A makeup lover can understand the love for lipstick, you can not keep your hands off from a new shade of lipstick, but finding out that you have many unopened lipsticks then what will you do apart from being happy? You have to check whether they have expired or not.
Now you will be thinking whether unopened lipstick will expire or not?
Yes, lipsticks can expire even if they have not been used, a sealed or an unopened lipstick can expire after a span of 2 to 5 years. The time varies depending on ingredients and brand.
First of all, to make sure that your makeup doesn’t reach this point, do not store it! Do not store so much of a product at a time, keep checking the time of the expiration and use the lipstick that is close to the expiration date.
I know that lipstick can not be used so much at once but before buying make a note of this. This article has all the details regarding this.
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Do unopened lipsticks expire?
Have you ever noticed the packaging of a lipstick, there is not enough detail on it? but there is a best before date. That is usually for open products. So, does unopened lipstick expire or not?
Yes, the unopened lipsticks expire as well, just like opened lipsticks. Do not be in a myth that the expiration date is only for opened ones. If you look closely, they mention everything and if not then you should test other ways to check if the lipstick has expired or not.
As the lipsticks expire the components such as parabens, oils, butters start to break from it and that is why it is risky to use unopened lipsticks as well. SO, yes unopened lipsticks expire as well.
How long does unopened lipsticks last?
If stored properly your unopened lipstick can last from 2 to 5 years depending on the ingredients and brands.
An unopened and sealed lipsticks can last as long as 5 years, in this case those lipsticks are included that contain parabens and strong preservatives to keep it safe to use till 5 long years.
Organic or natural products unfortunately cannot last that long, these types of organic lipsticks do not have any preservatives to keep them good for more than two years.
In case, you do not store these lipsticks appropriately you may end up spoiling them within a year.
How to store unopened lipsticks?
A cold and dry place is a perfect place to store your lipsticks. And the ideal place is a refrigerator.
Heat can melt your lipsticks and ruin the shape and color of the lipstick. Heat is the enemy for your makeup and direct sunlight can make it worse.
Make sure that it is at a place away from sunlight.
Even if you know that your lipstick is unopened but check if it is sealed properly or not as if moisture reaches your lipstick, the parabens and other preservatives can start to break down.
Not only can your lipstick go bad, the color can also be hampered due to improper storage, and you will lose your favourite shade too.
So, do not compromise with storage.
How to tell if the lipstick has expired or not?
Here I am mentioning very easy ways to check whether the lipsticks have expired or not.
1. Check the manufacturing date
You have to check the packaging of the lipstick and see the manufacturing date, when it comes to lipstick it can be a little difficult to check as the packaging is really small and not much is mentioned there. And if it is, then it is the easiest way to check the manufacturing date or not.
2. Smell
As the lipstick expires the components start to break it down and this is a chemical process. During this process very foul smells are released. By taking a sniff you can see whether the lipstick has expired or not. And nowadays it is easier by this technique as most lipsticks contain perfumes and you can easily identify the smell.
3. Color
Another way is to check the color of the lipstick, now you have to remember the color of your lipstick. If you see any weird coloration in the lipstick then the chances are that your lipstick has expired.
What will happen if I use expired lipstick?
Using any expired makeup can cause you illness, so it is not suggested to use the expired lipstick at any point of time.
When the product breaks down, so does its protection against the formation of bacteria. Expired lipstick has been shown to contain Enterococcus faecalis, which is a deadly bacterium that causes meningitis, among other potentially deadly side effects.
How to use expired lipstick?
To begin with you can not use the expired lipstick on your face or a part of your makeup, However it can be used in other DIY projects.
Your expired lipsticks can be used separately really nicely. You would have even imagined it.
The expired lipsticks can be scraped out of the mould and melted, you can add a little wax to it and a thread to get your own candle, in your favourite shade.
The other thing which you can try is to use the mould of the lipstick, you can both recycle and upcycle it. All you need to do is clean the tube or the mould and disinfect it. The second thing you can do is to use the tube or container of your lipstick for storing lip balm. Or skin care products in it.
You can recycle that container for storing your DIY gloss as well.
