Personal Finance

Don't Let Old Mascara Harm Your Eyes

Mascara should be replaced every three months to help maintain eye health. However, many women hold onto tubes of mascara for a year or more until they dry out. Here are our tops tips to help you remember it's time for a new mascara and to save money in the process.

Why You Should Replace Mascara Every Three Months

Replacing your mascara every three months can help you avoid eye infections, sties and conjunctivitis that can be caused by the bacteria that tends to breed in mascara. The moist, dark environment of a mascara tube provides an ideal environment for bacteria to grow.

Every time you swipe a mascara wand across your lashes you pick up bacteria. These bacteria are then introduced into the mascara when you plunge the wand back into the tube. With dozens of inexpensive mascara options on the market, you can find a budget brand to love that you won't mind replacing every three months to help keep your eyes healthy.

1. Buy New Mascara on These Dates

Remembering to replace your mascara every three months is NOT easy. Months can pass in the blink of an eye leaving you with no idea how long you've been using your current mascara. (At least, that's what happens to us!) If you're the same, here's a handy trick to help you remember it's time to open a new tube and toss the old.

Coincide your mascara buying with the equinoxes and solstices—that is, around 22 September and 20 March when night and day are the same length and 21 June and 21 December, the days with the shortest and longest periods of daylight, respectively.

Since daylight has such an impact on mood and sleep, we tend to notice these days. Plan your mascara swap on these 4 noticeable dates thoughout the year to help you remember it's time for a new mascara.

2. Buy Budget Mascara

You don't need to spend a fortune on mascara. In fact, you probably shouldn't—if you spend too much on a tube of mascara you're less likely to throw it out once three months have passed since you opened it. Find a budget mascara that suits you—there are plenty of inexpensive mascaras on the market that rival high-end versions—and you won't mind throwing out a partially-used tube after three months.

3. Opt for Smaller Tubes, Where Available

A few brands offer smaller versions of their mascara, which can be a great way to make high-end mascara more affordable. Few women will use an entire full-size tube of mascara in three months so a smaller tube means less waste when it's time to swap mascaras.

For example, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara comes in a 4.8 ml tube for £12 from Cult Beauty; the 8 ml tube costs £22. The smaller tube is more affordable and results in less waste if you'll replace it every three months—plus the smaller tube is actually cheaper on a £/ml basis!

Sample tubes are another way to save on mascara.

Erin Yurday

Erin Yurday is the Founder and Editor of NimbleFins. Prior to NimbleFins, she worked as an investment professional and as the finance expert in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business case writing team. Read more on LinkedIn.

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