All cosmetics have a shelf life, and lipstick is no exception. Before understanding the shelf life of lipstick, let’s first clarify two concepts: unopened shelf life and used shelf life.
01
Unopened shelf life
The unopened shelf life is the well-known production batch number and date, which is usually printed directly on the outer packaging of the product. It refers to the period from the moment the product is produced to the time it expires.
Because before the lipstick is unpacked, the paste is in a sealed environment and will not come into contact with air, so the shelf life will be longer. In China, the unopened shelf life of lipstick is generally three years.
But once the lipstick is opened and the environment the paste is in is no longer “clean”, its service life becomes shorter.
02
shelf life
The period of time from when the lipstick is unpacked and used until it deteriorates is the shelf life of the lipstick.
However, due to various reasons, even lipsticks of the same brand have inconsistent shelf life. Mainly linked to storage conditions and lipstick usage habits~
Here is a little tidbit about lipstick. The storage conditions of lipstick are actually quite particular.
Lipstick (specifically lipstick) is a cosmetic composed of oils, waxes, colorants and fragrances. Among them, oils/waxes, as the backbone of lipstick, are most afraid of high temperature and humidity. Once encountered, they will either melt or deteriorate, giving you no chance to react.
Moreover, when we apply lipstick, the oil in the lipstick can easily absorb some dust and fluff in the air, which is also an important reason for the deterioration of lipstick.
So let alone expired lipstick, even if it is not expired, it may have “deteriorated” quietly and cannot be used!
One of the most straightforward ways is to check the shelf life of your lipstick. After the time has passed, the lipstick has expired, so don’t use it anymore.
In addition, some lipsticks expire early due to personal bad usage habits. At this time, the lipstick will also issue some expiration warnings to you, telling you that you can no longer use it.
01
Lipstick “drops”
I believe everyone has encountered such a situation. One day, I wanted to take the lipstick out of my bag to touch up my makeup, but found that there were inexplicable water droplets on the lipstick, and the paste was still soft, as if it was about to melt.
This situation usually occurs in summer. Yes, lipstick sweating is mostly caused by the environment temperature being too high or experiencing a large temperature difference. (For example, you just moved from an air-conditioned room to the sun)
Furthermore, the water droplets that appear on the lipstick are actually not water, but oil. The oil contained in the lipstick seeps out of the paste in a high-temperature environment and appears on the surface of the lipstick, forming “water beads”.
In this case, generally put the lipstick in a cool place in time, which will not affect the use. But if the lipstick does this repeatedly for a long time, it is not recommended to use it.
02
Lipstick smells bad
The peculiar smell here refers specifically to the smell of oil.
Some lipsticks on the market add vegetable oil ingredients such as grape seed oil and jojoba oil. These oils are easily oxidized when exposed to sunlight and air, causing rancidity and oxidation. The oil smell is one of its sequelae.
In this case, let alone the fact that the lipstick has deteriorated and cannot be used, no one would be willing to use it just because it smells bad. Be obedient, let this one go, and we’ll buy a new one.
03
Lipstick appears obviously deteriorated
When the lipstick has obvious mildew spots and hairy spots, don’t take chances anymore. I can only tell you:
In fact, in daily life, most people, including myself, don’t pay much attention to the storage conditions of lipstick. Little do they know that this may accidentally damage a lot of lipstick~
Finally, I would like to summarize today’s article: It is best not to use expired lipstick. It makes sense to believe in the shelf life. Secondly, you should store the lipstick that has not expired and try to extend its life.
Post time: Apr-18-2024