What’s In Your Expired Makeup?

I’m the worst! I keep makeup FOREVER! Call me frugal, but it’s hard to part with a 6 year old lipstick when there’s still something left in the tube! I’ve always wondered if expiration dates were just a way for cosmetic companies to get us to buy more stuff or if there was really something nasty lurking inside. Instead of sitting around and wondering, I got off my duff and used science to put my makeup to the test. You won’t believe what I found out!

😀Fun Facts😀

Unable to distinguish between species of bacteria, Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus originally classified all bacteria in the order Chaos (1763).

When it comes to bacteria --you can’t see them. They’re microscopic. This makes it hard to know when your cosmetics should be thrown out and is why some cosmetic manufacturers offer expiration dates.

Expiration dates are a rule of thumb and can vary depending on many factors, including how makeup is stored (sunlight can break down ingredients), handled (unwashed hands can cause makeup to expire sooner), and ingredients used (some botanical extracts, carbohydrates, and proteins act as nutrients for bacteria).

In this video, we used chromogenic AKA color producing agar so we can identify what genus and species the bacteria belong to.

Not all bacteria are trying to kill you! In fact, many bacteria naturally live on your skin (commensals) and many indirectly help us by crowding out more harmful bacteria (pathogens).

The biggest contaminator of your cosmetics is YOU! When you dip your finger into your lipgloss, you’re also adding some of your own microbes (bacteria, fungi, yeast)

In most healthy adults, a contaminated product might not yield a bad effect, but for those with compromised health there could be severe consequences.

***I learned so much making this video. If you want more fun facts or just want to share/trade knowledge leave a comment! It’s so fun to talk about this stuff with others!***

❤️Special Thank Yous❤️

Google’s Making & Science Team - You’re totally awesome! THANK YOU for providing the resources to make THIS video possible. I had so much fun using science to explore the world around me!

*Dr. Shannon Bennett of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California -- I dub you Princess Of Pathogens! Thank you for all the information you shared on bacteria!

*Dr. Chris Noel & Patrik D’Haeseleer of Counter Culture Labs in Oakland, California - Thank you both for co-parenting my “bacteria babies”

🔬Don’t Forget To Support These Fantastic Science Organizations🔬

California Academy of Sciences
Twitter: @calacademy
Instagram: calacademy

Counter Culture Labs
Twitter: @CountrCultrLabs

📹 Video Credits
This video was written, produced and edited by -- yours truly!

Video Team
*Biren Venkatraman
*Isaac Guenard
*Mike Root

Science Check
*Dr. Howard Epstein

Support
*Akemi Mease
*Coma Niddy
*Liz Anderson

Stock Credits

Staphylococcus Aureus

Bacillus Cereus

Staphylococcus Epidermidis

Pantoea Agglomerans

Poo emoji

And if you watched the video, subscribed, and read this entire description - THANK YOU!!!! Virtual hugs and head noogies for you :D

XO Ms. Beautyphile

[PerryRomanowski]

Great job Trina!

One other aspect of cosmetic expiration you didn't cover was from a chemical standpoint. Over time there are chemical & physical reactions that happen in cosmetics which change them. When formulators set expiration dates microbial contamination is one thing we look at, but we also consider other things like Color, Odor, Taste, Thickness, Consistency, and Performance.

[sadknowledgeworker]

I enjoyed this video, I only wish you had included some powder products too!

[athickie]

Hi! I find your videos very informative and Idk why you don't have more subscribers! I do have a question though, are you a cosmetic chemist ?

[VincentBalducci]

thats pretty neat! I know usually its not much of a problem to use a product past an expiration date if you are healthy. However, if any of my clients are dealing with chemo therapy we always have to be careful because the littlest bacteria in shampoo thats expired can cause a nasty infection. With make up though its usually your own bacteria so as long as you don't share it, you should be fine.

[rebeccar]

*walks over to make up bag.... dumps it all out* :)

[cleverevans]

Trina, look at you! I'd love to see what happens if you test a sample from a brand new cosmetic, or from a cosmetic that's been used, but is well within its expiration date.

[hebrewhammer]

Thank you for sharing. Great video! Do you know how they determine the expiration date?

[jfe]

What about skin creams or lotions in a pump? Thank you for info.

[Shayri]

But you deliberately incubated your products to make the bacteria grow no? Or are they already present in the makeup?

[sashavonkirsch]

That videos are very cool)) but she looks a lit like grown up Dora the