Let’s be honest – we don’t always replace our makeup and skincare products when we should. We try to squeeze out every last drop of foundation, scrape up as much mascara as possible and scoop out the last bit of eye cream to get our money’s worth. But dated products can have harsh repercussions on our skin.

“Unopened, well-formulated cosmetics can remain stable for a couple of years at room temperature,” says Ni’Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist at Cosmetech Laboratories in Fairfield, NJ. “But the clock starts once you bring a product home and open it. When air hits the formula, certain ingredients starts to oxidize and degrade.” What’s more, you transfer germs every time you touch your lotion, foundation, etc. It can be hard to distinguish when to replace your products because most makeup and skincare products don’t come with an expiration date.

Makeup and skincare products should enhance your natural beauty, but if you continue to use expired products, it can cause a bad skin reaction. Irritated eyes and skin rashes are just a couple of bad consequences. It helps to write the date you opened the product on the outside of the bottle or container. This will help you keep track of your products’ lifespans.

To avoid irritation and infection, follow this timeline from POPSUGAR:

PRODUCT	TOSS IT . . .
Mascara	1 year
Foundation	1 year
Concealer	12-18 months
Powder	18 months
Blush/bronzer	18 months
Cream blush	12-18 months
Eye shadow	18 months
Eyeliner	18 months
Liquid eyeliner	6 months
Eyeliner	18 months
Liquid eyeliner	6 months
Lipstick/lip gloss	18 months
Lip liner	1 year
Nail polish	1 year
Makeup sponges	Wash after each use, then throw away after a month