Old make-up can cause health problems

[Al-khiyal]

June 4, 2007 -- Women could be putting their health at risk by hanging on to old make-up.

A survey by the College of Optometrists, in London, found that 25 per cent of women used cosmetics more than four years old, which are riddled with bacteria.

Yet one in 10 admitted to suffering from conditions such as conjunctivitis, which may be triggered by the use of out-of-date make-up.

The survey also found that 92 per cent kept their mascaras longer than six months, almost two thirds were using eye make-up more than two years old and a quarter shared cosmetics with friends.

Dr Susan Blakeney, the college's optometric adviser, said: "Mascara is the most likely to be contaminated because it's wet. You put the wand on your eyelashes, then back into the tube where bacteria can grow, then back into the eye."

Bill Eyres, spokesman for The Body Shop, said: "For make-up around the eye, we recommend using it for no more than six months to a year - and no more than six months for mascara."

Old make-up can cause eye infections

[Al-khiyal]

June 3, 2007 -- Vintage fashion may be fabulous, but old make-up is putting women's health and beauty at risk, according to new research that has found the British tradition of collecting antiques extends to cosmetics and toiletries.

Show us a woman's handbag, say experts from the College of Optometrists and we will show you a 10-year-old lipstick, a five-year-old tube of mascara and a jar of rancid moisturiser, all teeming with harmful bacteria.

'It's ironic that women spend so much time and money on cosmetics to make themselves look beautiful, and yet in using it, they are making themselves vulnerable to infections that are anything but attractive,' said Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser to the college.

The survey found that while women are keen to experiment with new cosmetics, they are less keen on throwing out the old. This morning, one in five women in her late thirties or forties will have put on her make-up using a product over five years old.

'All food has an expiration date and people don't think twice about throwing away milk when that date comes,' said Blakeney. 'The make-up you use should be as fresh as the food you consume. But women keep their make-up for many years, not to mention sharing it with friends and applying it in ways that could lead to serious damage.'

Mascara should be thrown away after three to six months, said Blakeney, because the pumping action of the brush in the dispenser can drive bacteria deep down into the product. Dangers, however, lurk in other products too: foundation gets absorbed in the skin while lipstick enters the mouth when you eat.

'I had a client only last week who has suffered from red, watery eyes for years. It was only by chance that she stopped wearing mascara for a month and realised the problem cleared up. Now she throws away her mascara every three months and her eyes are completely perfect,' she said.

British women put great emphasis on making themselves look beautiful, painting their faces to the tune of £1 billion a year and spending more on cosmetics than any other nation in Europe. 'Perhaps it is because women are now constantly topping up their make-up bags with new products that they never actually finish any older products,' said Blakeney. 'These older cosmetics lie around for years, each one a little hothouse for bacteria.'

Many of the best-loved girly traditions are put at risk by the College's findings. Getting together to pile on the slap before a night out is fraught with danger, for example: Over a third of women under 24 admit to sharing mascara with friends.

'Mascara wands can harbour the bacteria that cause conjunctivitis,' said Blakeney. 'If a group of friends are using an infected wand, it is almost inevitable that the infection will be spread throughout them all.'

But it is those trying to save time in the mornings by putting their make-up on while en route to work who are risking permanent eye damage. 'It is easy to scratch a cornea if you are trying to apply mascara on the move, and that leaves you vulnerable to all sorts of nasty infections,' said Blakeney. 'If, in addition, your mascara wand is bustling with bacteria, contamination is inevitable.'

EU legislation requires cosmetics to be labelled with a date of minimum durability but there is no statutory definition of how long a product remains usable. So how can you tell if your make-up is past its best? 'Treat it like food - sniff it,' recommends Carol Dukes, co-founder of the Health Remedies & Holistic Beauty Treatments from Think Natural, the Original Online Health Shop website. ' Anything that looks, smells or tastes bad, is bad, so trash it.' Dukes also recommends keeping lids screwed on tight and keeping products out of sunlight.

The best test, says Sebastian Parsons, managing director of the cosmetics and toiletry company Dr Hauschka, is to use your eyes and nose. 'I recently found some cleansing cream - the tube had been opened and I'd forgotten about it,' he said. 'The first half inch had gone off, but the rest was absolutely fine. It's always worth opening up the container and having a go.'

Beauty experts slap health warning on lipsticks past their sell-by date

[Al-khiyal]

Use-by dates

Make-up, once opened, expires at:

3-6 months Mascara

6-8 months Liquid foundation, cream foundation, concealer, cleanser, moisturiser

1 year Pressed powder, loose powder, shimmer powder, eye shadow, blush, lip gloss, lipstick, toner

18 months Eye and lip pencils

Source: Makeup Scenes

[HOUDA-K]

I change my make up every 3 weeks ~ max but only because I get bored really easily.

[Ruks]

many women keep make-up for time because colours and shades seem to change so frequently- so once u find something good u just stick to it.

i don't change my make up regularly, only because i don't wear it daily - only on very rare occasions - because i hate wearing make-up- i feel so false when i wear it. but i look great though!

[Ruks]

i was thinking something else, maybe they delibrately put these types of ingredients in make up these days in order for the customer to keep buying on a regular basis - i mean did previous generations meet illnesses through make-up?

[Cheba_Mami]

most make up has an indication of how long you can keep it, stick to it. I finish it quickly

but i must admit, when i do not like a coulor i put it away. and there it says for months and although i know very well i should trow it away i dont alwyas do.

Share make up is nothing for me.