BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Cosmetics contaminated make up

Ladies throw away tour old make up, i ended up in the hospital ER room yesterday with a severe skin infection (conjunctivitis) my whole eye area is so swollen, itchy, and painful even part of my forehead is swollen down to my cheek bone
renew your make up often (even if its every 3 months) I'm not sure as to how often. it is dangerous to reuse old make up.

Rosie,

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to hear that! You are absolutely right. We should not be using mascara for more than 3-4 months without replacing it. Eyeshadows however, can be used mcuh longer as well as concealers. But brushes must be washed weekly or at least monthly.

Did they tell you what caused the infection? Another thing I try to tell everyone is never line the inner rim of the eyes. This is very dangerous. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thanks Rebekah;
at first he thought i may have been bitten by some thing but that was ruled out; he told me to throw out all my old make up,
He also but me on antibiotics and a antibiotic ointment to put in the eye.
As soon as i got home i threw all my make up, its worth investing in new stuff.

Hope you're feeling better Rosie. I tend to keep makeup a long time since I don't wear it that often, but now I'm taking your advice. It isn't worth it.

I hope others will follow, i only wore mine once a week, i don't want any one to go through what i did.
good for you Chloe, throw it away

I used to keep mascara forever, too, but someone warned me about it, so now, I throw it out much sooner. I used to keep mascara till you couldn't get anymore out of the tube!

I really like the little samples I get with Clinique, too--that way, I don't feel like I'm wasting it.

Thanks for this great tip! I heard only recently about throwing away mascara after 3 months so I thought I'd start putting a piece of tape on mine when I buy it, with the date. I never can remember how long I've had one.

I know some of my eye shadow is way older than 3 months tho!

Eyeshadow does not fall under the 3 month rule. If you have eyeshadow for 1 year, that is fine. Just make sure you are cleaning your brushes.

i've noticed that many cosmetic packaging now has a symbol on it letting you know how long you can use it once it is opened...

I was just talking to my SIL about this and she thought I was over reacting. Make-up has a shelf life after we open it just like anything else we buy. Some things are suppose to be changed more regularly than others, like mascara. Rebekah mentioned cleaning brushes too which is also very important. Something with a little antibacterial in it wouldn't heart but plain soap and hot water is just as good.

Yikes, Rosie. What an experience. I'm really bad about keeping makeup too long. I hate throwing away anything that still has some use in it.
New Resolution: Clean out my makeup drawer!

That is why I hesitate to buy make-up. It is expensive and I might wear it two to three times a year - maybe. I hate tossing $50 or more down the drain. I have gravitated toward organic make-up too.
Is there any way to keep make-up safe longer? I have not had a problem but don't want to either.
Sheri

The manufacturers should make smaller containers for those who only wear makeup on occassion.

Lynne - I like that Idea. Actually since I only wear nail polish in the summer, I always buy those little ones that are like .99 at WalMart, but other make up is so expensive to be throwing it away!

Another spot of affordable make-up if you want to feel less guilty about throwing it out is Elf Costmetics. Everything they sell is $1. I've tried a number of their products from eyeshadow, face powder, nail polish and lip products and have been quite satisfied.

We have a go one dollar all there make up is just a dollar. my sister gets all her make up there.

i think it depends on what kind of makeup too. If its powder form its longevity is longer. Items like creams I keep in the fridge and only take enough out to use for a few weeks.