It will range from 6 months to 2 years
Although makeup products' main aim is to enhance our beauty, some ingredients used in makeup products help repair our skin and also maintain the skin.
The same ingredients upon reaching the expiry date tend to react and form harmful substances.
These substances might cause serious breakouts.
So how long does a concealer take to expire?
There are different types of concealers and each type takes a different time to expire.
For example, liquid and cream concealer will expire faster than powdered concealer.
The quality of the concealer also determines how long it will take for your concealer to expire.
You will therefore need to know how concealers react when they expire.
Since the information provided above cannot help you determine if your concealer is expired, I will give a detailed guide on how you can tell if your concealer is expired.
Don’t go anywhere.
How long can you keep concealer?
Most people tend to use makeup products until the last drop.
This is however very dangerous because all products have a shelf life.
As for the concealers, the life span ranges from 6 months to 2 years.
Most liquid concealers are water or oil-based.
They, therefore, tend to attract more bacteria build up.
For that reason, powdered concealer will last longer than liquid or cream concealers.
Opened concealers also tend to go bad faster than unopened concealers of the same brand.
Therefore, when shopping for concealers, check the expiry date.
Do not buy a concealer that is 6 months old or more on the shelves.
Your concealer might lose its efficiency before you make good use of it.
Always ensure that you have stored concealers in a cool place that is not too cold or warm.
Places like the bathroom or the kitchen should be avoided when it comes to storing concealers.
Do not leave the concealers open.
Quality concealers will also last longer than low-quality concealers.
High-quality products use ingredients that are both helpful to the skin and take longer to go bad.
Low-quality concealers on the other hand use generic ingredients that might contain harmful chemicals.
Harmful substances found in expired products can cause skin irritation and in severe cases skin cancer.
So, it is better to throw away any expired concealer.
Sometimes, the concealer might go bad before the expiry date.
I will therefore give you some tips you can use to tell if your concealer is expired.
How do I know if my concealer is expired?
It is not always possible to tell the expiry date of makeup products.
For that reason, you might find yourself using an expired product without your knowledge.
I will therefore give you some ways you can tell if your concealer is expired.
- It starts to smell
Most concealers will change their normal smell once they oxidize. It might be time to check the expiry date of your concealer once you notice a change in smell.
- Change in color
Concealers might start changing color once they get to expiry. Check if the concealer is still it's original after a few months of use.
- Check for any clumps
Your concealer might start forming clumps which are usually associated with bacteria. The clumps might even start forming molds. Molds might cause serious breakouts.
- Change in texture
Ingredients in the concealers might start separating: others clumping while others melt.
You can feel the texture of your concealer and notice any change if it is expired.
There are high chances your concealer is expired if you notice the listed signs.
How long does unopened concealer last?
Most concealers last between 6 months to 2 years.
This however changes once the concealer is opened.
An unopened concealer cannot oxidize or collect any germs from the environment.
For that reason, it will last longer than an opened concealer.
Opened concealers last somewhere between 6 months to 1 year.
- A liquid concealer will go bad faster than a powdered concealer.
- High-quality concealer will also last longer than a low-quality concealer.
Always check the manufacturer's expiry date before buying a concealer. Do not pick a concealer that is 6 months older on the shelves.
How often should you replace concealer?
According to the dermatologist, you should always replace your concealer 6-12 months after you open the products.
This is because the concealer might start reacting to form harmful substances that are irritating to the skin.
Unopened concealers last up to 2 years without going bad.
After that, the concealer loses its efficiency.
It might even irritate your skin and cause serious skin conditions.
Do not pick a concealer that is more than 6 months old on the shelves.
It might end up losing its efficiency before you have used it for a long.
Do not make mistakes of using the concealer until the last drop.
There is no added advantage of using an expired concealer.
On many occasions, you might end up causing more harm to your skin.
What happens if you use an expired concealer?
It is not uncommon for a person to use a concealer that is expired without their knowledge.
There will be no harm in using an expired concealer for the first few times.
The problem arises when you use a concealer that is bad for a long time.
Expired concealers contain harmful chemicals that might pose more harm than good to your skin.
Check for the signs discussed above on how to tell if a concealer is bad.
If there are any signs of expiry ditch your concealer.
Conclusion
No matter how good your concealer makes you look, once it gets to expiry, you cannot mess with the product.
Ingredients contained in the concealer react with each other to form harmful substances.
These substances will react with your skin and form irritating breakouts.
Always check if the concealer has finished its shelf life before buying concealer.
In most cases, it is advisable to buy a concealer that has not stayed in the store for 6 months.
Your concealer will lose its efficiency faster.
Our guide above will be of great help when you are buying your concealer.
