How long should I keep lipstick?

How long should you keep a lipstick?

The lifespan of a lipstick is not eternal. Most often, to know how long a lipstick can be kept, you just need to look at what is indicated on the packaging.

You will find the recommended shelf life there. This is a minimum durability date, meaning a date before which it is better to use the product. It can be indicated in the form of the month of the year. After this date, the lipstick does not necessarily have to be thrown away, but the manufacturer no longer guarantees optimal quality.

However, this indication of the minimum durability date is not mandatory. It is optional for lipsticks whose minimum durability is greater than 30 months. This minimum durability indication can be replaced by a period of use after opening. It is generally indicated by a pictogram representing an open jar accompanied by a number that corresponds to the number of months. Thus, a jar accompanied by a 12 means that the lipstick should be used within twelve months after opening.

How long can you keep a tube of lipstick?

The shelf life of a lipstick can vary from one tube to another. It is important to refer to the indications on the packaging. The shelf life depends on the ingredients used and their quality. Some are more or less stable and last for a shorter time. It also depends on the conditions of use and storage.

When a tube of lipstick has never been opened, it can be stored in a cool, dry place for about thirty months, or two and a half years. Once the tube is started, the expiration date after opening should be respected.

Most often, a lipstick, once opened, lasts one to two years. These are cosmetic products that last a long time and keep quite easily if they do not contain water. Indeed, it is water that promotes the proliferation of bacteria. Some lipsticks only last six months.

In all cases, it is advisable to change the tube after being sick or in case of a cold sore. And, above all, don't share your lipstick!

How to store your lipstick?

To keep your lipstick for as long as possible, there are a few easy tips to follow. The lipstick tube should always be tightly closed after each use. It should never be left in the sun or near a heat source.

Even if it is the most convenient place, avoid storing it in the bathroom. This is a room naturally subject to temperature variations and humidity. A tube of lipstick should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from light. If you really want to keep your lipstick tube in the bathroom, store it in an insulated box with other makeup products. This is the lesser of two evils.

Some people manage to keep their lipstick tubes much longer than others. This difference is mainly due to the quality of the raw materials used for manufacturing. High-quality products, such as lipsticks offered by Le Rouge Français, are significantly more durable. Vitamin E and shea butter improve the user experience and prevent dehydration. These plant-based, 100% natural products help maintain an optimal texture and perfect color.

There are also lipsticks that last a long time because the raw materials used are not sensitive to water or perspiration. These lipsticks resist drinks, meals…

By opting for a Le Rouge Français lipstick, you choose a natural range, even in its color. The unique and patented process allows the extraction and infusion of the corporal and biological properties of plants. This unique technique makes it possible to create lipsticks that are true skincare products, without petroleum, without mica, without titanium dioxide, and without chemical pigment.

What shortens the lifespan of a lipstick?

We know that the ingredients used to make lipstick are very important for its shelf life. The formula, like the quality of the components, also has an impact on its lifespan.

The storage method is essential. We have seen that lipstick must be stored in a cool, dry place away from light.

Accessories such as brushes must be carefully cleaned regularly. This prevents contaminating the lipstick with bacteria present in the brush bristles.

Clues to look for to know if a lipstick is still usable

We rarely remember the date we started a new tube of lipstick. It's even harder when using several tubes of different shades. The expiration date after opening is therefore impossible to know!

If you are particularly foresighted and organized, you can stick a label on which you indicate the date you started using your new lipstick. This also works perfectly by writing the date with an indelible marker directly on the container.

For everyone else, there are a few clues to look for to know if a tube of lipstick can be used or if it should be thrown away. If the lipstick has changed in appearance, if it becomes brittle and dry, if it has a strange smell, if the color changes, it's time to get rid of it. These clues can appear in isolation or simultaneously. You should know that cosmetics, including lipstick, contain active ingredients and that the formula can turn into a culture medium for bacteria. A dubious lipstick should no longer be used.

The undesirable effects of an expired lipstick

An expired lipstick can have more or less bothersome undesirable effects. When the recommended use-by date is largely exceeded, the product's effectiveness is no longer optimal.

This is not necessarily serious. The lipstick will lose its color, its texture will be less opaque... But the lipstick can also become a place for bacteria to proliferate. In this case, its use leads to infections, irritations, allergies, cold sores…

Remember to maintain accessories

If you apply your lipstick with a brush, the brush must be disinfected regularly. After each use, the bristles should be wiped thoroughly. To ensure that no bacteria develop, make sure to clean your accessories, such as your brushes, every week. All it takes is a little warm water and mild shampoo. Lather the shampoo in the palm of your hand before rubbing the brush into it. Then, you need to rinse the brush until the water is clear. Finally, you just have to press lightly with your fingers to wring it out, then let the brush dry flat, in the open air, on a clean cloth.

Making lipstick last longer

To preserve your lipstick tube and make it last longer, there are solutions. By exfoliating the lips regularly, blood circulation is activated and cell renewal is stimulated.

Lips have a better defined contour. It is possible to prepare your own homemade exfoliator by mixing equal parts honey and powdered sugar. A tablespoon of organic coconut oil can be added to this mixture. By regularly exfoliating the lips, the lipstick pigments adhere better and last much longer.

It is also possible to apply a line of pencil of the same shade as the lipstick around the mouth. This prolongs the wear of the lipstick.

Once the lipstick is in place, you can place a tissue on which you have applied a cloud of mattifying loose powder. The lipstick is set and takes on a matte appearance.

Le Rouge Français lipsticks are much more than just lipsticks. Thanks to their organic and vegan composition, they are true skincare products that hydrate, nourish, and regenerate the lips.

Properly recycling your lipstick

When a tube of lipstick is empty or damaged, it should be thrown in the household waste bin. Some packaging is recyclable. It should then be thrown in the appropriate bin. Plastic tubes should be thrown in the packaging waste bin.

Le Rouge Français lipsticks are organic and vegan, but they are also presented in a bio-sourced and eco-refillable case.

These containers are infinitely recyclable! Each part of the packaging is 100% natural. They are made from noble materials such as glass or bio-sourced materials such as castor oil. These vegetable oil-based cases are eco-refillable and are true plant concentrates.

This is custom packaging made with raw materials of great purity. It is this purity that allows them to be recycled indefinitely with glass that never loses its quality or transparency.

You can thus keep your Le Rouge Français lipstick case for life. In addition, Le Rouge Français lipsticks benefit from BIO certification by ECOCERT. This is the guarantee that each container is produced exclusively from recyclable materials, but also that the formulations contain at least 95% natural ingredients.

To wrap your Le Rouge Français lipstick case, the cardboard boxes are made from fibers from eco-managed forests. Forests and woods maintain their regenerative capacity and their natural ecosystem is preserved.

To conclude...

The shelf life of a tube of lipstick depends mainly on two factors: the quality of the ingredients used in its manufacture and the storage conditions. In most cases, a good quality lipstick can be kept (and used) for at least two years. If it is properly maintained and well stored (in a cool, dry place away from light), it is possible to maximize its use while preserving its qualities.