Everything in life expires
My question is this: Does lip balm expire?I bring this up because my lips are extremely chapped to the point of bleeding a little. But the only lip balm I have is Bath & Body Works Vanilla Mint... and I am pretty sure I bought it a couple years ago. I've been slathering it on all day, and it sure feels like normal lip balm. But is it working? Or has it lost its healing powers over the years?
This question can actually be asked about many many things in life that are not food. We all know food goes bad... heck, there are usually dates stamped on to remind us of that fact (plus some other tell-tale signs). But what about other stuff? Makeup is a big one. I know mascara goes bad pretty fast, but what about powder, blush, eyeshadow? Aside from any crustiness, how do you know when it's kaput? Shampoo? Lotion? I find that I often keep things like this around for long periods without realizing it.
Oh, and what about hairbrushes? I realized yesterday that I've been using the same orange hairbrush since freshman year of college (five years ago). I know this because I remember my mom bought the orange brush to match my orange body pillow and orange trash can (yes, we were going for a theme). The brush still works fine. But after all these years, and all the places it's seen, there's undoubtedly a lot of germ build-up on it. Maybe I should stop using it.
It would help me to make this important decision, however, if I had a rule of thumb for how long to keep things. I would say for hygenic products, it should only be a couple months--though I'm not sure I'm willing to put out cash for a new toothbrush that often. But for hairbrushes and similar ilk, what's the cut-off date? Let me know if you've got any opinions on the subject.
My conclusion? Everything in life should have an expiration date. Sooner or later, everything expires (even non-tangible things, like relationships). If every thing we buy comes marked with a cut-off date, we feel better about the things we use, knowing they are as fresh and new as possible. In addition, it would be a great ploy for companies because dates would coerce people to replace certain products more often.
I am a genius.
posted by Sleepy Girl @ 4:40 PM
3 Comments:
Interesting perspective you have! I actually did a google search asking, "does lip balm expire?" and your blog was the first thing that came up. I was sitting here reading some boring article and I was wondering that, since I also have extremely chapped lips and questionably old lip balm...On everything expiring: I see your point; I, for one, always check expiration dates, habitually, actually, because I got food poisoning once. But I'm not so sure I'd want an expiration date on everything. Some things I love because they're really old, you know? My DMB hat is my favorite piece of clothing, despite being very faded, and with the faint outlines of sweat from the distant past. I guess with expiration dates on everything there'd be no hope for that one thing's continuance (e.g. a relationship)...it'd be like believing something will last on the basis of proof, and there'd be no room for faith. But I still think lip balm should have an expiration date, even if it is 10 years, because I put this stuff on my lips.
Where can I find an orange body pillow?! smp_cl@yahoo.com
You said that everything in life should have an expiration date. I would like to point out that life itself has an expiration date. One day I will die and no longer be living on this earth. Unlike store-bought products, life isn't marked with an expiration date. I have no way of knowing when my life will be over. I would also like to point out that life doesn't end because it goes bad or becomes dangerous. A person's life ends when God decides it should. I will not try to explain God's reasoning or mind, for our minds cannot comprehend the mind of God.
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