HOW SAFE IS YOUR HALLOWEEN MAKE UP? A DERMATOLOGIST EXPLAINS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Spooky season is officially upon us. The costume is sorted, the group chat is buzzing and lurking at the back of a cupboard (or the loft, or the garage) is a box of last year's fake blood, face paint and SFX bits, ready to rise again. But should it?
Halloween make up is the kind we dig up once a year, wear for one night and then bury for another 12 months, which is exactly why it deserves a second look before it goes anywhere near your face, eyes or lips. The scariest thing about your costume shouldn't be what's lurking in the pot.
To separate fact from fright, we spoke to Dr Steph Arnold, a consultant dermatologist (FACD, MBBS), and Dr Sweta Rai, a dermatologist, both verified on the healthcare review platform Doctify.
In This Article:
- Is Last Year's Halloween Make-Up Safe? What the Experts Say
- How to Create a Halloween Look From Your Own Make-Up Bag
Is Last Year's Halloween Make-Up Safe? What the Experts Say
Short answer: probably not. Here's what the dermatologists want you to know before you start painting.
Unopened products last longer than you think
Dr Steph Arnold says "If a product does not require a 'best before' date, then generally they can sit unopened for three to five years without degrading. However, this assumes 'perfect' storage conditions: somewhere cool, dry and away from light." Check the batch code for the date of manufacture, and if it's more than five years old, throw it away, even if it's never been opened.
Once opened, the clock speeds up
Look for the 'period after opening' symbol: the little open jar icon with a number of months (M) inside. "In my experience, Halloween products will only have a safe 'period after opening' date of three to six months, so you probably shouldn't be using the stuff left over from last year," says Dr Arnold. If it says 3M, 6M or 9M and you opened it last year, it's time to let it go.
Where you store it matters
Dr Sweta Rai explains "Keep beauty products in a cool, dry area of your home, away from direct sunlight or heat sources. Beauty products which have been left open or exposed to moisture or heat can carry a bacterial or infection risk." So if your make up has spent the year in the loft, the garage or the back of the car, it won't last as long as the jar symbol suggests.
Looking and smelling fine isn't enough
Visible mould, unexpected separation or an unusual smell are all signs to throw a product away. But as Dr Arnold explains, "Bacteria and fungi are microscopically tiny, so you can't see them with the naked eye. Contamination can occur while the product still looks and smells 'fine'." Ingredients can also break down over time, and it's often the degraded form that causes allergic reactions.
Fake blood isn't riskier, it's just older
Sugary formulas contain preservatives to keep them stable, but these only last for so long. "The risk lies in the fact that these are make up products that you only pull out occasionally, so they are usually old and have usually not been stored optimally," says Dr Arnold. Homemade fake blood should only ever be used fresh.
Take extra care around the eyes
Most reactions to old make up are mild and short-lived, but more severe reactions such as eyelid swelling can happen. "The eyelid skin is much thinner and more fragile than the rest of the body, and so reactions tend to occur there more quickly and more severely," says Dr Arnold.
Patch test in good time
Dr Arnold recommends applying a small amount of product to your inner elbow every day for seven days; if a rash appears, you're likely allergic to something in the formula. For sensitive skin, Dr Rai suggests applying a little behind your ears for two consecutive days and watching for redness over the following two to four days. Either way, this isn't something to leave until the night before your party.
If in doubt, throw it out
"Sorry to disappoint you," says Dr Arnold. Next time, buy only what you need (single-use fake blood is ideal), store it somewhere cool and dark and write the month and year you opened it on the label. "Your future self will thank you."
How to Create a Halloween Look From Your Own Make Up Bag
Now for the treat after all that trick. You don't need a box of once-a-year face paint to look frightfully good. The make up you already use, store properly and know your skin gets on with can do all the heavy lifting, whether that's a bold red lip with vampire potential or a liner that can draw stitches. Anything new you pick up will stay useful long after 31st October, too. That's in line with Dr Sweta Rai's advice to only buy what you'll actually use, unless it's make up you'll reach for regularly. Consider this your licence to shop smarter, not scarier.
Step 1: Prep your skin
Dr Sweta Rai recommends applying heavily pigmented make-up onto well-moisturised skin with a healthy-looking barrier, to help skin stay comfortable through the night. A multitasking moisturiser like the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Multi-Purpose Moisturiser is a make-up artist favourite for a reason: it doubles as a primer, so bold pigments glide on more evenly.
£13.99
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Step 2: Create your look
A bold red lip can become a vampire pout, a dramatic blood drip or a smudged-out zombie stain. The Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in 'Red Carpet Red' delivers rich, long-wearing colour that works just as well for a dinner reservation in December. For stitches, cracks and sharp graphic lines, a precise liquid liner such as the NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner does the job in a few strokes. And for colour across your eyes, cheeks and lips, the multi-use Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix 24 Hour Matte Cream Colour, comes in a spectrum of high-pigment shades in a small 10ml size.
Step 3: Set it
A few spritzes of setting spray keeps your look in place from the first photo to the last song, so there's less temptation to keep touching your face. Travel sizes are ideal here: they fit in your pocket and get used up before they've had time to sit in a cupboard.
£16.50
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Step 4: Take it all off
However late you get in, don't sleep in it. A cleansing balm or oil melts through heavy pigment without scrubbing, which matters even more around the delicate eye area. The ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is a long-standing favourite, and once it's done its work, a soothing balm like the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 helps skin feel comfortable again.
£46.00
£19.90
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£18.99
Step 5: Clean your tools
Brushes and sponges can harbour bacteria just as easily as the products themselves, so give them a proper clean the next day, before they go back in your make up bag.
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