For the last 15 years, beauty sponges have been making their way into our makeup kits and our hearts. They help us look our best and increase our confidence, but how long can you go before you have to replace it?
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Because this sponge is used almost every day, the thought of having to replace it often escapes me. I&#;ve gone through so many different brands of beauty sponges over the years, and other than beautyblender, I&#;ve also started to like Aesthetica Cosmetics and Mikasa Beauty. One of the mini beauty sponges
shown in my photos is an Aesthetica mini, and the yellow beauty sponge is the new S100 Lemon Drop sponge by Mikasa Beauty.
Here are a few indicative signs that it is time for a new sponge:
Over 3+ Months Old
We all know that cleaning your beauty sponge regularly can prolong its life. However Beautyblender recommends throwing out your sponge after 3 months, even if you are regularly maintaining it. You can buy solid and liquid sponge cleaners from beautyblender, but I personally use Dr. Bronner&#;s Pure Castile Soap in Lavender. It&#;s a liquid soap you can easily find at Target, and it is made with essentials oils, which are delicate on the sponge. The lavender scent from the soap is relaxing and invigorating, but there are other scents you can choose from. I usually wash my beautyblender after each use, but like any other sponge, beauty sponges collect gunk. It absorbs product, dead skin cells and acne causing bacteria. No matter how many washes you give it, the chances of some of that bacteria festering at the center of your sponge is enough to make anyone cringe.
When did you last buy your beautyblender? Was it over three months ago? Then, yes, it&#;s time for a new one.
Unexplained Breakouts
Like I just mentioned, acne causing bacteria can be absorbed into your sponge. Also, if your beauty blender is not properly washed, or if it is just on its last legs, there is a chance there is bacteria inside that can&#;t wait to have a field day on your face.
Trust me, I speak from experience. This last week, my face has been covered in bumps and acne that simply should not have been there. I am eating healthier than ever, and I get plenty of rest at night. Out of all the things I changed, I still never picked up on the fact that my beautyblender was harbouring acne causing bacteria.
Discoloration
This is a more obvious sign that it is time to replace your beautyblender. Once the sponge starts to remain &#;stained&#; another color, and no amount of soap and water will get it out, it&#;s time for a replacement.
These &#;stained&#; spots can also change the pigmentation of the products you are putting on it, so if you use it for foundation, concealer, etc., you run the risk of spreading old and unwanted product around your entire face.
Deterioration
Just yesterday, after applying my foundation, I noticed little black particles on my face. When I took a closer look, I realized they were little bits of my beautyblender! After missing all the other signs, this is the one that finally screamed, &#;get yourself together, woman!&#;
In the picture to the right, you can see my regular sized beautyblender is starting to deteriorate at the top. A tell-tale sign is the fact that the signature tip of the sponge has become misshapen (compare it to the minis on either side).
How long have you gone before realizing it was time for a replacement?
All opinions are my own. Feel free to use my coupon code with Mikasa Beauty to get 25% off your order, every time you shop: GENMCORDMUA25
I so often see TikTok and Instagram memes joking about how products get kept wayyyy after their expiration date (like &#; years sometimes).
It&#;s so easy to just leave things in your makeup drawer, especially if they still seem to be performing just fine! Trust me, no judgment here, but I do want to share some ways you can know for sure that it&#;s time to toss those products.
Related: Tips to Get the Most out of Your Foundation and All About &#;Baking&#; Your Makeup, and When Should You Should Do It.
Check out the PAO symbol on the package
PAO is short for period-after-opening, and it&#;s represented by a little symbol you can find on a lot of product packaging. Check out the photo above, you&#;ll see it circled in white. The cool thing about the PAO is it tells you exactly how long the shelf life is on a product once it&#;s been opened for the first time.
Link to bodesi'
Mascara and eyeliner
Some mascaras will have a PAO symbol or share an expiration date, but a good rule of thumb (if you don&#;t see any guidance) is to throw it out three to six months after you first open it.
Because of the low moisture content of mascara, it&#;s not as much of a breeding ground for bacteria that it has long been rumored to be, but you&#;ll still get dirt and oils accumulating on your brush and in your product which isn&#;t great since mascara is used near such a sensitive area.
Foundation and concealer
Complexion products typically have a lifespan of a year or so, but there are some definite ways to know when it&#;s time to say goodbye. For compact/cake foundations and concealers, once they start to crack. For liquid products, once they start to separate, congeal. And for ANY product: if/when they start to smell weird.
Powders (eyeshadow, blush, setting powder)
Properly sanitized (I spritz mine with a little alcohol) powder products can last up to two years.
Lip products
Lipsticks and chapsticks should be tossed after about a year. I really like to stick to this one because of how bacteria can build up, especially in things like tubed lip glosses and liquid lipsticks. You *can* sanitize lipstick. Just take a paper towel and spritz it with alcohol and gently clean off the lipstick.
Beauty Blenders and makeup sponges
Makeup sponges like Beauty Blenders are typically good to go for about three to six months, depending on how you care for them. An easy way to clean your Beauty Blender or makeup sponge is with a solid cleaner; we have a DIY for one here.
If your sponge is stained to the point that no amount of cleaning can help it or you start to see little holes forming, go ahead and toss it.
Makeup brushes
This one is a little less straightforward and has a lot to do with how well you take care of your brushes. It&#;s widely recommended to wash your brushes at least once a week. Here is a great tutorial to help you out.
Also, the way you store your brushes is also pretty crucial&#;try storing them in a clean, dry place, bristles up, and not touching too many other brushes to where they&#;re crowded (they can lose their shape that way). It&#;s especially important to keep an eye on natural hair brushes as they are susceptible to wearing out more quickly.
If you notice your brush starting to lose a lot of bristles or that it won&#;t return to its original shape after washing, that&#;s a good sign that it&#;s time to retire that brush.
If you haven&#;t cleaned out in a while, maybe this is your sign to just take an hour and go through your beauty products to see what needs to go and what can stay.
I know it can be sad to throw things away, but here&#;s what I always think when I do big purges on makeup: I&#;m reminded that I need a lot less than I think I do, and it gives me the opportunity to repurchase my favorites from small businesses I love and even try some new ones. &#; Hope this has been helpful for you!
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Custom Logo Makeup Sponge.