Are you interested in purchasing mascara but unsure about how long mascara lasts? Using mascara, you can enhance the look of your eyelashes. Specifically, it darkens, thickens, or extends eyelashes or defines them. Today’s mascara products come in liquids, powders, and creams form. But how long will it last?
The average lifespan of a good mascara is between three and six months. And for that reason, you shouldn’t hold on to your favourite mascara for longer than this. The use of an old tube of mascara can lead to eye infections. Therefore, it’s a good idea to swap out your old tube each season to ensure safety.
What is Mascara?
Mascara is a cosmetic product used for enhancing the appearance of eyelashes. It helps to darken or thicken the eyelashes, extend them, or define them.
Modern mascara products typically come in a liquid, powder, or cream form. They are all made up of pigments, oils, waxes, and preservatives, usually all of the same essential ingredients.
One of the most common types of mascara is a tube of liquid. Mascaras contain pigments, polymers, thickening agents, and preservation agents that lengthen, darken, and thicken.
Pigment plays a significant role in providing colour to your eyelids, mainly dark brown or black. When brown pigments are present, they usually come from black carbon or iron oxide.
Carbon Black, created in a laboratory by incomplete combustion of fuel, consists of a solid or a powdery form of carbon. Polymer is responsible for coating each lash and giving it a thicker and more extended look.
Most of the time, they are methylcellulose, porcelain gum, or ceresin, which is a polymer that helps cloves stick together. The label’s thickening agents are usually waxes and oils such as beeswax and paraffin.
How Long Does Unopened Mascara Last?
When you open a makeup or cosmetic package, you should follow the expiration date listed on the packaging. Due to the lack of a stamp, it may be hard to determine whether an unopened mascara has a seal or not.
If packaged correctly in a cool, dry environment, you can keep most makeup for 2 to 3 years when unopened and completely sealed. However, creamier products may turn rancid sooner, containing oil or butter.
The formulation of natural makeup without a strong preservative can also go wrong, even when screened. You can learn about the day it expires from the symbol printed on the product. The symbol depicts the shelf life of the product.
It would be best if you threw away your makeup when it had expired. If you wait to use it, you might still be healthy, but you won’t benefit from its full potential. In some cases, products such as lip liners and eyeliners can remain valid for a long time since you can sharpen them.
If you want to make sure your makeup lasts longer, make sure you wash your hands before you apply it, keep your makeup brushes clean regularly, and avoid splitting them.
Will the Mascara Dry out If You Have Not Opened It?
If you haven’t opened your mascara and keep it in a cool and dry place, it will not dry out. However, No matter what, you should not stay unopened mascara for longer than three years.
However, if you wonder how long mascara will last unopened, open it. If you store an unopened, expired mascara properly, it will remain suitable for two years.
You must not use the item if it feels odd when you open it or are unsure if it is safe. For example, if it has changed colour or becomes thick and gloppy, you should avoid using it.
What Happens When You Use Expired Mascara?
If you wear the expired mascara longer, it may flake off your face and not deliver your desired result. A person’s eyelashes protect their eyes from contaminants in the air and environmental particles.
Therefore, when you use mascara and dip the wand into the tube again, whatever is on the lashes will enter the tube. Here is where potential problems can arise. If the wand touches the mucus membrane of the eye, problems can arise.
Conclusion
Since mascara has a shelf life between three and six months, you shouldn’t keep it for too long. If you use an old mascara tube, you risk getting an infection in your eyes.
For this reason, replacing your old tube every season is a good idea. However, if you have a sealed mascara that you have not even opened yet, its self-life might be a bit different.
Most mascara will keep for 2 to 3 years if it has a proper seal and is packed in a cool, dry environment.