Makeup Expiry: What to Keep & What to Toss

Halfway through the year is the perfect time for a little beauty housekeeping. Not a total overhaul, just a thoughtful refresh. A quiet ritual. A letting-go.

Because here’s the truth: your makeup has a shelf life, and it may be closer to the end than you think.

It doesn't matter if you’re a three-step minimalist or someone who treats your makeup bag like a curated gallery, expired products don’t belong on your skin. This is especially true if your skin is sensitive, acne-prone, or simply asking for a little more kindness lately.

Here’s what to know and what to gently let go.

Table of Contents

• Why Makeup Expiry Dates Matter
• The Expiry Guide: A Quick Reality Check
• The Telltale Signs It’s Time to Let Go
• The Clean Routine: Beauty with Boundaries
• Be Coyote’s Philosophy: Long-Term Beauty with a Gentle Touch

Why Makeup Expiry Dates Matter

Unlike skincare, where expiry is top of mind, makeup often flies under the radar. But over time, your favourite formulas can turn. Ingredients degrade. Bacteria builds. What was once breathable, blendable, and kind can start clogging, irritating, or dulling your natural glow.

If your skin has recently felt inflamed, unpredictable, or just off, it could be your makeup. Not your hormones. Not your stress. And definitely not your fault.

The Expiry Guide: A Quick Check

The PAO symbol — a tiny open jar with a number like 6M or 12M — quietly tells you how long your product lasts after opening.

• Foundation (liquid): 6 to 12 months
• Concealer: 6 to 12 months
• Powders (blush, bronzer, setting): 12 to 24 months
• Mascara: 3 to 6 months
• Liquid eyeliner: 3 to 6 months
• Pencil eyeliner: 12 to 24 months
• Lipsticks and glosses: 12 to 24 months
• Cream products: 12 months

When in doubt, replace anything eye-related sooner. That area is extra sensitive and less forgiving.

The Telltale Signs It’s Time to Let Go

Sometimes you forget when you opened a product (It happens). Trust your senses:

• The scent is off — chemical, sour, or just strange
• The texture has changed — clumpy, separated, or dry
• Colour looks oxidised or oddly faded
• Your skin tingles, stings, or breaks out after application
• The packaging is cracked, leaky, or crusted

If it feels questionable, it probably is.

The Clean Routine: Beauty with Boundaries

A mid-year refresh doesn’t mean throwing everything out. It means being intentional. Respectful of your skin. A curator, not a declutterer.

A few small habits go a long way:

• Use a fine-tip marker to write your open date on the label
• Store makeup away from heat and humidity
• Clean brushes weekly to reduce product buildup and bacteria

Be Coyote’s Philosophy: Long-Term Beauty with a Gentle Touch

At Be Coyote, we don’t do hype. We do high-performing, skin-kind makeup designed to nourish, not mask. Vegan. Cruelty-free. Made for real skin that lives, breathes, breaks out, heals, ages, and glows.

If this post has you eyeing your foundation bottle or wondering about that mascara you opened last spring, good. That’s the start of a better routine.

We’re not saying toss it all. Just make space for what truly supports your skin.

Your skin deserves products that meet you where you are, not where you were a year ago. Let this be your quiet permission slip to clear, refresh, and glow forward.