Toss Your Vintage Makeup

October 23, 2018

I just recorded a call with Melody of MelodyGranger.com, the organizational expert who works with entrepreneurs to help them run efficient businesses from home. This call was for her clients, who are working to eliminate clutter and free up valuable creative brain space. Don't you love that? (She is also a Style Essentials customer, by the way). Melody offers a four-week course called Get it Done, and each week she focuses on helping women clean and clear out a different area of their home.

This week's topic was the bathroom and dressing room; the area where you keep your makeup. She called me in to help her fabulous clients clear out their makeup and skin care drawers. Here are some of the highlights of our call.

Toss your vintage makeup

It is important to toss older products as they become breeding grounds for bacteria. This can cause all sorts of discomfort for you; itchy eyes, scaly red skin, breakouts, eye infections, boils, abscesses. Egads! (Got that word from the movie The Music Man, and I adore it). Let's avoid all this, and do a good clean-out

Where do you keep your makeup and skin care?

Did you know the bathroom is the worst place to keep your makeup and skin care? Think about it. Bacteria does it's thing best by growing in warm, moist, dark environments. The bathroom. Now, having said that, I do keep my makeup in my bathroom. I am just scrupulous about keeping my makeup area clear and up to date. An alternative, and this is a fantastic idea from Melody, keep your daily beauty products in a pretty basket, organized with mason jars, and keep that basket in your bedroom. It will be pretty, and each morning you can carry it with you into the bathroom. Or not. I love the idea of it though. Perhaps that will work for you?

What about your purse? Do you carry your makeup in your purse? This is another not-so great place for makeup in terms of collecting bacteria. Again - warm and dark. I realize that in reality, you want to carry your makeup with you. So carry on. One thing though... I do not suggest carrying your mascara in your purse. More about this in a minute...

Speaking of makeup bags, keep your makeup bag clean. Do you have lipsticks, or eye pencils without lids? Toss them. The lids help to keep the products clean and sanitary.

Let's go back to mascara. Mascara is one of the worst offenders for bacterial infections. The preservation system is designed to last only 3 months. After that, you are taking your chances. Toss after 3 months.

Bacteria builds up

Bacteria builds up on makeup. Here a few tips to help avoid this:

Sharpen lip and eye pencils more often
Wipe down lipsticks
keep lids tight on products
wash brushes every other week.
check expiration dates on your products

Did you know? If a product with an active ingredient is expired, it can actually do you harm? Sunscreen will not protect you. Other active ingredients can irritate your skin. Ouch.

Important Note: Pure mineral makeup will not go bad. Will not spoil. Will not collect bacteria. LOVE!

Thank you, Melody. You are awesome. I adore the work you do in the world.

Click here for your cheat sheet on makeup expiration dates

Simple Beauty Minerals. Always 100% Guaranteed.

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