Old toiletries

caffeinehit · 19 June 2006 at 10:35PM

I found a box of cosmetics and toiletries last night that's been lurking in a dark recess of my room for a few years. Must be over £100 worth of stuff in there, and I've been blithely adding to Boots' coffers without realising I didn't need to. :mad:

So to save me (hopefully) from chucking the whole lot, I'm wondering what will still be OK after several years (I'm guessing about 5) and what will need to go and clog up our local sewage works.

The nail polish is definitely out, as is sunscreen which I gather loses its effectiveness after 2 years or so. Lipsticks have small greasy blobs on their surface but seem OK once they're wiped off, and pressed powder/eyeshadow look fine too - but is it terribly unhygienic to use cosmetics after such a long time? Shampoo, body wash etc (previously opened) smell fine, as does toothpaste (not opened). Self tan looks OK but I'm a bit nervous of what might happen to my legs if I risked it...

Thanks for any advice!

calleyw · 19 June 2006 at 10:46PM

I am a bit funny about things like that. On most items now like shampoo etc it tells you how long it will last once opened.

If you think it is 5 years old I personally would bin it.

Was the makeup opened and used before. Because with items like eyeshadow and mascara there can be bugs in it that make you go blind. That is why you should not use your fingers to put makeup on with (Unlike my mother :rolleyes: )and wash brushes once a week or so. And after about 6 months or so according to the experts you should bin it all.

Mind you it takes me for ever to use up lipsticks wish they would make them in smaller tubes.

Yours

Calley

Jays · 19 June 2006 at 10:52PM

I would not use the lipsticks, the fats they make them with go off quite quickly, some advise 3/6 months but I'm not that particular, but would not risk 5 years.

You are right about the sunscreens too.

Jays

r.mac_2 · 20 June 2006 at 8:48AM

hiya

i would be tempted to bin any make up that was already opened. Especially eye make-up.

Bin the sunscreen and fake tan.

Toothpaste should be fine - as should anything else not opened. I also don't see a problem with the shampoo. open it and squirt some out to smell/look at.

black-saturn · 20 June 2006 at 9:09AM

Anything thats not been opened and/or smells OK will be alright apart from the mascara and suncream and fake tan. I used a mascara once that I hadn't used for a while and ended up with a really swollen eye and had to be taken to accident and emergency.

If you've got anything vintage in there you could sell it on ebay as there are collectors of vintage cosmetics.

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Old toiletries

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