You probably never noticed this tiny detail on most beauty products

Buying new beauty products is like gaining new babies (without going through all the pain)

We focus so much on our beautiful new babies that we miss important things sometimes...

Photo: Instagram

We don't pay attention to a little symbol on the label.

If you use a product past its expiration date, the product either becomes ineffective or it can possibly cause a bacterial infection.

Like, to put it into ~gross~ terms, if you've been using a mascara past it's use-by date, you've been consistently putting bacteria from your eyes into a tube of dried out product. That bacteria can grow inside the tube which you then put back into your eyes. UGH.

Every beauty product should have the jar and number symbol on its packaging — whether it’s on the product itself or on the disposable packing it comes in.

The countdown begins the day you open the makeup — not the day you buy it.

So if you buy makeup and don’t open it for another month, start counting from the day you begin using the product, not from the day you buy it.

And here’s the easiest way to make sure you never use expired products again.

BOOM!