How to Make Your Makeup Last Longer, According to Experts

Do you hate throwing away makeup before you've even used it up? Experts say that with a few easy habits, you can make your beauty products last much longer. Three specialists — a skin care expert, a chemist, and a consumer researcher — shared their best tips for keeping makeup fresh and out of the landfill.

One of the simplest tips is to write the date on your products as soon as you open them. Kim Chang, a skin care specialist at Baylor University, suggests keeping a permanent marker right in your makeup drawer. That way, you always know when you opened something and how much time you have left to use it. It only takes a few seconds, but it can save you from using something that has already gone bad.

To know how long a product is safe to use, look for the PAO symbol on the back of the package. PAO stands for 'period after opening.' It looks like a tiny open jar with a number on it, and that number tells you how many months the product is good for after you first open it. Dr. Leyte Winfield, a chemist and director of a cosmetic science program, says this little symbol is one of the most helpful things on any beauty product.

You might think the bathroom is the best place to keep your makeup, but experts say it's actually one of the worst spots. Heat and steam from showers can break down your products faster and make them expire sooner. Winfield recommends storing your items in a cooler, drier room — and some products may even do better in the refrigerator. You don't need a fancy skincare fridge, though. A simple basket in your bedroom works just fine.

Bacteria is another big enemy of your makeup. Every time you dip your fingers into a product, you risk introducing germs that can shorten its life. Chang suggests choosing products with pump or push-top packaging so you touch the product less often. And don't forget to wash your makeup brushes regularly, since dirty brushes can spread bacteria right back into your products.

Finally, think carefully before you buy something new. It can be tempting to grab the latest trending product, but buying too much at once means some of it may expire before you ever get to use it. Researcher Yujiao Wang, who studied how people use expired cosmetics, says shoppers should think about how often they'll actually use a product before buying a large size. If you only need makeup for one special event, Chang says it's smarter to get it done by a professional rather than buying a brand-new product you may never finish.