Has the change in seasons inspired you lot to make clean your bathroom cabinets? Bravo! Now's the time for a refresher on expiration dates. Expired products may not only lack potency, but they likewise can become a breeding ground for bacteria, says Janet Winter Blaschke, CEO of International Cosmetics & Regulatory Specialists. Here'southward how to tell what's past its prime.

Serum

Treatment ingredients—antioxidants, blastoff hydroxy acids—inside an airtight pump or tube are largely protected from leaner and exposure to air, so they tin can last most 16 months. Only bank check the package for an expiration appointment: Serums that contain unstable ingredients, like vitamin C and retinoids, may have a much shorter shelf life, Blaschke says.

Nail Shine

Toss it if you notice a change in consistency (commonly afterwards two to 3 years). That means the solvents in which the pigments are suspended have evaporated, causing color to collect at the bottom. One time separation occurs, getting a smooth, even glaze will be difficult.

Sunscreen

If the packaging isn't stamped with an expiration appointment, the formula should remain stable at room temperature for up to three years. However, exposing a product to extreme rut and sunday can crusade the contents to break down. In that instance, the ingredients will no longer be distributed evenly, then your protection won't be consistent.

Foundation

Any makeup formula containing h2o is at a higher gamble for bacterial contamination considering water provides a habitation for leaner to thrive. Since nearly all foundations except powders have some h2o, information technology's best to replace them subsequently 12 to 18 months. Also, as your base ages, the pigments can carve up, resulting in uneven coverage.

Face Lotion

If y'all use ane daily moisturizer, odds are you'll finish information technology long before it expires. But if y'all have several in rotation — or use simply minor amounts — throw away anything more eighteen months old.

Eyeliner

Water-based liquid eyeliners can pick up leaner, which can pb to an eye infection, and then toss yours later six months. You can hang on to your pencil liners, though; when yous shave off the tip, you remove any bacteria.

Mascara

This is the production yous should exist nigh vigilant nearly: Eyelashes protect the eyes from dirt, pollen, and bacteria. A mascara wand may collect these particles, transferring them into the product, says Blaschke. To reduce the risk of infection, discard mascara every 6 months.

Treatments

A skincare treatment is exposed to air and bacteria every time you open the jar, eventually causing the active ingredients to degrade and lose their efficacy. After a year, information technology's probably fourth dimension to toss.

Lip Products

Lipstick, gloss, and balm typically don't contain h2o, so they by and large collect fewer bacteria. Unless you lot get out your lipstick in the glove compartment on a summertime day, information technology should be fine for up to two years.

Can't remember how old something is? In full general, it's all-time to toss anything that has significantly changed in color, odor, or consistency, says cosmetic chemist Ron Robison.

From the April 2017 event of O, The Oprah Magazine