While many may believe that they are being as hygienic as possible when it comes to their skin care products, there are often mistakes that are made that end up rendering the product far more inefficient than it otherwise had the potential to be. From storing your products in an optimal way to preventing cross-contamination, these are all steps that you need to be taking to ensure that your skin care products remain as powerful and potent as possible.
Storing Skin Care Products
While it may be more convenient to store your skin care products on your windowsill or that cabinet over the sink, these areas are likely to cause the product to deteriorate at a rapid rate. Heat and humidity are the worst factors for your skin care products to experience, so make sure you store your products in a cool and dry place, preferably not in your bathroom. Depending on the active ingredients that your products contain, you may even find that storing them in the fridge can prolong their efficiency. When it comes to active ingredients, these usually end up oxidizing once they have been exposed to the air, which not only makes them inefficient, but can also make them irritating and harmful to the skin, so be sure to only expose your products to the air for the minimum amount of time needed.
Check the Shelf Life
The shelf life on a skin care product is there for a reason, because once you pass this date, the active ingredients in the product will no longer be effective. It can sometimes be difficult to work out a product’s expiration date, as many brands do not state this on the label, but a quick internet search should provide you with the information that you need. Keep in mind that products that are water-based will only have a shelf life of around six months, as water provides the ideal environment for bacteria and mould to grow. Since it is often all too easy to forget about throwing out expired products, set a date on your calendar twice a year to remind you to sift through your skin care arsenal, throwing out anything that is old, contaminated, or has not been stored properly.
Cross-Contamination
Contamination of skin care products is, unfortunately, extremely common, because many do not realize just how easy it is for cross-contamination to occur. Each time your fingers come into contact with a product, bacteria is spread, but it is relatively easy to avoid this. Rather than using your hands to scoop your product out of its container, invest in some applicators, or small spoons, making sure that you only use each spoon once.
While taking such great care of your skin care products may seem like extra work, this will go a long way in ensuring that your products remain effective for as long as possible. From storing them in the optimum conditions to ensuring that you are aware of each product’s shelf life, these tips will help you to get the most out of your skin care products.
