Amazon Prime
Buy Now

Organize Makeup with this floor standing makeup cabinet.

Beautify Lockable Floor Standing Make Up Cabinet Organizer

This full length mirror is framed by 22 LED lights and opens up for plenty of space to organize makeup.  There are 2 large drawers underneath the mirror, as well as multiple internal shelving compartments and a pull-out section inside.  There is also a mirror inside allowing you to use the space as your vanity!  How awesome is this?

$144.99 USDFree Shipping with Amazon Prime
Buy Now

FAJ Palette Acrylic Makeup Organizer

Designed by a professional makeup artist, this makeup palette organizer has 8 compartments and 7 removable shelves. Holds palettes, brushes, lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liners, eye liners, mascaras, highlighters, small tubes of cream, blush, bronzers, nail varnish and more! Yes, please!

$21.99 USDFree Shipping with Amazon Prime
Buy Now

Makeup brushes organizer with 3 storage drawers.

HBlife Makeup Brush Holder, Acrylic Makeup Organizer

This makeup brush organizer includes two Make Up Brush Holders and 3 Drawers that are perfect for all of your beauty sponges.  Includes pretty pink pearl beans to keep the brushes standing straight.

$29.99 USDFree Shipping with Amazon Prime
Buy Now

Organize makeup with this beautiful rose gold set.

Beautify Large Mirrored Rose Gold Glass Cosmetic Makeup Storage Organizer

This stylish makeup organizer with a mirrored finish and sleek design looks so pretty sitting on a vanity or bathroom counter.  And there is plenty of space to organize makeup and cosmetics with seven compartments and two drawers.

$34.99 USDFree Shipping with Amazon Prime
Buy Now

Check out more of the best makeup organizers on my Amazon Page here.

I hope you found this article informative and helpful.  When was the last time you cleaned out your makeup drawer?  What do you use to organize makeup?  Any recommendations?  Please leave your comments below!  As always, I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time…

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About Susie 112 Articles
Founder & Editor, 40andholding Beauty Blog. All things Beauty, Makeup, Anti-aging & Skincare for Women Over 40!

1 Comment

  1. Who know how to find that expired date on makeup. I always wondered how long I should keep it and when to toss. I’ve been looking at my mascara for weeks now wondering should I keep or toss. Thanks for the answer!

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