Experts have warned of the alarming risks of using skincare products like moisturizers and serums that are past their expiration date, including burning cheeks, disfiguring acne and agonizing eye infections.
Specialists warned that such old products can harbor a cocktail of bacteria not visible to the naked eye that infest the skin and wreak havoc.
The stomach-churning images also show how these types of bacterial infections could enter the bloodstream, with life-threatening complications.
Dr. Anthony Youn, a Michigan-based plastic surgeon, warned that this is because a preservative used in products to keep them fresh will eventually expire, leaving them prone to bacterial and fungal contamination.
In a YouTube video viewed almost 90,000 times, he said: “One thing you always want to look for is the expiration date of the products you’re using.”
‘If they have expired, sometimes what can happen is that their chemical composition has changed and what you are applying to your skin is no longer what it used to be.
The stomach-churning images also show how expired skincare products can cause users to suffer painful burns and bacterial infections that could enter the bloodstream.
Experts today warned that expired cosmetic products can harbor a cocktail of bacteria not visible to the naked eye, leaving users at risk of everything from a painful eye infection to skin problems.
‘The other thing that can happen is that bacteria can grow on the product.
‘Most skincare and makeup products have some type of preservative that helps fight contamination and the growth of bacteria and fungi in those products.
‘After a while, those ingredients may no longer work as well and you will see more and more growth and bacteria.
“When you then apply that to your skin, you can get an infection, a reaction.”
Likewise, skin care products that have not been used for months can become more concentrated over time, meaning users apply much stronger formulations to their skin than advertised.
Dr. Youn added: “If you have an active ingredient like an acid and it has been buffered by other types of ingredients like water and oils, its structure can change or start to evaporate.”
“That acid can then become stronger and what’s left is to treat your skin with something much stronger than before.
“You should not use expired products on your skin.”
Dr. Anthony Youn, a Michigan-based plastic surgeon, warned that this was because a preservative used in products to keep them fresh will eventually expire, leaving them prone to bacterial and fungal contamination.
In a separate YouTube video, she shared the experience of a US-based woman who suffered burns and a severe bacteriological infection after using an expired acne treatment on her face.
“The bacterial infection could have passed into his bloodstream, the good news is that it has now been cured,” he added.
Cosmetic products include a “period after opening” or “PAO” symbol next to a figure indicating How many months will the product last?
Industry recommendations suggest that mascara and liquid eyeliner should be replaced after a maximum of three months, eyebrow pencils within 18 months, and lipstick, eye shadow and blush within two years.
Sponges, for their part, should be washed weekly and discarded after two months.
However, this is not the first time that experts have warned about the health risks posed by expired makeup.
In 2015, laboratory tests carried out by scientists at London Metropolitan University on outdated makeup also revealed that it contained potentially deadly bacteria, including a strain that causes meningitis.
Researchers tested five products, including blush, foundation and lip gloss, and found that old cosmetics contain dangerous levels of potentially lethal bacteria.
Industry recommendations suggest that mascara and liquid eyeliner should be replaced after a maximum of three months, eyebrow pencils within 18 months, and lipstick, eye shadow and blush within two years.
One of these insects, Enterococcus faecalis, is the leading cause of meningitis, which kills more children under five than any other infectious disease in the UK.
Other deadly bacteria detected included eubacterium, which causes bacterial vaginosis, and aeromonas, a cause of gastroenteritis and wound infections.
The researchers also found Staphlyoccocus epidermidis, a nasty bug resistant to antibiotics, propionibacterium (a major cause of acne and other skin conditions), and enterobacter, which causes urinary and respiratory tract infections.
Dr Emma Wedgeworth, consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation has also previously said that applying expired products to the face “could cause irritation or clogged pores.”
He added: “If you already have a compromised skin barrier (dry, scaly, irritated skin) or an existing skin condition, you are at greater risk of infection or irritation.”
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should throw away products that start to clump, like mascara or eyeliner.
A change in consistency, such as a foundation that separates, crumbles, or crumbles like a powder eyeshadow or blush, are other key signs.
Products that smell bad, change color, or feel different on the skin are also among the reasons to get rid of them.