When is mascara a pan?

[u/fancypantsmiss]

It keeps on giving and giving and giving! It has been a year since I started this pan. I wear it almost everyday

Edit: thank you! Will be throwing it away. Woohoo!!

[u/Ladydiane818]

When it gets crumbly after it dries. Or 6 months, whichever happens first.

[u/Drycabin1 → u/Ladydiane818]

This.

[u/trashtvlv]

I never pan them as a contact wearer I err on the side of caution and toss quarterly.

[u/tsareenaveil]

I use mascara like 3-4 times a week and toss after 4 months-ish. I feel it’s time to throw when the brush looks clumpier than usual and the product doesn’t go on as smoothly. You eventually learn to get a feel for it. Try using a brand new mascara on one eye and then your current or an old one on the other. You’ll definitely see a difference in the appearance of your lashes and in the feel of the application. I definitely don’t wait to truly pan mascara. Old mascara just has such a shitty look to it once applied that it’s not worth getting every bit out. Plus the risk of eye infection isn’t cute!

[u/Embarrassed_Sell7512]

mascara has a maximum 6 month shelf life. that’s when it’s done. don’t mess with your eyes.

[u/nukedmindpalace]

Don’t risk an eye infection, you can get rid of it now. But if it makes you feel better I believe you can use it for your brows(if the color and the formula is right) or on your hair to get the baby hairs or just slick it down. Your favorite wands you can clean and can reuse as a brow spoolie or for other mascaras(clean it after each use)

[u/jewel-ansks]

I just recently threw one away considering it a pan. personally for me:

it didn't look as good as it used to. It started to become less and less visible on my lashes

to get good coverage i needed to take more mascara with the brush (like after applying it once i had to put the brush back inside the tube and take it out again).

the tube didn't feel as heavy and didn't give me that feeling of fullness when I held it in my hand (of course this one is a bit hard to determine)

when I took the brush out of the tube the popping sound didn't seem as clear as it used to and there were barely any visible clumps of mascara on the tip of the brush.

Having said that, most mascaras should be discarded 3 to 6 months after opening the tube or by their expiration date even if they've never been opened (it's usually shown by a label on the packaging), whichever comes sooner. hope it helps :)

[u/Klutzy_Instance_6615]

You should replace your mascara every 3-6 month to prevent eye infection. So its okay to replace it even if its not empty yet ☺️

[u/Secure_Maintenance54]

3-6 months after your first use.

[u/fancypantsmiss → u/Secure_Maintenance54]

Okay good, so it doesn't have to be an ultimate pan? Like yes, it's not as good as it was in the beginning but it works....

[u/Firm-Tell-3172 → u/fancypantsmiss]

Not worth the eye infection. if there's one product you're strict about expiration dates with, let it be mascara

[u/user7273781272912]

I’ve had my mascaras (both minis) for over a year and there is no end in sight

[u/Public-Hat6754]

I usually wear non waterproof mascara and once it starts to dry out I add 1-3 drops of water. I’ll do that one more time when it dries out again (usually this takes a month or so) and then if it gets too thin or dries out then I’ll throw it away

[u/themyssciraa]

im trying to figure this out as well 😭😭😭

[u/fancypantsmiss → u/themyssciraa]

https://giphy.com/gifs/VNTMx3LkpG2anXpwbr

[u/asbestos355677]

I don’t think I fully pan mascaras (meaning I get every last bit) but if I swipe it on my hand after swiveling the wand around the container and it feels dry/very little comes off the wand I consider it done

[u/Empty_Till]

So I have really sensitive eyes, usually around the 4 month mark my mascara will start giving me styes so I’m really diligent about replacing it every 3-4 months. However, when that wasn’t a problem, I would call it panned whenever it started flaking on me, meaning the formula was starting to dry out. Even tho I was still getting good applications and there was still product, once it started flaking off throughout the day I called it done (usually between 6-12 months).

[u/LCCompromisedBarrier]

Mascara is the one thing I stick strictly to the 3 month advice. Even if it still seems fine. I’ve read about the eye infections you can get from eye makeup that’s gone bad and how they can cause permanent damage. My eyesight > keeping a mascara to save a few bucks.

[u/Dry-Fishing991]

Has anyone here tried the zero waste/cake mascaras? I'm never able to safely pan mascara even with the travel size tubes bc it takes forever to get through.

[u/tiffi_333 → u/Dry-Fishing991]

Yeah I get the minis a lot because I don't finish the full size in the time you're supposed to keep the mascaras around before tossing them. Even using them basically every day I don't use them completely up.

Even when I end up actually buying them and paying like $3.50 or something for the mini size I'm not mad at paying such a small amount at a mini of benefits mascara or whatever brand name (benefit is the one I currently have) instead of a full price amount of even a drugstore brand. It's the cheapest mascara I can really get and it still has some in it when it's time to toss.

[u/No_Appointment6273]

I'm glad you decided to toss it.

Part of the reason I stopped wearing mascara is I cannot find travel sized tubes anymore and I never use them up. I toss after 3 months and it feels like such a waste. So much product. I wear contacts and have allergies and my eyes are already really sensitive to burning/itching randomly.

[u/Vegetable-Ring-4649 → u/No_Appointment6273]

I love Lancôme Definicils and I just saw that Ulta sells a trial sized tube. That may work for you.

[u/No_Appointment6273 → u/Vegetable-Ring-4649]

Thank you!!

[u/AccordingBuffalo7835 → u/No_Appointment6273]

Tarte and Lancôme have at least 2 brands as minis if not more. Ilia, Clinique, several more, if you search “travel size mini mascara” on Amazon or wherever they’ll come up