Much ado about makeup: Spring cleaning

So, it's that time again — time to liberate your house of all the leftover holiday chachkies, as well as the clutter and dust that came with them. As much as some of us absolutely abhor the task, it's generally rewarding, and let's face it — it gives us an excuse to go shopping for new and better chachkies!

It's easy to remember to clean the kitchen, laundry room and garage, but most of us forget that cleaning your makeup bag is just as important, if not more so. The products we use on our face and skin carry just as much bacteria as any household item, and most have a shorter shelf life than you would imagine.

Mascara, for instance, is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria because of its wet, dark environment. You can prolong your mascara a little longer if you don't continually pump the mascara wand in and out of the tube. This causes air to enter the bottle and breed more bacteria. Liquid liners and creamy shadow pose the same problems. After about three months, they start to build bacteria, so make sure you keep them in a dry, dark place. Dry powders and shadows can last up to two years, because they don't contain any liquid for bacteria to grow in.

Foundations are much more time sensitive. You should replace liquid foundations every six months, if not sooner. Since most people use their fingers to apply their foundation, it will get infected by bacteria faster, which will make you break out (which is a great reason to use a blending sponge or brush).

Now here's the thing with lipsticks: Good quality lipstick has the ability to last a little longer than most products. They can generally last up to two years, but they do have a tendency to get slightly discolored with time.

So do you skin a favor: Throw out that cakey foundation and dried mascara and treat your makeup bag to a much needed spring makeover!