The Shelf Life Of Your Beauty Products Matters (Win!)

It’s a new year, so let’s have a fresh start with beauty products that are pre-pandemic … and older?! We spoke with da lish founder Melanie Cruickshank about the importance of shelf life when it comes to makeup and skincare products, and got her top tip to keep our regime fresh, clean and up to date! —Noa Nichol

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start!

My name is Melanie Cruickshank, I’m the founder of clean beauty brand da lish cosmetics and I have a true passion for everything clean luxurious beauty. I was born to wear lipstick and heels, as my mother would say! I enjoy foreign crime shows and may have a slight addiction to Le Gourmand Chocolate Chip & Peanut Butter Cookies. Jenga queen and taco aficionado.

When and why did you launch da lish? What niche were/are you aiming to fill?

I launched da lish at a time when clean beauty wasn’t as readily available as it is now. It was still very granola and didn’t offer fun shades that have a pop of colour. I wanted my everyday essentials that were mimicked after my fave designer conventional products but without all the unessecary filler. My clientele has grown with me over the years and now I would say I cater to the 40-plus demographic and my secondary is women who have had, are going through or just beat cancer, skin aliments, food aleregies or they’ve used the same products for 10 years and they’re now having reactions to them. This can be due to a build up over time.

What products do you currently offer, and what makes them unique?

da lish currently has 37 products, where as most beauty lines are closer to the 200 to 300 mark in product offerings. This is because da lish is a curated line of your daily essentials. All our products are cream based and can be mixed together to great new shades and looks.

Today we’re talking about beauty expiration dates; when does the shelf life of a product start, and why is paying heed to its end date so important?

The expiration starts once the products has been opened and the seal has been broken. On average this is what the breakdown looks like for products:

• Foundations and concealers: two years
• Lipsticks: two years if you clean them properly with a tissue to wipe the layers away
• Lip glosses: two years, but don’t use while not feeling 100 per cent
• Cream blushes: two years if you clean them properly with a tissue to wipe the layers away
• Pencils: two years if you sharpen them regularly
• Powders: two years; give them a good wipe with a tissue to remove the layers
• Mascara: six months due to bacteria in the eye. Don’t risk getting an eye infection.
• Sunscreen: one year. This is something you don’t want to use old, as the SPF will be much less over time than what it was when you purchased it

Do different types of beauty products expire at different times/speeds (i.e., does perfume last longer than sunscreen, or do organic products expire more quickly than non)? Why?

This really depends on the products. Conventional products tend to have a longer shelf life as they’re chalk full of chemical preservatives. If perfume is stored properly it can last the longest! I still have my mother’s perfume from 20 years ago: Chanel No. 5 and it’s still just as fabulous! But don’t leave it in the bathroom; the heat and humidity will compromise the integrity of the fragrance. As for sunscreen, the SPF will break down over time and not be as effective as when you first purchased it after a year. I just would replace it, as a burn isn’t something you want to risk getting.

How long “should” beauty products typically last, from opening? Is there anything that would make a product expire more quickly, or before its time?

You should get a solid year before you notice any separation if any, and if you store items in the bathroom the humidity of the shower over a long period of time can possibly change the formulation, but that really effects perfumes more than anything.

Where can we find the expiration date on our beauty products? Are they easy to spot, or are they hiding?

Look for the lid with the number in it. It’s required by Health Canada so it will be on all products. This is for Canada, the U.S. and EU.

How can we extend the life of our beauty products? Top tips?

Don’t keep them in a place where they’re next to heat or can get super cold. Make sure the lids, containers are tightly closed. You don’t want your products to dry out if they aren’t properly closed.

When should we absolutely give a product a toss (even if it breaks our hearts)?

If you’ve had them since before the pandemic, toss them. Eye products that are longer then six months old: toss. This is due to eye bacteria and you can end up with an eye infection. Anything that is separating and after a good shake won’t go back to the original consistency … TOSS!

dalishcosmetics.com

Win! A $250 da lish Gift Card!

Congrats Joelle Z. of Mississauga, ON, who will receive a $250 gift card from da lish and a remote custom colour profile with Melanie! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.