Do Your Face Masks Expire?

A good skincare routine features everything from a good face cleanser to a hydrating moisturizer. Depending on your skin's needs and goals, the rest of your products can be customized to help give you clear, healthy skin. However, one product that tends to be forgotten in this routine is the face mask. While an added luxury, a good face mask will help detoxify your skin and add much-needed benefits. Whether you mask regularly or weekly, adding a face mask to your skincare routine will help you achieve the best skin possible. Herbalife Nutrition adds that face masks are as ideal for a self-care moment as they are for a deep cleanse of the skin. And good face mask will help make your entire skincare routine work more efficiently.

However, since face masks aren't typically used daily, it's normal to let them hang around your beauty drawer for longer than other products. If you haven't masked recently, you may have a face mask older than a few months in your possession. Because face masks are deep cleansing tools, it's essential to know whether they can go bad. For skincare lovers with plenty of face masks, it's good to know whether your face masks can expire. Any expired product will most likely not deliver any benefits to your skin past its expiration date. In worst-case scenarios, these products can cause even further harm to your skin.

Unfortunately, like the rest of your skincare drawer, face masks can and will expire. Depending on the kind of face mask, the expiration date could vary. Ellis James Designs mentions that your typical sheet face mask will last anywhere from two to three years. If your sheet mask has gone unopened, it can still work between six to eight months after the expiration date has passed. So while it might not last forever, if you still have some sheet masks within this window, there's still time to use them before they expire. If you open a slightly expired sheet mask and find that the smell and colors are off, dispose of it immediately as it might have gone bad. Keep in mind that some face masks use natural ingredients, so these masks will expire much sooner than others.

When it comes to your regular clay face masks, the expiration dates will be around the same timeframe, according to Patchology. However, clay face masks will tend to dry out around one year after opening. If you've opened up a face mask, you'll want to use it quickly as it can dry out and turn ineffective. As with sheet face masks, you'll want to examine a clay mask before applying it if you are unsure of its expiration date. While some products will have an expiration date on the packaging, remain aware of any changes in smell, texture, or color before applying them.

To guarantee your face masks achieves their full potential, you'll want to store them properly. Because sheet and clay masks can easily dry out, you want to ensure they're kept in the right conditions. If you're using a clay mask, Facetory recommends storing them somewhere that is room temperature. You don't want to expose these products to extreme conditions, as that can ruin the face mask. Placing a clay mask in a fridge or cold storage will harden the product and make it ineffective. A gel face mask can be placed in a skincare fridge or regular fridge since there's no concern about it drying up. You also want to be aware of your face mask not receiving direct sunlight or exposing it to heat. Heat can loosen up the face mask and ruin its consistency and effectiveness.

When storing sheet masks, you can also leave them in room temperature storage or take the opportunity to place them in a skincare fridge. Nudie Glow recommends storing them in the fridge, as this will help your blood circulation upon applying them. Storing them in a fridge doesn't lengthen their shelf life, but it will help make your skin feel and look better. A cold sheet mask can also help with any puffiness from which you may be suffering. Regardless, of where you place a sheet mask, you want to avoid direct sunlight.