It’s about that time. When the half-used skincare bottles and clumpy mascara tubes have seen better days, and completely taken over your beauty counter, it is time for a little Spring cleaning. We’re all guilty of it, but for some reason, it is hard to retire those bottles that you’ve invested the time and energy into using. The truth is, the time you can set aside to go through all of those beauty products to finally see the surface of your counter will actually benefit you in the long run. If anything you’ll get your sanity back after seeing a decluttered counter and cut your time getting ready in half. Many of us tend to either get attached or lose track of time when it comes to beauty product expiration dates. It’s important to take a look and keep tabs on them so you can avoid risking irritation or infection. Beauty products don’t last forever, although we would like them to. We don’t have to dread Spring cleaning anymore, especially when it comes to your beauty counter. Here are a few of our tips for keeping your beauty counter looking its best with a little Spring cleaning.
Let’s Check Those Expiration Dates
Expiration dates on the makeup and skincare products we use are important in preventing breakouts or reactions once they reach that date. According to the FDA “There are no U.S. laws or regulations that require cosmetics to have specific shelf lives or have expiration dates on their labels.” It is left up to the manufacturers to make sure that product shelf life is determined and that products are safe for consumers. Most manufacturers have an open cream jar symbol found on the ingredients label on most beauty products, stating the number of months it is designed to last. This handy symbol is known as the period after opening, or PAO, lets you know how many months after opening the product you have to use it before expiring. There are many other factors that play into how long your beauty products will last. Some include dipping fingers into products, as it adds microorganisms to the product, mascara wands get exposed to bacteria each time it is used, and temperature changes can alter your products. Swapping out mascara after 2-4 months is highly recommended for this reason. Be sure to look at the packaging and clear out anything that is expired. Hanging on to old, expired products lessens the quality of it, and can even cause infections in some cases due to bacteria build-up. Not fun. If you’re still unsure about what is expired and what is not, take a look at these websites, Check Fresh or Cosmetic Calculator, to get a detailed expiration date using the batch number and brand name.
Time To Declutter
Now that all of those expired products are out of the picture, it’s the perfect time to create space for your most-used products. It is time to organize your products so it makes your life that much easier. Try to aim for having your most-loved products in view by using clear containers perfect for any “shelfie”. Not only will you have a picture-perfect makeup counter, but your morning routine will be a lot less hectic when it comes to finding your products. Throwing earrings, jewelry, and perfume on your dresser? Prevent that pile up on your dresser by adding a metal tray to place those little things, while dressing it up in the process. Try grouping products based on skincare, eyes, lips, etc., or organizing by color. This will help separate your products so they are easy to quickly find and use. Having an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive setup will help you feel more inclined to keep it that way. Placing your products in the order you use them, by pushing the most used products to the front will help to speed up the process of getting ready each morning while keeping your counter clear. Decluttering doesn’t have to be dreaded. Think of it as leveling up your next “shelfie”!