It might be time to part with your favorite shade of pink...or red.

Peek into someone's makeup bag and you will open a Pandora’s box of hoarding years-old makeup. Something bought over a shopping spree, freebies, or even impulse buys... Chances are you will find a plethora of lipsticks, primers, and more. Beyond the basic signs of ending life - dried mascara and lipstick smelling like Crayola — it can be tough to tell when makeup has met its end.

Interestingly, U.S. labeling regulations don't mandate a “use by” date on most cosmetics, making it that much trickier to determine its lifespan. Regardless of whether they’re brand new or on their last life, beauty products do expire.

When it comes to your lipstick, lip glosses, and lip crayons (or pencils), the better you take care of them, the longer they will last and the better they will perform.

All of your lipstick, glosses, and pencils are made of materials that simply hate the heat.

They are also made of materials that will go bad, grow mold, and simply rot over time.

So, you’ve found the perfect lipstick. The stunner in your makeup collection. You feel like a million bucks when you wear it. It’s probably burned a hole in your pocket, and you want to make sure that you take good care of it.

The better you take care of your lipsticks, the longer they last and the more you can get out of them. It is also important to keep in mind that lipsticks do have a shelf life and shouldn’t be hanging around your makeup pouch or dresser for too long. All beauty products have limited lives and once they are opened, it’s important to not keep them for too long as they do expire.

The first thing to remember is that lipsticks are made up of materials that can and will degrade over time.

These tips will help you take care of your lipsticks and make them last longer.

1. If you buy lipsticks in bulk, keep the extras in your refrigerator. Keeping your lipsticks in a cool dry spot in your fridge can prolong their shelf life and, to state the obvious, prevent them from melting inside your bag.

2. Lipsticks should be stored in a dry and cool place away from direct sunlight, direct heat, and humid environments. Heat causes lipsticks to melt, and break down its properties, and humidity encourages the growth of mold on lipsticks.

3. Placing a lip pencil or crayon in the freezer for 10 minutes before applying helps keep them from breaking and makes it easier to apply.

4. Don't leave your lipstick in the car - high car heat is its worst enemy.

5. If you don’t plan on using it for a while and feel like it’s been lying around too long, then open it up and warm it in the palm of your hand. This will keep it from drying from lack of use.

6. Another way to upkeep hygiene is to keep your lipsticks capped and covered when you have finished using them, to keep them protected as much as possible from external contaminants.

7. Hot, steamy bathrooms and lipsticks don’t go well together. Hot, steamy conditions help grow mold on lipsticks, and no one wants that.

Let’s talk about lipstick Hygiene.

Cleanliness is important! You don’t have to obsess over this; however, you should keep your lipsticks clean. We recommend cleaning the bullet from time to time.

Clean them, wipe them, and spray them with a little bit of alcohol just to keep them sanitized. Although lipsticks and crayons are packed with preservatives such as parabens, essential oils, and vitamins to ward off germs, these naturally start to break down after a year.

Since we are talking about hygiene, how do you know when a lipstick has met its retirement date? How long should a lipstick last? Is that mold on your lipstick? Here is how you know when it’s time to say goodbye to that tube or maybe exchange it for a sweet discount.

Take care of your lipsticks and they will last longer. Keep them away from the heat, strong window light, steamy bathrooms, and airborne contaminants to lengthen their life span. But always understand, one day, the time will come to say goodbye to that dear lipstick.

Let’s ask ourselves a few questions before making the final call.

How long can you keep lipstick before it goes bad?

A. 6 Months

B. 1 Year

C. 3 Years

D. 12 Years

Don’t even hover over ‘D’! Ewww.

The correct answer is 6 to 12 months.

Lipstick is sticky and ALL brands contain at least some organic material. Floating particles stick to sticky surfaces, leading to the rotting and growth of mold on lipsticks. Honestly, it depends on how you use your lipstick. But if you’ve hit the 12- month mark…it’s time to toss it or exchange it for a vegan makeup fix from RAL instead.

What makes a lipstick degrade faster?

1. Heat and Sunlight

This is the most elementary tip to preserving long-lasting products. Direct sunlight can accelerate the aging of a product, breaking down the active ingredients in your skincare. Warm and humid surroundings will just make things worse. The Fridge is your best friend!

2. Germs

Floating airborne particles stick to lipstick like glue. Consider this carefully if you want to open that lipstick in a public bathroom right after you just heard someone flush – eek! Bacteria + heat = disgusting. It might be mold on your lipstick. TOSS IT NOW!

Why does my lipstick smell bad?

How often do you pull out your favorite lipstick, twist the base, smack your lips and whoosh, get hit with a waxy, crayon-like smell? Your favorite lipstick is expired or about to expire. Although it may go on smoothly and still look good on your lips, you still NEED to get rid of that lipstick.

Why do lipsticks sweat?

Yeah, you read that right, lipsticks do sweat.

This phenomenon is known as lipstick sweat, and it occurs more often than you may think. Beads of sweat occur when your lipstick is exposed to fluctuating temperatures that cause the oils in the lipstick to rise to the surface. Sweaty lipsticks are not bad news, yet. In fact, the only time that “sweaty” lipstick should be thrown away is if there is noticeable mold on your lipstick.

Can lipsticks grow mold?

Yes, absolutely. All types of makeup have the potential to grow mold, especially if stored improperly. However, the more obvious answer is that it is most likely to mold if the product is expired.

What will happen if you use expired lipstick?

Expired lipstick can grow mold. It can cause extreme swelling, skin irritations, or even infections. However, without mold, expired lipstick can become hard, crumble, and difficult to apply properly.

Can I scrape off the mold on my lipstick?

Mold does not die easily - meaning, if you scraped the outer layer, it would grow right back. Once mold spores are in something, they are almost always there to stay. Scraping the outer layer of mold will not remove it.

Is it OK to use expired makeup?

One of the first rules of beauty products is not to use it after it expires. But is it OKAY to expired makeup? No. Even if the beauty product looks and smells okay, if it’s past its shelf life, it could still cause some type of infection.

Keeping and using makeup beyond its expiry date is not only gross, but it’s potentially dangerous. No matter how clean you may be, natural bacteria from your skin makes its way into your makeup, which means that you’re reapplying that bacteria (after it has had a chance to multiply in your makeup) back onto your skin. It's unhealthy.

This can lead to rashes and infections, which can be particularly dangerous for your lips. Don’t hold on to old makeup, no matter how much you love it.

How to tell if makeup is expired?

First of all, the product may not apply the way it used to. What used to be smooth is now streaking, clumping, or difficult to put on. If your makeup is causing breakouts or other skin irritations, it’s more than likely expired.

Next, if your product smells off or has lost the good smell it used to have, it’s probably past its expiration date.

Lastly, you can test the color. If the foundation that used to match your skin is now a different shade it could be expired. If that vibrant lipstick is now a dull shade, it’s best to discard.

If you can’t remember when you bought that lipstick in your drawer, or any makeup for that matter, toss it! 

Are there certain shades of lipstick older women should wear?

Hey, we have a whole blog post on the subject -What color lipstick should an older women wear?