You know it's time to throw out your lip wear when...

culled from:pulse.ng

We're all guilty of owning that one lone make-up item we've had since before the creation of the world which just sits in our make-up bag. For some, it's not even just one item, its several items.

While some make-up artistes argue that there's no such thing as a useless make-up product, the fact remains that they're products which have a shelf life, after which said item could begin to pose a threat to health.

So how long should we keep our make-up products, or in this case specifically - lip wear before it becomes a potential harbinger of cancer?

We did a little research and here's what we found out.

• For lipstick: The average consensus for lipstick was 2 years, although some were of the opinion that it could last up to 4 years. However, if it becomes sticky and dry, changes colour or smells funny then it's time to toss that lipstick. To preserve and increase the shelf life of lip stick, it can be stored in a refrigerator.
• For lip gloss: This has a slightly shorter life span than lipsticks. The average time was one year and like lip sticks if it begins to smell funny or become overly sticky, then its time to say goodbye.
• For lip liner: Like lip glosses, lip liners have an average shelf life of one year.