Update Your Skin Care & Beauty Arsenal

Even though it's not technically spring yet, I'm already itching to clear out the old and bring in the new. I've been cleaning out my living space, throwing away things that should have been tossed long ago, and beginning the process of sorting through my beauty products. It's not that I'm a product junkie...but I do hold onto things a little too long.

If you're ready to revamp and declutter your beauty supply, here's some help. As part of the "12 Months To Transform Your Skin" series, get tips on how to update your skin care arsenal to include healthy, effective products. From identifying expired formulas to extending the life of your products, read on for expert advice.

As you peruse your products, there are two important questions you should ask when deciding whether to keep or toss a formula:

1. Does this product meet my skin care needs?

First, identify your skin type and create goals for improving your skin care routine based on its condition. As you sort through products, use this information to determine whether the formula meets your skin care needs. For example, if your existing night cream isn’t formulated to address your aging skin, then it’s time to consider a new formula.

2. Is this product past its prime?

From the pink shadow that was so hot in high school to those last remaining drops of a favorite perfume, deep inside our beauty bags and bathroom cabinets are some seriously outdated products. While frugality, feelings of nostalgia and a pack rat mentality can make it difficult to part with these products, doing so is essential to ensure healthy skin and an effective beauty arsenal.

Don’t let expired skin care sabotage your beauty goals. While a growing number of products include an expiration date, most are unlabeled. Here’s how long your formulas will last:

Face

• Face makeup

• Powder: 2 years

• Foundation – water based: 1 year

• Foundation – oil based: 1.5 years

• Concealer: 6 to 8 months

• Sunscreen: 6 months (or follow the expiration date listed on package)

• Cleansers and moisturizers: 6 months

• Toners: 1 year

• Acne and aging treatments: 6 months to 1 year (in pump bottle)

Eyes

• Mascara: 3 to 4 months

• Eyeliner

• Pencil: 3 to 5 years

• Liquid: 3 to 4 months

• Eyeshadow

• Powder: 2 to 3 years

• Cream: 6 months

Lips

• Lip gloss and lipstick: 2 years

• Lip liner: 3 to 5 years

Body

• Body lotion: 2 to 3 years

• Bar soap and shower gel: 3 years

• Bath oil: 1 year

• Perfume: 2 years (longer if stored out of direct sunlight)

• Shaving cream: 2 years

• Deodorant: 2 years

• Nail polish: 1 to 2 years

Hair

• Shampoo and conditioner: 3 years

• Styling products: 3 to 5 years

Natural products

While we love natural and organic beauty products, it’s important to note that these formulas tend to have shorter shelf lives than their conventional counterparts. Good Housekeeping explains that these products tend to include pure botanical extracts, oils and pulps that are a good breeding ground for microbes. Also, natural preservatives like essential oils are only used in small amounts and aren’t as strong as synthetic compounds when it comes to preventing the breakdown of ingredients.

Tips for maintaining updated, effective formulas

• Keep a list. If you struggle to keep track of how old your formulas are, consider keeping a list posted on the inside of a bathroom cabinet or tucked inside a drawer where it’s easy to find.

• Label products. Using a permanent marker, label the date of purchase right on the package.

• Buy smaller formulas. For products that you use less frequently or seasonally, look for travel or trial sized formulas. This will prevent wasting precious product — and money — when it’s time to toss any leftovers.

• Start with clean hands. Ni’Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist at Cosmetech Laboratories in New Jersey, explains that every time you touch your makeup or skin care formulas, you transfer germs to them — and subsequently to your face. Avoid this by always starting with clean hands. Or, better yet, avoid directly touching your products, and instead use disposable applicators.

• Store in a linen closet. While the bathroom cabinet is the most convenient place to store cosmetics and lotions, it’s not the best. Bathrooms tend to be the warmest and most humid room in the house — which contributes to the breakdown of ingredients and growth of bacteria. Instead, find a cool, dry place like a linen closet to stash your beauty products.

• Pick pumps. Pump dispensers reduce the amount of air and bacteria exposed to the formula and extend the life of the product. Pump dispensers are especially useful for body washes, shampoos and conditioners that are stored in the shower where it gets especially hot and humid.

• Avoid re-infection. If you come down with infections like pink eye or cold sores, you should toss any products that may have come into contact with the germs. Also — for this reason — never share makeup!

• Wash brushes. The bristles in your brushes can easily trap bacteria, dirt and other impurities. Experts recommend washing natural bristled brushes once a month, and those with synthetic bristles once a week using mild soap, baby shampoo or a brush cleanser.

• Use your senses. One of the best ways to maintain clean, effective formulas is to use your senses. It’s a sign to toss a product if you:

• Smell strange odors
• See visible changes in color, or the formula separates
• Feel changes in consistency or texture

Prime products for better beauty

If you wouldn’t pour expired cream into your coffee, then why would you line your lashes with outdated mascara? Stay healthy — and beautiful — from head to toe by maintaining an up-to-date and effective stash of beauty formulas.

What are your "spring cleaning" beauty methods?