8 Items To Purge From Your Makeup Bag ASAP

Our toiletry bags accompany us on subway and car rides, at gyms, and on vacations, nights out, and work trips. And through it all, they (and their contents) get pretty banged up in the process. If it’s been awhile since you’ve given your beauty bag a little clean-out, now’s the time: According to Krupa Koestline, a cosmetic chemist whose job involves keeping a close eye on the shelf life of skin care and makeup, our favorite products can turn on us quicker than we think. To ensure your bag isn’t carrying bacteria and other funk along with your go-to products, check the list of upgrades below.

Dinged-Up Cotton Swabs

It may feel like a score when you nab a bag of Q-tips during a hotel stay, but after weeks of knocking around at the bottom of your toiletry bag, that now-deformed (if not unhygienic) score becomes utterly useless. Try a more sustainable approach by stocking your bag with a reusable replacement, such as LastSwab, a washable option that is easy to keep clean and in shape, thanks to an included carrying case.

Old Blending Sponge

Carrying around a Beautyblender is far less cumbersome than traveling with makeup brushes. But things get a little sticky when you try to recall when exactly you last replaced or washed the thing. Because a sponge loose in the bag is susceptible to picking up gunk and grime, it’s best to replace your makeup sponge often (and carry it in its own case).

Dry Mascara

Most of us are keenly aware of mascara’s short shelf life (generally about three months), but few of us replace our tubes as often as we should. If you don’t know when you last replaced the mascara in your beauty bag, it’s likely time to do so, since bacteria tends to accumulate in used tubes over a few months’ time. When you do drop a fresh tube in your bag, label it with a three-month expiration date to keep you on schedule with replacements.

Last Year’s SPF

As an over-the-counter drug, sunscreen must be printed with an expiration date. And those dates tend to creep up faster than we realize. Check the date on the SPF in your bag and if it’s approaching or past the current month and year, toss it. According to Koestline, expiration dates for SPF and other skin care products are effective the first date of the month — so if your sunscreen expires in August 2024, that means August 1, not August 31.

Older Oil-Based Makeup

Oil-based lipsticks and foundations tend to expire after a year’s time. If these or any of your other makeup products have changed texture, color, or scent, then it’s time to toss them and restock with something new. While skin care products may have a longer shelf life, the same rule applies: If it smells or looks funky, toss it out.

Warm Eye Products and OTC Drugs 

As Koestline notes, “all eye products (including eye cream, eyeliner, and eyeshadow) and over-the-counter drug products (such as SPF or eye drops) are meant to last as recommended only if they're stored properly in a cool, dry place.” When we’re carrying around products from place to place, the changes in temperature and humidity can cause them to expire even before printed expiration dates indicate. She suggests keeping a close eye on how a product looks and tossing it if it changes color, texture,_,or scent.

Metal Nail Files

Cuticle infections can spread by using stainless steel nail files for three or more months. “Sanitizing nail files regularly is good practice, as is replacing them quarterly,” says Mazz Hanna, CEO of nail tech agency Nailing Hollywood. “If you have any infections, replace your file immediately.” Another solution? Use a tempered glass file instead, such as the Butter London Signature Glass Nail File, which is easier to clean and sanitize.

The Makeup Bag Itself 

With powders, gels, liquids, and lipsticks rattling around in them, makeup bags are bound to become stained and funky in a short time. If your bag isn’t washable, it may be time to upgrade to a bag made from a material that can be wiped down with an antimicrobial cloth. Better yet, look for something that regulates the temperature inside the bag, such as a case from WellInsulated or OTM, to best preserve pricey skin care and makeup.