What To Do With Expired Makeup- How To Get Rid Of Old Makeup The Right Way - Keep It Simple Lovely (2024)

money on them, it's important to realize that expired makeup items can harbor bacteria, mold, and microorganisms that can cause infections, breakouts, and other skin irritations if used.

Plus, by throwing out your old and expired makeup, you make room for new, fresh products in your makeup collection.

When you’re ready to get rid of your old products it's important to do so in a way that is good for the environment. Many makeup products are non-biodegradable and can linger in landfills. Proper disposal keeps these products out of waterways and landfills.

Skin Infection and Irritations

One of the biggest risks of using expired makeup is the myriad of skin irritations, blemishes, and even infections it can cause. Old makeup products are a breeding ground for bacteria that can clog pores, leading to inflammatory acne like papules, pustules, whiteheads, and painful cystic blemishes.

Expired makeup may also contain compounds that provoke red, bumpy rashes on the skin that can be quite itchy and uncomfortable. These rashes can appear flaky when makeup is applied over them. Old foundation and powders will also create an unsightly, blotchy, uneven skin tone that is difficult to cover up even with more makeup.

Most concerning is that dangerous bacteria like staph can proliferate in contaminated, expired makeup products. When applied to the face, these bacteria can get trapped in pores and hair follicles, causing skin infections that may require antibiotics to get rid of.

Your Eyes Are Especially At Risk

The skin around the eyes is thinner and contains more delicate blood vessels, making this area more prone to damage and allergic reactions from expired makeup. To avoid eye health issues, be vigilant about tossing out eye products past their prime.

Using contaminated eye makeup directly introduces these pathogens to the vulnerable mucous membranes of the eyes. The result can be extremely painful styes, which are swollen bumps on the eyelids caused by infected oil glands in the lash follicles.

Expired eye makeup can also lead to conjunctivitis, an eye infection commonly known as pink eye. The contaminated formulas cause severe irritation and inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear tissue lining the eyes. This results in red, weepy, burning eyes.

In addition, the degraded compounds in old mascara, liquid eyeliner, and pencil eyeliner are comedogenic, meaning they can clog pores and oil glands around the delicate eye area. This leads to puffy eyelids and under-eye areas prone to milia seeds and cysts.

Many makeup products contain ingredients that can be irritating or even toxic when they go bad. Mascara, for example, can cause eye infections if it's too old. Old liquid lipstick can contain mold. This is why it’s important to be able to accurately identify products that have expired.

To start, look for the open jar symbol on the back of your product. There is typically a number followed by the letter M in the jar symbol. This tells you how many months the product can be safely used after opening.

Here is a quick reference list of common makeup expiration dates:

• Lipstick and gloss can last 1-2 years
• While mascara generally lasts 2-3 months
• Foundation can last up to 6-12 months
• Eye shadow typically lasts 6-12 months
• Eyeliner and lip liner last 1 year. Bronzer and blush typically last 2 years.

Alternatively, if you can’t find this information on the packaging, use the smell test. As a general rule, if it smells rancid or even slightly off, it's time to toss. Any funny smell or texture of your makeup products may indicate the product has expired.

Unusual scents like sourness or off-smells, as well as changes in consistency such as clumping, drying out, or separation, are red flags the active ingredients have degraded.

If you're unsure whether a makeup product is expired, it's best to err on the side of caution and throw it away.

Now that you know how to determine if your makeup has expired, unfortunately, it's not as straightforward as just tossing old cosmetics in the recycling bin to get rid of it.

You might be surprised to learn that depending on the type of products you buy,they could be considered hazardous materials once they go in the trash.

So, let's talk about how to dispose of your makeup and skincare products properly once you're ready to get rid of them.

How To Identify Product Empties That Can Be Recycled

When you're ready to recycle your old makeup, start by looking for that triangle symbol with arrows on the packaging - this is called aMobius loop, and it usually has a number inside. That number tells you what type of plastic the package is made of and whether your local recycling facility will accept it.

But be aware recycling rules vary from city to city. Even if there is a Mobius loop on the packaging, unfortunately, it doesn't necessarily mean it can be recycled in your area.Check out this article from Self Magazine to learn more about what you can recycle in your city.

Most clean glass plastic and makeup containers, as well as lipstick tubes, mascara tubes, and eyeshadow palettes, can be recycled. But just remember that most recycling centers won't accept them unless they're completely clean and empty.

