Cleaning Out Your Makeup Case

In the past, Kaylee addressed a shocking truth about beauty products: how we spend our hard-earned cash on products only to have them sit under the sink, at the back of a vanity drawer or at the depth of a cosmetics case. And, I must admit, I used to be a huge delinquent when it came to beauty products. I would let lip-gloss sit forever, only to find it unappealing and sticky by the time I got around to it again.

Unfortunately, despite their high costs, makeup products don’t last forever. Although many do contain ingredients that preserve their original state, we still have to stay on top of them if we want to protect our skin from bacteria. For the most part, our cosmetic products come into contact with a large amount of bacteria as they are applied with our hands or with an applicator that may not be as clean as we think that it is.

While this may be scaring and depressing you, fear not my fellow nuts! I have compiled a list of the average life-span of the products used most frequently.

These lifespans are, of course, estimates. Make sure to look closely at your makeup to ensure that it still maintains its original appearance, texture and smell prior to use. Additionally, if you contract an infection, make sure to discard the items that have come in contact with it right away.

One last note: make sure that you are taking good care of your makeup brushes! I recommend that you give them a good cleaning once a week. Brush-cleaning solutions are sold at various places, but I have always relied on The Body Shop’s Tea-Tree Oil Face Cleanser. The tea-tree oil acts as a disinfectant and it gently cleans your brushes of makeup residue. Rinse with this until the water runs clean and lay the brush out overnight to dry naturally!