Beauty Alert! Blog » old make-up

Dr. Diane Chiu, dermatologist

Stacya — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:45:48 +0000

The first time I heard about Beauty Alert! Labels, I thought: “What a simple but brilliant idea…I can’t believe no one’s thought of it earlier!” As a cosmetic and medical dermatologist, I value the importance of what my patients are applying to their face and body. Every day, I advise people about what products are best for their skin, however I never had an effective way to counsel them about getting rid of products that have expired. Numerous scientific studies have shown that cosmetics can grow a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, especially once they are opened. “Organic” or “natural” products that contain fewer preservatives and thus seem “better for the skin” may actually become contaminated even more easily. Eye make-up in particular can be a potentially hazardous source of eye infections. We know that once a tube of mascara has been opened, 36% have microbial growth by 3 months*. Expired or contaminated products used on the skin may lead to skin irritation, rashes, or infections, especially if there are any breaks in the skin, such as with eczema or acne. Without expiration dates on the product packaging, it’s impossible to know when items should be thrown out. The people at Beauty Alert! have done their research and have taken the guesswork out about recommended product replacement times. Beauty Alert! Labels make it easy for me now to offer guidelines to my patients about disposing of potentially contaminated cosmetic products and ensuring their skin health.
Diane Chiu, M.D.
Dermatologist

Mascara and Your Eye Health

Stacya — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:03:04 +0000

Mascara, according to the FDA website, should be tossed between 2 and 4 months. Beauty Alert! says 3 months, because a medical journal* that published test results gives the actual levels of bacteria in a controlled test, and 3 seems to be the number. I have a client who gets a new mascara every month, so feel free to toss it sooner! But don’t hold onto your mascara, you are taking a big chance with your eye health. This is not a marketing strategy. The build up of bacteria in a product that you put near your eye can lead to eye infection.

*Optometry: Journal of the American Optometric Association, “Microbial contamination associated with mascara use,” October 2008.

We are in the LA Times!

Stacya — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:11:23 +0000

We are in the LA Times! “Cosmetics, skin-care products don’t last forever”
One of the best articles I have read on old make-up and crusty loofas. Yuck. And yikes.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/14/image/la-ig-beauty14-20100212

Face Powders

Stacya — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:19:03 +0000

Face Powder Does Not Last Forever

Today I did a photo shoot with David Hiller, photographer to the stars. He is as good shooting product as shooting Robert Downey Jr., and all the other cool people he has photographed over the years. While we were doing our Beauty Alert! photo shoot today, he admitted to me that he had powder in his kit that was well over 20 years old. MY GOD.
I can totally see how that could happen. It is a very old Joe Blasco powder he got back when he was in LA. Time does fly, people. And powder is dry, so it can be good for up to three years if you are not putting dirty tools in it, but really….yikes. Anyway, he doesn’t use it on anyone, so I am not ratting him out or anything, he just keeps it there like guys do. Anyway, check out David’s fantastic work…but do bring your own powder if he takes your picture!

Hoarding Lipsticks

Stacya — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:31:15 +0000

Over the years, I have heard about women (and maybe some men, too, who knows?) who hoard a certain color of lipstick because they are afraid the color will be discontinued. They will buy five or six lipsticks or glosses in the same exact shade or more than that. Since we probably can’t use up a lipstick in two months time, that is a lot of old make-up hanging around. There are so many cosmetic companies out there, the chances that you will not be able to match that shade again, even if you have to switch brands, is pretty slim. You will be able to. Time to face your fears and stop hoarding! Oils do go rancid, and lipstick has oils it. Preservatives do help, but the shelf life of an unopened container of make-up is maybe a little more than two years. Make-up should never smell rancid or musty. Mold and bacteria such as staph can grow when preservatives break down. Shopping for cosmetics is fun! And, perhaps there is another color that will look even better on you. There are some colors that look great on almost everyone….check out Chanel’s gloss in the color “Spark”.

Old Cosmetics, rashes, eye infections, or break outs

Stacya — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:36:46 +0000

I am looking forward to hearing your stories on all the crazy, itchy, horrible rashes you have had from using old crusty make-up. I know you want to tell me in person, and I am all ears! But I hope you will take the time to write it all down, right here!