Preparing Your Old Products For Recycling

Pouring your old cream-based or liquid products down the drain can be tempting, but doing so can actually further contribute to pollution in our water systems.

You’re better off pouring any significant amount of remaining liquid foundation or BB cream into a sealable plastic bag and then throwing it directly into the trash. The same goes for any powders, eyeshadows, or lipsticks.

We know this doesn’t sound like the most sustainable or eco-friendly approach, but this will actually help to contain any harmful chemicals found in your expired makeup products from leaching into the environment during the disposal process.

This is yet another reason to opt for organic and natural makeup products in the future!

The Best Way To Get Your Makeup Containers Ready To Be Recycled

• Use warm water to dampen a paper towel and wipe out all of the remaining product, trying to remove as much of the product as you can.
• Make sure to also remove any labels or attachments before recycling.
• When the container is thoroughly cleaned with minimal residue left behind, then it is ready for the trash or recycle bin.

Pro Tip: Keep in mind that if any of the bottles you are ready to toss have a lid with a pump, these pumps are not recyclable, so be sure to remove them from any jars or bottles before they go into the recycling bin.

Check To See If Elements of Your Makeup Products Or Packaging Can Be Composted

Some makeup products, such as paper compacts and bamboo applicators, can be composted. Composting helps to keep waste out of landfills and completes the circular life cycle.

Many pressed powder foundation compacts have paper packaging and pans that may be able to go in your compost bin. Check that the paper does not have a plastic coating first.

Bamboo Makeup Applicators are biodegradable and makes a great natural alternative to plastic applicators. Bamboo cotton swabs, makeup brushes, and spatulas can be composted when they are worn out.

Makeup sponges made of natural loofah, konjac root, or other biodegradable materials can potentially be added to your compost. Avoid any with dyes.

Be sure to check with your local composting facility to see what types of materials they accept.

Unfortunately, Some Products Can’t Be Recycled Or Composted

If you can't recycle or compost your expired makeup products, dispose of them in the trash. Be sure to seal the products tightly in a plastic bag before throwing them away.

Did you know that many big brands and retailers have programs where you can bring in your empty makeup containers and get rewarded for it?

Before you throw anything away check to see if you might be able to earn any rewards from your expired makeup products. Here are some beauty brands that we know have recycling programs that you can check out:

Kiehl's Recycle and Be Rewarded Program

• The Kiehl's Recycle and Be Rewarded program rewards its customers for returning empties by giving out a stamp on their loyalty card for each empty you return. Once you return 10 empty containers, you'll receive a complimentary Kiehl's product.

The Bodyshop- Refill & Recycling Program

• The Bodyshop's Refill & Recycling Program is a super cool initiative that lets you bring your empty Bodyshop containers to participating stores for either refilling or recycling. You can choose to refill your fave product or try something new, or just recycle your empties by dropping them off. The containers are then sent to TerraCycle, The Bodyshop's recycling partner, where they're sorted and turned into new products or materials.

Garnier Free Recycling Program

• The Garnier Free Recycling Program is super easy to participate in! Save up your empty Garnier products, and then you can send them to TerraCycle for free recycling. See the link for more details on how to participate in this program. The program accepts a whole bunch of different types of products, from hair care to cosmetics.

bareMinerals Give Back, Get Back Program

• Have you heard of the bareMinerals Give Back, Get Back Program? You can bring your empty bareMinerals makeup containers to any of their boutiques and get a free full-size product as a reward. Sometimes it seriously pays to be sustainable!

Lush Bring It Back Program

• Lush has an amazing Bring It Back Program. Whenever you bring 5 or more of your Lush empties to one of their store locations to be recycled, they give you a free Fresh Face Mask. How cool is that? Plus, Lush partnered with a bunch of organizations to make sure their containers are properly recycled.
  

BACK 2 M·A·C Take Back Program

• The BACK 2 M·A·C program allows you to return your empty M·A·C containers in exchange for a free lipstick. Who doesn't love free makeup, right?! Bring six empty M·A·C makeup containers to a participating M·A·C store, and choose a free lipstick from a range of shades.

