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Lip plumper -- like every other lip-loving lipstick, lipgloss or lip balm -- is a hotbed of bacteria. That's one reason your lip plumper has a shelf life of only two years. Yes, that's right -- even if you haven't squeezed every luscious drop out of that lip plumper, you should dump it before the two of you celebrate your three-year anniversary. The shelf life is even shorter if you don't store and handle your lip plumper in a way that prevents rapid deterioration and puts the brakes on rampant germ growth.
Shelf Life
The compounds in all cosmetics start to break down as soon as they make contact with light, moisture and air. The longer you have and use a particular lip plumper, the more it is exposed to these degrading elements. Beauty experts like New York City-based Tina Turnbow say that for all lip products, you've pretty much maxed out the peak of their effectiveness by the time they've been open for one to two years at the most. Unopened lip plumper should be okay for about two to three years, but you can't just leave it alone in your bathroom drawer for six years and expect it to function optimally when you finally break the seal. Time alone causes the compounds to deteriorate.
Proper Storage
The best place to store your lip plumper is not the bathroom. It's an ingrained habit for most women to keep all their cosmetics in the medicine cabinet or the drawer next to the bathroom sink, but the humidity, wild temperature fluctuations from freezing cold to steamy tropical and the bright overhead lights spell doom to the compounds in lip plumper. Your best bet when it comes to extending the life of your plumper, or any other lip cosmetic, is to store it in a dry, dark, temperature-controlled bedroom closet or bureau drawer that is far from sunny windows or heaters.
When to Replace It
Even the best, most expensive lip plumpers go bad, sometimes long before you've had them for a year. If your lip plumper gives off a nasty, sharp smell or looks clumpy, cloudy, stringy or dry, resist your frugal streak and throw it out. You're better off shelling out the money for a brand new lip plumper -- one that you'll store properly this time around. You should also get rid of any lip plumper that has ever been used by anyone else, including your friend, your daughter, your sister or your mom. The last thing you to put on your mouth is a concoction of foreign bacteria.
Dangers Of Old Lip Plumper
If you use ancient lip plumper, you may be hurting your health more than you realize. "The Guardian" reported in 2007 that women can inadvertently ingest the bacteria from old lip cosmetics while they're eating and drinking. The older the product, the more bacteria and the greater the chance of developing an infection. The degraded compounds in old lip plumper can also cause skin irritation, rashes and dermatitis.
