How long does foundation last unopened?

[stephenny]

I was wondering if I  purchase foundation and if its not opened or used will it still be good in a few months from now or does it need to be used right away opened or not?

I see a good stock up price for my Laura Mercier foundation and I was going to buy three bottles assuming I won't really change color. Not sure if thats a wise option but the price is way to good to pass up for at least two bottles.

[mmmiu]

I stocked up on the armani luminous silk once and opened the last one after 2 years and still had it in its 3rd...I’m pretty sure it went bad because the finish wasn’t as beautiful as it used to be. I chucked it before getting to the halfway point... I noticed the pigments separating even if I shook it ever few uses.

my point is, I’d probably open and start using my new foundations within a year of purchase 

[SportyGirly125]

@stephenny I think as long as you don’t open it and let air in you should be fine. I have a bunch of foundations I haven’t opened yet that I have had for months. 

I think you shouldn’t keep them for years but at least start using them in a year. 

[itscarin]

@stephennyTheoretically, I believe an opened foundation is good indefinitely...  they have timelines posted on the bottom of the bottle like 6 mos for instance, which means that the product is good for 6 mos after it's been opened.  However, I do not know of an expiration date for an unopened foundation.

I wouldn't aim to buy back ups for anything that I expect would take me longer than 2 years to finish.  The reason being that 1. it could go bad but 2. even if it doesn't go bad, chances are there's going to be some other holy grail product you'll want to buy in the next 2-3 years, and then you'll buy it, with your poor LM foundation sitting at home, unloved, waiting to be used.

It's not really a deal if you end up throwing it out, is it?

Also, think about the extreme end of the "buy now, save for later" philosophy.  Why stop at 3 bottles of your favorite foundation?  Why not just buy a life time supply of your favorite foundation?  You'll go through 15 bottles of the stuff over the course of your life, right?

Another reason not to buy too many bottles of foundation is that even if it is unopened, you wouldn't want to put an old foundation on your face.  I probably wouldn't put a bottle of foundation on my face if it was manufactured 2010, even if it had been sealed the whole time.  Like I said earlier, I haven't heard of an expiration date for something that's been sealed, but I still wouldn't put something too old on my face. 

The other thing to consider is that foundation is liquid and liquids don't hold up as well as powders over time.  I would really suggest only buying ONE of the bottles.  If they're on sale, it *may* be because they're old stock and about to expire anyway.

[fieldsofclover]

It will stay good for quite a while if the bottles are unopened at all... opening them introduces air into the bottle (which will cause it to start slowly drying out) and testing/swatching will introduce bacteria, so leaving them alone until you're ready to use them, just as if they were still on a store shelf, is the key.

I wouldn't keep them around for 3-4 years or anything, but six months to a year should be totally fine.