Beauty And Feminine Products To Never Use Expired

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Throwing away any sort of product is always a little painful because it’s like watching your dollars go into the trash can. Every razor, bar of soap, and stick of lipstick was acquired through your hard-earned money. If you don’t love your job, it becomes even harder to waste money because money is the one perk you get from your work. But, look, rich or poor, love your job or hate it, nobody enjoys wasting money, or products. That could be the reason so many of us hang onto things long past their shelf life. How many bottles of mostly empty shampoo do you have collecting mold in your shower caddy right now? How many jars of Tylenol do you have lying around from years ago ”just in case”? The problem is that the “just in case” you’re holding out for is nothing compared to what you can suffer if you use some products once they’ve expired.

Women in particular use a lot of goods that come in close contact with our bodies. And, by the way, studies have found that women’s versions of many products come with a higher price tag than the male ones, from razors to deodorants. It’s called “the pink tax”. And while it sounds cute, there’s nothing cute about shelling out more money because of your gender. And while that might push you to hold onto some things longer, you should also know when to throw these things out. Here are female products you should never use once they’ve expired.

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Pads

While we don’t think of pads posing much of a health risk because they simply sit outside the vagina rather than going in like a tampon does, it’s still important to toss these out when they’re past their expiration date. Using an old pad can put you at risk of sanitary pad dermatitis, leaving your skin itchy and irritated. One study evaluating the chemicals used in major sanitary pad brands found xylene, which can lead to some health issues after extreme exposure, showed up in 11 leading brands. That’s just one of a handful of toxins the study found in pads. While this product is formulated with safe levels of these items, it’s unknown what can happen when they’re past their prime.

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Tampons

Not all tampon companies post an expiration date on their products, perhaps assuming you’ll get through the box long before the items go bad. But if you’re a sucker for a bulk-buy deal, you might stock up on years’ worth of tampons to get a discount, getting to that final box a little too late. Typically, tampons last about five years, but if you notice any mold on your tampon, do not use it. This can lead to serious irritation. Also, keep in mind that organic brands, though allegedly better for your body, may expire faster than their competitors as they lack the preservatives of more chemical-heavy alternatives. Don’t take risks with tampons – something you put literally inside of yourself. If you’re out of new ones, use a (fresh) pad until you can restock.

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Motrin

If period cramps have you curled up in pain, you might want a quick fix. And if you find your Motrin or similar painkiller has expired, you might toss a few back anyway, just to see if they can still provide relief. Unfortunately, the FDA reports that, at best, you’ll get no benefit from expired medications, but at the worst, you may experience adverse side effects as expired medications can go through a change in chemical composition or even develop bacteria. If you are out of Motrin and need a way to alleviate cramps fast, we covered some holistic ways to do so here.

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Your loofah

Loofahs are funny things because, while they’re meant to remove bacteria and dead skin cells from your body, they can actually work to just reintroduce those things to your system. At least they can if you don’t properly maintain and regularly replace your loofah. When you use one, some of the cells and bacteria you remove from your skin gets lodged into it. So next time you use this shower companion, you just put bacteria – that’s now been festering in a damp environment – back on your skin. Be sure to rinse your loofah thoroughly after each use and hang it in a cool place so it can dry (i.e. not your shower). Natural loofahs should be replaced every few weeks, whereas plastic ones can last about two months.

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Shaving cream

If you use shaving cream to get your legs silky smooth, it’s important to keep an eye on that expiration date. Shaving creams are emulsions, meaning they are water-in-oil mixtures that contain certain wetting agents that, over time, can develop mold or bacteria. If you don’t see an expiration date on your cream, you can know it’s expired if it starts to smell sour or chemically strong, rather than the sweet, pleasant aroma it used to give off. If you notice it has become oily and runny, its ingredients are likely separating, which is another sign it has expired. Storing it in a cool, dry place can help prolong shaving cream’s life.

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Sheet masks

Do you love keeping stacks of sheet masks on hand for at-home spa nights, or those days you just need a little extra tender love and care? Maybe you have some for moisturizing, toning, brightening, hyperpigmentation correction…you name it. They boast ingredients like melon and honey and charcoal. But what many also likely have is something called glycolic acid, an acid that effectively gets into skin and helps with a number of conditions. It’s often used in peels, can fight acne, and can even minimize dark spots. However, over time, it becomes very potent and can irritate your skin. So if your mask contains it and has expired, don’t use it.

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Facial moisturizer

Overall, research has found that Americans don’t know a whole lot about taking care of their faces. Few are familiar with ceramides, one of the most important ingredients for protecting the skin’s barrier and restoring moisture. Many with already dry skin use the extra-drying agent benzoyl peroxide in their cleansers. It’s a mess out there. And it can get messier if you use an expired facial moisturizer. In most cases, it won’t do you any harm, but it also won’t do you any good. Using expired facial moisturizer could mean that you aren’t fighting things like fine lines and dehydration the way you’d hoped to.

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Menstrual cups

If you have decided to switch to a menstrual cup as your form of period management, you should know how to take proper care of it. DivaCup recommends that their product should be replaced every couple of years, but that’s only if it’s properly cared for. They make their own wash to clean the product, and you can likely find others suitable for your brand of menstrual cup online. But don’t experiment with DIY cleansers for something you put in your vagina. If you notice your cup smells bad, has developed white residue buildup, is stained, or is leaking, it’s time to get rid of it. You never want to put something that looks moldy or unsanitary up your va-jay-jay. And a leaking menstrual cup just means a big mess.

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Deodorant

Many leading brands of deodorant contain things like parabens, essential oils, fragrances, and a chemical called propylene glycol. Following FDA guidelines, it’s best not to use any chemical-containing product past its expiration date, in case a change in chemical composition has occurred. You may choose to go the natural way with your deodorant, opting for something with none of those ingredients. Do keep in mind that these tend to expire much quicker – they last on average six months – than chemical-containing ones. So while they may not carry the same risk, they may just leave you smelly once expired.

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Eye cream

Like your facial lotion, your eye cream can cause irritation if it expires. Of course, the risk of irritation with something you put near your eye is greater than that for which you put on less sensitive areas of the face. It’s also worth noting that many eye creams come in jars. When you’re dealing with a jarred product, you open and close it every day, so there is more of a chance for bacteria to get into it than a product that comes out of a tube, or has a pump. So it’s especially important to wash your hands before putting them in your eye cream jar.