When in Doubt; Toss it Out!

Don’t you just love the beginning of the New Year? A new chapter, a clean slate so full of promise. It’s a time to create vision boards, make resolutions, begin new a workout program or create a new master “to do” list for the rest of the year. It’s also the perfect time to purge and rid your life, closet and medicine cabinet of unnecessary clutter.

As consumers, most of us are guilty of not only over spending, but over buying as well. If we like a tee shirt in one color, why not buy it in every color? The problem with that mindset is that we often end up with more than we need and these items that were meant to bring us joy soon become an albatross around our necks because we become besieged by it. Why do you think there are so many self-storage businesses around town? They are making a killing off our consumerism at about $200 per month and that’s on the low end! 

Enter the beginning of the New Year. It’s all shiny like a new penny and we’re all full of hope and optimism how this year will be different and so much better than the last was. And it can be. It absolutely can be. Big projects can be tackled, but we suggest you start with something small. Something that is relatively easy to accomplish, but will nevertheless give you that boost of confidence and sense of accomplishment you need to tackle an even bigger project. After all, half the battle of accomplishing anything is just getting started. Once you’ve got the momentum going there’s no telling how far you’ll get!

So, where should you start? Well, the most obvious choice would be your closet naturally, but since we’re a spa, we’re going to stick with what we know: skincare and makeup. But, because we like to help, we will offer you this bit of advice as seen on the new Netflix series, “Tidying Up,” our new obsession. When going through your closet take all of your clothes and place them on the bed. Go through each item and hold it. If the item does not “spark joy” for you; get rid of it. Only hold onto items that you really have a connection with and part with the rest. Now, onto skincare and make up...

Unlike clothing, we cannot hang onto to skincare or makeup items because we have an attachment to them. Or rather, we can, but we cannot continue use them on our face. Whether you know it or not, beauty products have expiration dates. Using skincare products past their expiration date may not harm you, but it will most certainly render the product ineffective. If the shelf life for your moisturizer is 6 months, don’t expect to see the same results in month 9 or even 8. Most skincare products contain anti-oxidants and skin replenishing ingredients that degrade over time and become less effective. And if your products are labeled “preservative free,” you should be doubly concerned because without any type of preservative system in place contamination is a real possibility.

The same holds true for makeup. In addition, when it comes to makeup, throw out any mascara, eyeshadow and/or eyeliner you may have used if you experienced any type of eye infection. Those items become notoriously contaminated and could result in another eye infection. Also, make sure that you aren’t sharing any of your makeup items either to further prevent the possibility of infection. 

 

                               

                                     When to Toss

Most products vary when it comes to their expiry date. And unfortunately, most expiration dates are found on the packaging and not the actual product. However, many skincare products carry a PAO (Period After Opening) symbol (a number followed by and M and an open jar icon). This symbol tells you how months after opening a product, it should be thrown away. For example, if “6M” would mean the product should be disposed of 6 months after opening. Since this information isn’t typically on the actual product, we recommend you use a Sharpie to write it on the bottle yourself.

Worse case scenario, smell it and check consistency. If anything smells or looks off; it’s best to just toss it out. To follow are some basic guidelines when it comes to expiration dates and your products. These dates vary of course, and will depend largely on the conditions in which your products have been stored (kept out of the heat, away from air and light, fingers have been kept out of containers, etc.).

Makeup

· Mascara (regular or waterproof) and eyeliner: 3-6 months. Always toss out dry mascara

· Cream, liquid, or stick foundation/concealers: 6 months to a year

· Powder-based products (including blush, bronzer, etc.): 2-3 years

· Lipstick, lip gloss and lip pencils: 2-3 years

Skincare

· Cleansers: 1 year

· Toners: 6 months to a year

· Facial or body moisturizers and serums: 6 months to a year

· Lip balm: 1 year

Remember to always wash your hands before applying any skincare or makeup products. Always store your products in a cabinet or drawer and tighten/secure the cap after each use. Don’t use any products, this includes sunscreen, past its due date and if any of the products smell, or look questionable; do not use them on your face. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!