Terracycle

• TerraCycle is a recycling platform that teams up with over 140 brands across beauty, food, apparel, and more to help properly recycle pre-and post-consumer waste. And the best part? Most of the beauty recycling programs are free! You can mail your empty beauty bottles, tubs, and tubes, along with hard-to-recycle items like aerosols, pumps, and flexible plastic, to TerraCycle with a prepaid shipping label. They'll clean and sort the empties to be recycled into raw materials that can be used for future products. Some of the brands that work with TerraCycle include Bliss, Glow Recipe, and Farmacy, but you can find more information on TerraCycle's website for specific guidelines for each brand's partnership.

ILIA Partnership with Pact Collective to Recycle Empties

• ILIA has partnered with Pact Collective to reduce the amount of ILIA product packaging that ends up in landfills. ILIA's program allows you to mail your empty ILIA product containers to Pact Collective using the prepaid shipping label provided on the ILIA website. The Pact Collective team will sort and recycle the packaging so it can be used to make new products.

Different brands offer different recycling program terms and conditions, so it’s a good idea to check the program websites to see which containers they’ll take back and their requirements to recycle them.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Expired Makeup

Just because your makeup has expired doesn't mean you have to throw it away. Rather than simply tossing your expired makeup, here are a few ideas to breathe new life into your old makeup items.

Eyeshadows- rather than discarding them, you can mix them with clear nail polish to create a custom color for your nails. This is a brilliant way to experiment with new shades of nail polish without having to spend extra money on a new polish.

Mascara Wands - even if the formula is past its prime, the tiny bristles on the mascara wand can still work wonders for grooming your eyebrows or separating your lashes. It's a great tool to have in your makeup bag for a quick touch-up.

Empty lip balm jars -These little containers are a great way to save space in your luggage while keeping just enough of your favorite beauty products with you when you travel.

Old foundation bottles and perfume jars- make really cute bud vases!

Tips For Reducing Makeup Waste

When purchasing and using cosmetics, there are ways to be more eco-friendly and reduce the amount of makeup product and packaging waste that ends up in landfills. Here are some tips:

• Only buy the makeup you really need and will use. When you buy a new product don't purchase extras just because they are on sale or part of a kit. Focus on products you'll apply daily to avoid waste.
• Seek out and support makeup brands that use sustainable packaging. Look for compacts, tubes, bottles, and dispensing systems made from glass, aluminum, or recyclable plastic instead of mixed-material packaging which is harder to recycle.
• Choose makeup brands that offer recycling programs or refillable packaging. Some companies provide prepaid mailing labels to send back empties to be recycled or offer to refill your compact or lipstick case when it's finished so you don't have to buy an entire new package.

With some mindful choices, you can build an eco-friendly makeup routine that cuts down on needless waste and expired product disposal. Check company policies and choose reusable, refillable options whenever possible.

Tips For Reducing Makeup Waste

When purchasing and using cosmetics, there are ways to be more eco-friendly and reduce the amount of makeup product and packaging waste that ends up in landfills. Here are some tips:

• Only buy the makeup you really need and will use. When you buy a new product don't purchase extras just because they are on sale or part of a kit. Focus on products you'll apply daily to avoid waste.
• Seek out and support makeup brands that use sustainable packaging. Look for compacts, tubes, bottles, anddispensing systems made from glass, aluminum, or recyclable plastic instead of mixed-material packaging which is harder to recycle.
• Choose makeup brands that offer recycling programs or refillable packaging. Some companies provide prepaid mailing labels to send back empties to be recycled or offer to refill your compact or lipstick case when it's finished so you don't have to buy an entire new package.

With some mindful choices, you can build an eco-friendly makeup routine that cuts down on needless waste and expired product disposal. Check company policies and choose reusable, refillable options whenever possible.

This blog post was all about what to do with expired makeup.

The bottom line is that expired makeup has no place in your beauty routine or medicine cabinet. Do your skin a favor and regularly clear out old products to make way for fresh items. Implement eco-friendly disposal methods to reduce your environmental footprint.

Expired and old makeup can pose real risks to your skin health and eyes. Irritation, infections, styes, and acne are all possible side effects of using contaminated cosmetics. To protect your complexion, be vigilant about inspecting your products and tossing anything that smells or looks off.

When disposing of makeup, opt for recycling programs that keep waste out of landfills. Seek out brands with sustainable packaging and recycling incentives. Repurposing items like mascara wands or eyshadows also cuts down on waste.

What will you do today to declutter your makeup bag? Share your tips with us below!

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