Spring Clean Your Beauty Cabinet

As you change out your heavy winter skincare products for lighter spring and summer products, take the opportunity to spring clean your entire beauty cabinet! Keep reading for my quick guide on how to identify the expired, contaminated, or ineffective beauty and skincare products that are taking up space on your shelf.

We all want to squeeze as much life out of our favorite products as possible, but using expired skincare and makeup products can cause pain, irritation or even infection. If you’re experiencing any of these issues contact your dermatologist right away! As products age or become contaminated, the chemicals ingredients can separate and cause harm to the skin, or simply just become ineffective. To keep your skin feeling fresh, looking its best, and on the right track to evolving gracefully, regularly swapping out your products is a must.

The easiest way to check the lifespan of your skincare products is, of course, to look at the expiration date.

All European and most U.S. beauty products are marked with a “period after opening” date–typically a small “open jar” icon with a number indicating how many months the product lasts after opening. You’ll notice patterns among these dates (most sunscreens can last up to two years, while foundation and many other makeup products should be replaced after just six months) but for safety’s sake, you should still keep an eye on the dates of every individual product on your shelf. Furthermore, if you are using sunscreen correctly, you should be going through a bottle within a few weeks!

Now is the time to double check everything–even if the expiration date is far in the future!

I always remind patients to pay close attention to the look, feel, and smell of the products you put on your face each day. If a product suddenly changes in viscosity, texture, color, or smell, it should go straight into the trash (along any brushes or applicators regularly used to apply it).

Products can be contaminated with outside antigens from the air or your hands during use. To prevent this, and extend the shelf life of your products, always wash your hands before applying skincare or makeup (or touching your face anytime, really!), and store your products in a cool, dry space.

The bottom line is: a fresh face requires fresh products! You can restock on my daily Glow Pads or my other Marnie Nussbaum, MD products any time by calling the practice at (212) 220 0776. Reach out to schedule a consultation if you’ve noticed changes in your skin or feel like your favorite products just aren’t cutting it anymore because your skincare should remain up to date not only for the season but also for your changing needs.

Spring Clean Your Beauty Cabinet