Most alarmingly of all, 85% of respondents didn’t even know when their skincare products expire. According to founder of Che Skincare, Carolyn Ingram, this blasé disregard for expiry dates is an alarming trend.
“Using skincare products past their expiry date can create a breeding ground for bacteria and in some cases cause serious skin and eye irritations,” she said.
Most skincare products have a shelf life of two years, however products are often opened and closed so frequently, exposed to heat or left open for lengthy periods that they aren’t much good for more than six months to a year.
Ms Ingram offers the following tips to avoid any problems with skincare products:
- Commit to a skincare regime and use your skincare products as instructed, this will result in you finishing the products well before they expire
- Try not to mix and match different product ranges as this will reduce the optimum outcome and can increase the risk of adverse reactions
- Do not use eye products if you have an eye irritation or infection and avoid sharing skincare products with family and friends
- Writing the date of purchase on the product will help you know when to discard it, however with the correct usage, following a regime, this shouldn’t even be necessary
No matter what the expiry date may be, you should always be on the lookout for changes in smell, consistency and colour – if things start to look suspicious it is definitely a sign that the product has seen better days and needs to be thrown out.
So the question is… is it time you gave your beauty bag a spring clean? For the majority of you, the answer will be definite a resounding yes!
