Beauty & Style Products and Advice from Celebrity Stylist Andy Paige

Spring Closet Cleaning #2

Spring Cleaning #2: Your Beauty Products!

Earlier, we talked about cleaning out your closet and optimizing your wardrobe by paring down to your best-fitting and most fabulous items, and building from there.

This week we are going to do the same thing for your beauty bag or bathroom cabinet!

We all have beauty items that we’ve had for YEARS…

YEARS!!!!

Whether it’s the free lipstick we received as a gift-with-purchase, the expensive stuff we were convinced to buy at the department store and never used, or the items that we bought with high hopes that proved to be huge let-downs.

We do not know what to do with this stuff, so we just hold on to it! We move it from house to house, keep it stacked and at the ready. If ever the mood or occasion strikes to wear it or try it again, we will be prepared. We just hoard it, because (we tell ourselves) we may need it, and replacing it is expensive!

Insert buzzer sound here!

Actually, the longest we should hold on to any of our beauty products is 3 years. And that goes for everything from shampoo to foot cream. Just let it go. The doctor bills and prescriptions to cover the infections and rashes are not worth the money we think we’re saving.

Here is a basic timeline for discarding many beauty items:

Keep in mind that anything that goes in or around your eyes will naturally have a much shorter shelf-life. You should not take any chances there.

Also note, that if you want to extend the life of your products, it’s best NOT to keep them in the bathroom. The irregular temperature and humidity spikes increase bacteria growth and decrease product effectiveness.

So start tossing!

And when you start to replace old items, save your receipts. Most drugstores now allow you 30 days to return cosmetic and beauty items you don’t like!

You can do it!