Does mascara go bad?

Every day we enter into our morning makeup ritual to put our best face forward and step out into the world. We try to use products that enhance our Beauty and are safe for everyday use.

Many times, we use products that have a limited shelf-life. Without proper care and attention, these products can create issues in our complexion and the overall look that we’re not looking to achieve.

Mascara is one of our many beauty products with a given shelf life. Generally, you should plan on changing your mascara every 2 to 4 months. Some signs that your mascara has gone bad include:

funky smell
separation of the liquid
drying out
clumpy or gritty texture
change in color or shade

If any of these items are present in your mascara, you should throw it out immediately and start with a fresh tube of product.

Why does mascara go bad?

Keep in mind that mascara comes in contact with your eyelashes every day and every use. Your eyelashes contain bacteria, dust, and germs that you accumulate throughout the day.

Touching the mascara wand to your eyelashes transfers these particles into the mascara tube. This vessel offers the perfect location for bacteria, fungus and germs to breed.

Obviously, we have to touch the wand to our eyelashes to apply that perfect look. However, we can take steps to help minimize the risk of bacterial infection while still achieving that fantastic result.

How to reduce the potential of your mascara going bad?

First, remember that your mascara has a given shelf life, even if it’s unopened. This fact alone means that you should replace your mascara every 2 to 4 months to help ensure your safety and the best performance of the product.

Purchasing travel-size mascara products is an excellent way for you to be sure that you stay within the 2 to 4-month timeline. With less product, you’ll need to replace your mascara more often.

Only open and use one tube of mascara at a time. This step can help you track how long you have been using this particular product. Whether it is a travel-size or regular-size product, you can now follow the timing from when you opened the product and keep yourself safe.

In addition, your unopened mascara products can be kept in a cool, dry place to help prolong their lifespan. Typically, unopened mascara kept in the refrigerator will last up to 2 years and remain safe to use.

Never share your mascara with friends or family. I noted that your eyelashes contain bacteria, germs, and dust, so why would you want someone else’s mixed into your mascara. This practice only increases the likelihood that your mascara will go bad and increases your infection risk.

Wash your eyelashes and face daily before application of your mascara. This practice will help remove the bacteria, germs, and dust and keep your mascara Fresh & Safe for as long as possible.

Never touch up your mascara throughout the day. After your first application, your eyelashes will start to collect bacteria, germs, and dust. If you wish to reapply for that perfect look, take the time to wash your face and eyelashes and reapply onto clean eyelashes.

Don’t double-dip your eyelash wand into the bottle. This practice mixes additional air into your mascara which aids in the growth of bacteria. Remember, this bottle is the perfect location to breed bacteria. To avoid adding extra air to the bottle, simply insert the wand into the bottle and swish around. This method will provide you with the perfect product amount to help enhance those beautiful lashes.

Check your mascara daily to be sure that it hasn’t gone bad. Look out for a funky smell, clumpy or odd texture, or liquid separation. These items are the key indicators that your mascara has gone bad. If any or all of these indicators are present, you should throw it out immediately.

Another great practice is to mark the date you opened your mascara. Now you have your firm number on which you can base the age of this important makeup product.

When should you replace your mascara?

Manufacturers will give you an indication on the label as to the product’s lifespan. Keep in mind that this is only an estimation.

Typically, mascara manufacturers will indicate a 6-month time frame. However, this is a best-case scenario. Don’t take the chance and simply replace your mascara every 2 to 4 months.

If you develop any type of irritation or infection around your eyes, you should immediately throw your mascara out. Once the irritation or infection has subsided, you should wait four weeks to ensure that all is clear before starting to reapply mascara with a fresh tube.

When it comes to unopened mascara, this typically lasts 1 to 2 years in a cool, dry place. Your refrigerator is the perfect location to store this important makeup routine product. Please note that it’s also a good idea to indicate when you purchased the product in-store to track this period.

When mascara goes bad, it can lead to illness.

Applying mascara that has gone bad dramatically increases the likelihood of pink eye, fungal infections, styes, and irritations around the eyes.

While these items may not be life-threatening, they can increase the likelihood of eye and vision issues if left unchecked. Take the necessary precautions to be sure that you’re infection has subsided. After that, you should wait for weeks before starting to reapply your mascara. Obviously, start with a fresh tube, Mark the date, and make yourself beautiful.

Please, always remember to throw away the contaminated or bad tube immediately. And this practice, there will be no question about which product is contaminated.

Rejuvenating your mascara should never be attempted.

Trying to get a little extra time out of that tube of mascara is not worth the potential for contaminating your eyelashes. Adding items such as alcohol, spit, glycerin, water should never be added to the tube as it will only encourage bacterial growth. This process also dramatically increases the risk that your mascara can go bad.

In practice, this action actually seems a little silly, especially if you look at the cost of a single tube of mascara. No matter the brand or the size, quality mascaras are readily available for a small amount of money. Why would you risk illnesses such as pink eye, styes, and irritation.

These health issues not only distract from your overall Beauty look, but they can potentially cause health and vision issues down the road if left unchecked.

Why your mascara goes bad is not a marketing ploy.

You might think to yourself that indicating that mascara goes bad within a short period is an excellent way for manufacturers to increase potential sales.

For many of us, we’ve experienced the fact that, indeed, mascara does have a shelf life. Over time, the bacteria and germs introduced into the mascara tube can cause funky smells and a clumpy look. This issue is not a manufacturer’s ploy but rather a fact.

Replacing your mascara regularly between 2 and 4 months is simply good practice and good hygiene.

Final thoughts and recommendations.

We all want to look our best. We know this starts with our makeup routine. Mascara is one cornerstone of the process that helps those beautiful eyelashes look longer and fuller, providing you with an enhanced look.

Keep these few steps in mind when thinking about your mascara process, and you’ll significantly reduce the likelihood of your mascara going bad. Additionally, you will also reduce the unsightly health risks that come along with using a contaminated product.

Replace your mascara every two to four months
purchase one to two tubes at a time
Mark your purchase date and then the open date of the mascara you are using
Purchase travel size mascara so that you can use the entire tube
No sharing with friends and family no matter what
Store in a cool, dry place such as the refrigerator, especially if unopened
only use one tube of mascara at a time so that you can track the age of the product
if affections should occur, throw the tube out immediately

once infections are clear, wait four weeks before restarting your mascara routine with a fresh tube.

Finally, the choice is yours. Mascara is a relatively inexpensive makeup product. Why would you risk the potential hazards of using a contaminated product? Be prudent and look your best. If you would like more mascara advice checkout my article on How do I stop my mascara from flaking here.