There are health risks with any expired beauty products, but it turns out that putting expired mascara and eyeliners near your eye can carry some of the most serious health risks. “Your eyelashes are meant to protect your eyes and prevent contaminants and particles from the air and environment from getting in. So when you apply mascara and the wand is dipped back into the tube, anything collected on the lashes (bacteria included) will get in. This is where possible problems can be created,” Renée Rouleau, a celebrity aesthetician and founder and creator of Renée Rouleau Skin Care, told Byrdie. Because of that, it’s recommended you only hang on to your mascara for three months at a time. After all, as doctor of optometry Robert Corry, an optometrist at University of Utah Health’s Moran Eye Center, explained, “The longer you keep mascara, the more likely it will contain bacteria. The eyes are a sensitive area and vulnerable to infection.” In fact, a University of Utah study found as many as 80% of expired mascaras have staph bacteria in them.
As for expired eyeliner, because that can get so close to your eye, it’s also super dangerous. “Using old eyeliners can irritate the delicate eye area, causing it to become puffy, red, and swollen,” Kelli J. Bartlett, artistic director at Glamsquad, explained to The Healthy. Just like mascara, experts suggest only keeping your liquid eyeliner for three months before tossing it.
