Spring is at our door! Spring means spring cleaning! Today, we're going to help you clean up your beauty products.
STEP 1 : sort out
First, take all your products out of the cupboard and sort them by category. This will give you an overall idea of what you own.
Next, get rid of expired products. We know it's hard if it's your favorite lipstick but if it's expired it's for a reason.
You can find the expiration date on each bottle, tube or jar with a small "M" preceded by a number. This corresponds to the shelf life of the product once opened.
To help you, we have prepared a list with the average expiration date of products after opening:
- All moisturizing products, anti-wrinkle creams, eye care products generally have a shelf life that varies from 6 to 9 months;
- The make-up remover lasts 12 months;
- For the fluid foundation, one can also count 12 months;
- The cream foundation generally lasts less time: 6 to 12 months;
- Eyeshadows, blushes and powders can be kept for 12 to 36 months;
- Eyeliner and mascara have a shorter shelf life: only 3 to 6 months;
- For perfumes, it is on average 3 years but only if they are protected from light and heat;
- Shampoos and shower gels last from 24 to 36 months;
- Nail polish lasts 2 years;
- Finally, sun protection products can only be kept for one season. After this date, they are no longer protective.
Note that if cosmetics are exposed to large temperature variations or to the sun, this can cause a change in the product and thus alter it (texture, color, fragrance). If this is the case, even if the date is not yet reached, it is better to throw it away.
STEP 2 : Clean your products
For the survivors of this first step, we move on to cleaning.
To do this, put a few drops of 70° alcohol on a clean cloth to disinfect the products. Do not forget to clean the edges of the tubes where the bacteria hide.
For make-up brushes, we differentiate between natural hair brushes, more delicate, and synthetic hair brushes, easier to clean.
For the first ones, we grate a light quantity of soap in a glass of hot water. Then, clean delicately the brushes gently and without rubbing at the risk of damaging the hair. Rinse with clear water and dry them on a towel in a horizontal position to avoid damaging the handle. Once again, do not rub the hair.
For synthetic brushes, you can lather the soap in your hands and clean the brushes under the tap. To dry them you can simply use a clean cloth.
Don't forget to clean your makeup bag regularly so that your efforts are not in vain.
Finally, to clean your hairbrush, nothing could be easier. Start by removing the hair from the brush. Then, soak it in a basin of warm water with mild shampoo or baking soda. Gently scrub the bristles with mild shampoo to make sure all the particles are gone. For brushes with a wooden handle, do not leave them in the water for too long as this could damage them.
Don't forget to disinfect your brush with a little white vinegar. This will allow to sanitize and dissolve the last dead cells which can be encrusted in the pins of your brush. For that, in a basin, pour in the same quantity of white vinegar and tepid water. For the rinsing, it is also with tepid water.
When your brush is clean, dry it in the open air by directing the bristles downwards to not deform them.
STEP 3 : Organize the storage
Once everything is sorted and cleaned, all that's left to do is put it away. This can be the perfect time to rearrange everything.
Happy cleaning!