Expired Makeup/skincare and Samples

[Anonymous]

At what point would you toss unopened samples and opened but maybe not used makeup/skincare? I didn't use a lot of things while I was pregnant and breastfeeding and now I'm wondering if some of them should go in the garbage.

[Kim888]

@Anonymous 

It definitely depends on the product for me. For most makeup products (except mascara and eyeliner) I basically ignore expiration dates. I know my products so unless the product has changed texture, smell, color or performs differently I assume it's fine. Especially for powder products like eye shadow or blush - I'm not going to replace expensive palettes every year or throw out limited edition stuff. I do replace my mascara/ eyeliner every 3-6 months because I have sensitive eyes. Also for anything that has spf the spf may not be potent/as effective after a year so that's something to consider. 

For skin care I generally stick to the 1 year guideline - I just feel like there's much more that can go wrong there and many products smell  to begin with so it's harder to tell if something is wrong. Same with samples - i generally try not to use samples past 1 year especially since they are generally items I am not familiar with so there's less chance I would know if it was off.