Using expired makeup can cause skin irritation, breakouts, and infections. The preservatives in cosmetics break down over time, letting bacteria and mold grow in the product. When you apply that product to your face, especially near your eyes, you’re introducing those microorganisms directly to some of the most sensitive and vulnerable areas of your body.
How Makeup Goes Bad
Every cosmetic product contains preservatives designed to keep bacteria and fungi from growing in it. Over time, those preservatives degrade, and the product becomes a hospitable environment for microbes. Heat speeds this process up, which is why storing makeup in a steamy bathroom shortens its usable life. Sunlight and air exposure also cause chemical changes that alter the product’s color, texture, and smell.
Water-based and liquid products are especially vulnerable because moisture is exactly what bacteria need to multiply. Oil-and-water mixtures like liquid foundations can physically separate as the formula destabilizes. Powder products last longer because their dry environment is less friendly to microbial growth, but they’re not immune to contamination, particularly when applied with dirty brushes or fingers.
Skin Infections and Breakouts
Skin infection is the biggest risk of using old makeup. The American Academy of Dermatology identifies bacteria and mold as common contaminants in aging cosmetics, capable of causing impetigo (crusty, oozing sores), folliculitis (inflamed hair follicles that look like small pimples), and acne-like breakouts. Even if you don’t develop a full infection, expired ingredients can irritate your skin, causing redness, itching, and inflammation that looks a lot like an allergic reaction.
Mold is another concern. If fungi have colonized a product, applying it to your face can trigger breakouts or more serious irritation, particularly if you have sensitive skin or conditions like eczema or rosacea.
Eye Products Carry the Highest Risk
Liquid products used near the eyes are the most dangerous category of expired makeup. The warm, moist environment of your lash line is ideal for bacterial growth, and the mucous membranes of your eyes offer almost no barrier against infection. Using old mascara, liquid liner, or cream eyeshadow can lead to pink eye, styes, or more serious infections.
Mascara deserves special attention. A study published in a medical journal found that Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are commonly present in mascara tubes after just three months of use. Staph aureus is one of the leading causes of skin and soft-tissue infections. Every time you pump the wand in and out of the tube, you push air and bacteria deeper into the product. That’s why mascara has the shortest recommended lifespan of any common makeup item.
How to Tell If Your Makeup Has Expired
Your senses are reliable guides here. Expired makeup often develops a rancid or chemical smell that’s distinctly different from how the product smelled when it was new. If something smells off, throw it out.
Texture changes are another clear signal. Liquid foundations that have separated into layers of pigment and oil, lipsticks that feel gritty or waxy, powders that have turned chalky or crumbly, and any product that has become unusually thick, goopy, or watery have all passed their useful life. And if you see any visible mold (white fuzz, dark spots, or anything that looks like it’s growing), discard the product immediately.
How Long Each Product Lasts
These timelines, based on Cleveland Clinic recommendations, start from when you first open the product, not when you bought it:
- Mascara: 6 months
- Liquid eyeliner: 6 months
- Pencil eyeliner: 1 to 2 years
- Liquid eyeshadow: 6 months to 1 year
- Powder eyeshadow: 1 to 2 years
The pattern is straightforward: liquid and cream formulas expire faster than powders, and anything that goes near your eyes has a shorter window than products used on the rest of your face.
Finding Your Product’s Expiration Date
Most cosmetics don’t have a traditional expiration date printed on them. Instead, look for the Period After Opening (PAO) symbol, a small icon that looks like an open jar. Inside or next to it, you’ll see a number followed by the letter “M,” indicating how many months the product is safe to use after opening. “12M” means 12 months, “6M” means six months, and so on. This symbol is usually on the back or bottom of the packaging.
If you can’t remember when you opened a product, check the batch code. This is a series of numbers and letters stamped or embossed on the packaging. Free online tools like CheckCosmetic let you enter a brand name and batch code to look up the product’s manufacture date. From there, you can estimate whether the product has exceeded its intended shelf life.
Storage Mistakes That Speed Up Expiration
Where you keep your makeup matters almost as much as how old it is. The FDA notes that heat causes preservatives to break down faster and accelerates bacterial and fungal growth. A bathroom that gets hot and steamy during showers is one of the worst places to store cosmetics, even though it’s where most people keep them. A bedroom drawer or closet shelf at room temperature is a better choice.
Exposure to air also degrades products faster. Close lids tightly after every use, and avoid leaving caps off while you’re getting ready. If a product comes with a pump instead of an open jar, that’s an advantage, since pumps limit how much air and bacteria reach the formula inside.
“Clean” or preservative-free beauty products, which have become increasingly popular, are worth extra caution. With fewer or no synthetic preservatives to fight microbial growth, these formulas can spoil faster than conventional ones. Pay closer attention to the PAO symbol and to any changes in smell or texture, and err on the side of replacing them sooner.