Eye Makeup Safety

With regard to how long you should keep eye makeup, consider the following tips to help you avoid eye infections. There are a number of health issues that involve expired or prolonged usage of eye makeup. The biggest concern is infections and other potential damage eye makeup (such as eyeliners, eye shadows and mascara) can cause. While pencil eyeliners do not expire, there is a health issue surrounding prolonged usage. Liquid eyeliners do expire. You can find the expiration date on the bottom of the bottle or on the product box. All eyeliners attract bacteria. If not properly stored with a cap, your eyeliner can transfer bacteria laden eyeliner bacteria to your eyes. This bacteria is directly related to “pink eye" types of infections, sties and tear duct blockage. Eyeliners are cheap, so you can afford to replace them frequently. Replace pencil eyeliners every three to six months and make sure you sharpen frequently for safety's sake. Eye shadows have a longer cosmetic shelf life. With the proper compact case to protect your eye shadow from bacteria and dirt, and stored in a cool location away from extreme heat, your eye shadow can last up to a year or more. While some women discard eye shadow when it brakes up, hardens or loses its color intensity, other women simply replace eye shadows as needed. Mascara, on the other hand, requires constant replacement, and is a major makeup safety issue. You know when your mascara is clumpy and has an odd smell, it's time to get a new tube. Mascara has a high risk of collecting dangerous makeup bacteria like eyeliner, however the risk is much greater for women who share mascara. To avoid eye infections, don’t share your mascara and replace it frequently.