Having a collection of makeup is quite the normal thing for women, but what Stowaway Cosmetics and Poshly found out is that women don’t trash their expired products. The study explored women’s makeup routines and their knowledge about expiration dates and safe usage.

Photo Credit: Stowaway Cosmetics and Poshly

75 per cent of the average consumer, which is classified as 25-50-years-olds, said they don’t routinely finish their makeup ever and 50 per cent of 25-34-year old’s said there’s too much makeup in each product. 89 per cent hold onto old makeup just in case, even though 87 per cent of them know makeup has expiration dates.

The average make up user owns 40 different products, but only uses around five of them daily. This means that the average person owns eight times more makeup than they regularly use.

Expired makeup can cause users to break out, but 82 per cent of women say they would still feel guilty about throwing that expired makeup in the trash. The fastest expiring makeup are eye products, which are also the most common makeup to stick around too long.

Photo Credit: Stowaway Cosmetics and Poshly

In a 2013 study done by the International Journal of Cosmetic Science it said that the mascara a woman is using is probably laced with infection-causing bacteria due to it being older. The moist, dark space inside the tube turns out to be the ideal place for bacteria to form. Mascara expires after three months of being open, and using the expired lash lengthener can increase the possibility of pink eye and other infections.

An article in Women’s Health suggests makeup users do not share makeup and should buy travel-sized tubes.