Is it safe to use expired cosmetics?

Ritu is a young teenager who is very fond of dressing up and looking good for every occasion. She is a perfectionist and likes to match her nail paint, her lipstick and eye shadow to the shade closer to her outfit. She likes to shop for cosmetics of various shades and brands that would go well with her outfit, but most of the makeup products are left to be covered with dust for a long time. Sometimes, some of the products are used while others are left still waiting for their turn.

This is a common situation. Like Ritu, there are many young girls who buy loads of cosmetics to look good or cover up an imperfection with makeup. For some girls the need to wear a makeup is linked to their self confidence and looking attractive to the opposite sex.

Most women forget that cosmetics cannot be used forever. They do not check the expiry date or a period after opening date mentioned on the product. Expiry date is the date after which the cosmetic product will expire and should not be used anymore. If there is no expiry date mentioned on the product, you can calculate the expiry date from the date of manufacture mentioned on the product.

Period after opening date is a specific time limit for how long you can use your product after you have opened it. If your product mentions a period after opening date, it becomes difficult to remember the expiry period. To easily remember when you started using the product, just stick a reminder to it after calculating the date of expiry.

There are some girls who find it difficult to discard their branded lipsticks or eye shadows while there are others who do not even realize that the cosmetics on their dressing table have expired. It is important to understand that just like food, expired cosmetics can also be hazardous to our health.

Dr Shankar Sawant, well known Dermatologist from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Hospital says, “Make up products are made up of various ingredients. After a particular duration the stability of the molecule loosens and hence the composition changes and turns them into toxins. The change in composition may offer a different reaction and not the desired action.”

Experts believe that older the makeup, easier for the germs to get into it which may cause skin or eye infections.

Let’s understand the possible side effects of using expired cosmetics.

• The use of expired cosmetics may cause skin rashes, irritation and reddening.
• In some cases individuals with sensitive skin develop allergic reactions.
• The use of old mascara can lead to bacterial infection in the eye.
• Expired lipsticks can cause swelling, itching and allergies in the lips.
• The use of expired eye shadows leads to eye infections. At times an eye condition called the red eye can occur due to the use of old cosmetics.

Dr Shankar Sawant says, “Using expired or old cosmetics can expose individuals to allergies like skin hypersensitivity, skin redness, and irritation. Use of expired cosmetics can also cause skin pigmentation. ”

Let’s take a quick look at the average shelf life of various cosmetics products that are most frequently used by Indian women.

 **It is suggested that you should check the expiry period on the product that you buy as date of expiry can differ from product to product and can also be different with various brands.

You wear make up to look good, but wearing an expired product may be bad for the skin. It is wise to spend money on the purchase of new make up rather than running to the health care professional for help after the allergy is caused.