Yes, makeup expires. Mascara and liquid eyeliner go first: the FDA says manufacturers usually recommend throwing mascara out two to four months after purchase. Liquid foundation and cream products typically last 6 to 12 months once opened, and powders 1 to 2 years. A printed date or open-jar symbol on the package beats any general chart.
In the US, nothing forces a brand to print an expiration date on cosmetics. The FDA's page on cosmetic shelf life says plainly that there are no US laws or regulations requiring cosmetics to have specific shelf lives. So a lot of what's in your makeup bag has no date on it at all, and you're left to judge it yourself.
What the open-jar symbol on makeup means#
Look for a tiny drawing of an open jar with a number and the letter M on it, like 6M or 12M. That's the Period After Opening (PAO) symbol, and it means the product is good for that many months after you first open it.
You'll see it on most brands sold in Europe and the UK, because the rules there require it. UK guidance on the cosmetics regulation says products that last more than 30 months need the open-jar symbol, while anything likely to deteriorate within 30 months needs a "best before" date, which can be shown with a small hourglass symbol instead.
The symbol only helps if you know when you opened the thing. Write the month on the bottom with a fine permanent marker the day you open it. A batch code stamped on the tube is not a date, and lot-code lookup websites aren't official.
How long makeup lasts after opening#
When there's no symbol and no date, these are the limits we'd use:
| Product |
Replace after opening |
Goes first because |
| Mascara |
3 months |
The wand goes back into a dark, wet tube every day |
| Liquid eyeliner |
3 months |
Same problem as mascara, right next to your eye |
| Pencil eyeliner or lip liner |
1 to 2 years |
Sharpening exposes a fresh surface, so it lasts |
| Liquid foundation, concealer |
6 to 12 months |
Water-based formulas separate and grow microbes |
| Cream blush, cream shadow, sticks |
6 to 12 months |
Fingers and moisture go straight into the pan |
| Lip gloss, liquid lipstick |
6 to 12 months |
The wand carries saliva back into the tube |
| Lipstick |
1 year |
Oils turn rancid slowly |
| Powder: pressed shadow, blush, bronzer, setting powder |
1 to 2 years |
Dry formulas give microbes little to work with |
Water is the deciding factor. The wetter the formula and the more often an applicator goes from your face back into the container, the shorter its life. Powders last longest because there's so little moisture in them.
Why mascara has the shortest life#
Every time you pump the wand you push air into the tube, and every time you pull it out it has touched your lashes. Mascara is wet, dark, and sealed, which suits bacteria fine, and it's used right at the eye.
The FDA's eye cosmetic safety advice adds a few rules worth following:
- Don't add water or saliva to dried-out mascara. It brings in bacteria and dilutes the preservative. Dried-out mascara is done.
- Don't share eye makeup, not even with a close friend.
- If you try store testers, use a fresh single-use applicator like a clean cotton swab.
- If you get an eye infection, stop using all eye makeup, throw out whatever you were using when it started, and talk to a healthcare provider.
That last one is the main reason to keep a cheap backup mascara around. It makes throwing out the old one easy.
Signs your makeup has gone bad#
Trust your nose first. Lipstick that smells like old crayons or cooking oil has gone rancid. Foundation that smells sour, or just different from when it was new, should go.
Then check texture and color:
- Foundation that has separated and won't mix back together after shaking, or has darkened in the bottle.
- Mascara that is clumpy, flaky, or dry before the three months are up.
- Lipstick with little beads of moisture on the surface.
- Cream products that have gone hard, grainy, or slimy.
- Any fuzzy spots or specks that weren't there before.
A hard, shiny film on top of a pressed powder is usually oil from your brush or fingers, not spoilage. You can scrape it off, but scraping doesn't reset the product's age.
If a product you've used for months suddenly stings, burns, or gives you a rash, stop using it. The FDA's advice on using cosmetics safely is to call your healthcare provider about the reaction, and it asks consumers to report bad reactions to the agency.
Does unopened makeup expire?#
Yes, just more slowly. Preservatives break down over time even in a sealed package, especially if it sits somewhere warm. Old stock bought in a sale and forgotten in a drawer for years is a gamble, and liquid products are the bigger gamble.
Buy the size you'll actually finish. A travel-size foundation you use up in four months is better value than a full-size one you throw out half-full.
Where to store makeup#
Not in a hot car, and ideally not in a steamy bathroom. The FDA advises against storing cosmetics above 85 degrees F, because heat breaks down preservatives. A drawer or shelf in your bedroom, away from a sunny window, is better than the shelf above the shower.
Keep lids closed tight, wipe gunk off the threads so caps seal properly, and wash your hands before you dip into anything in a pot. Tools matter too. The American Academy of Dermatology's makeup guidance says to clean makeup brushes every 7 to 10 days and sponges after every use. A dirty sponge pressed into a cream compact every morning will shorten that compact's life.
Do a makeup clear-out every three months#
Every three months, toss the mascara and liquid liner, check the opening dates you wrote on everything else, and sniff anything liquid or creamy. A full clear-out of the whole bag twice a year covers the slow-moving powders and lipsticks. A recurring ChoreLists.com reminder for the quarterly check takes care of the remembering.
Skincare runs on slightly different rules, so check the skincare expiration guide for serums and moisturizers. Foundations and tinted moisturizers with an SPF are regulated as sunscreens in the US, so they follow drug expiration rules instead. The sunscreen expiration guide covers those.