How Often to Change Razor Blades, Hairbrushes and Old Makeup
Change a disposable razor or cartridge after roughly 5 to 10 shaves, or the first time it tugs. Wash your hairbrush every week or two and replace it when bristles break. Throw out mascara three months after opening, and read the little open-jar symbol on everything else. That’s the quick answer to how often you should change razor blades and the rest of the bathroom shelf. Below is one chart to stick inside the cupboard door.
Quick facts
- Razor: 5 to 10 shaves as a rough guide; sooner if dull or rusty
- Hairbrush and comb: clear hair weekly, wash every 1 to 2 weeks
- Mascara and liquid liner: 3 months after opening
- Sunscreen: by the printed expiry date; never after
- The symbol to look for: an open jar with “6M”, “12M” or “24M”
Prefer to listen? This post as a 2 min video · Video page with transcript
The bathroom replacement chart
| Item | Clean | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable razor, cartridge | Rinse, dry after each shave | 5 to 10 shaves, or first tug |
| Hairbrush, comb | Every 1 to 2 weeks | When bristles break or bend |
| Mascara, liquid eyeliner | Never share | 3 months after opening |
| Liquid foundation, concealer | Clean the neck | By the open-jar symbol |
| Sunscreen | Close the cap | By the printed date |
The easy way to remember: do the whole shelf check four times a year, on the first of the month when the season turns. Pull everything out, wipe the shelf, bin what’s past its time. Missed a season? Do it this weekend and count the next one from there. Busy version: just check the mascara and the razor. They’re the two items that cause the most trouble when they’re old.
How often should you change razor blades?
There’s no exact number, because it depends on how thick your hair is, how much you shave and how you store the razor. Five to ten shaves is the rough range people give for disposables and cartridges. Your skin will tell you sooner. Change it when:
- It tugs or pulls instead of gliding.
- You need to go over the same patch twice.
- You get more redness, nicks or bumps than usual.
- You see rust, or the lubricating strip has worn away.
A blunt blade is what drags hair and irritates skin, and that is a common cause of razor bumps. Our routine for pimples after shaving covers the prep and aftercare. Electric shaver foils and heads wear too; follow the maker’s replacement guide, which is often every year or two.
Make a razor last longer
- Rinse the blade under hot running water every few strokes while shaving.
- After the shave, rinse well, shake off the water and pat it on a towel (don’t wipe along the edge).
- Store it upright, outside the shower, where it can dry. A razor living in a wet corner rusts and dulls fast.
In Pakistan and India, the barber’s shared razor has long been a known route for hepatitis B and C. A new blade for every customer, unwrapped in front of you, is the rule to insist on. Many barbers do it without being asked; if yours doesn’t, ask or bring your own. More in hepatitis B and C in Pakistan.
Never share razors at home either, not even between siblings. A tiny cut you can’t see is enough to pass blood from one person to another.
How often should you replace your hairbrush?
There’s no fixed date. Replace it when bristles are missing or bent, the little ball tips have come off (bare tips scratch the scalp), the cushion has split, or a wooden brush has cracked. Keep it clean in the meantime, especially in desi homes where hair oil goes on every week and turns the brush into a sticky mat.
- Pull the trapped hair out every few days with your fingers or the end of a comb.
- Every 1 to 2 weeks, fill a bowl with warm water and a teaspoon of shampoo. Swish a plastic brush or comb in it for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Scrub between the bristles with an old soft toothbrush, rinse, and dry bristles-down on a towel.
- Wooden and boar-bristle brushes shouldn’t soak. Dip only the bristles, scrub, and dry quickly.
During head lice season, don’t share combs or brushes at all. Soak them in hot water (around 55 °C, too hot to keep your hand in) for 5 to 10 minutes after each use on someone with lice. The full wet-combing method is in joon (head lice) removal.
How to know if makeup is expired
Turn the product over and look for a tiny open-jar picture with a number and “M”. That’s the period-after-opening symbol, and “12M” means it’s good for 12 months once opened. Write the opening month on the box with a marker; nobody remembers otherwise. Signs a product has turned, whatever the date:
- A sour, oily or crayon-like smell that wasn’t there before.
- Liquid and oil separating and not mixing back when shaken.
- A change in colour, or a cakey, clumpy, dried-out texture.
- Stinging or itching where it never used to.
Mascara gets the strictest limit, about three months, because the wand goes from your eye into a dark, wet tube every day. Throw out mascara and eyeliner used during any eye infection. Powders last longest, since there’s little water in them for bacteria to grow in. Lipsticks and nail polish usually last a year or more, until they smell off or go thick and stringy.
Did you know? Sunscreen is the one product where “expired” is about protection, not just germs. Its filters break down over time and in heat, so an old tube can leave you less protected than the label says. Keep it out of the car and off a sunny windowsill, and learn to read the label in sun block basics.
Unopened doesn’t mean forever. If there’s a printed expiry date, that date wins.
An eye that turns red, painful, sticky or blurry after using a product needs a doctor, and the product goes in the bin. A cut from a razor that won’t stop bleeding after 10 minutes of firm pressure, or that turns hot, swollen and painful, needs medical care. People on blood thinners should consider an electric shaver. Keep razors and blades out of children’s reach.
Find more quick routines in Tiny Habits. Today’s nudge: find your mascara and check when you opened it.
Replacement questions, answered
How often should you change razor blades?
Roughly every 5 to 10 shaves for disposables and cartridges, and sooner the moment it tugs, nicks or rusts. Thick or coarse hair wears blades faster.
How often should you replace your hairbrush?
When bristles break, bend or lose their ball tips, or the cushion splits. Washing it every one to two weeks keeps it usable much longer.
How long does makeup last once opened?
Check the open-jar symbol: 6M, 12M or 24M. As a rough guide, mascara lasts 3 months, liquid foundation around 6 to 12, and powders longer.
How to know if makeup is expired?
A new smell, separation, a colour change, a clumpy texture or stinging on the skin. Any of these means bin it, whatever the label says.
What happens if you use expired makeup?
Often nothing but a patchy finish. But old mascara and eye products can carry bacteria that irritate or infect the eye, and old creams can cause rashes.
Does sunscreen expire?
Yes. Use it by the printed date and replace it if it has separated, changed smell or sat in a hot car. Expired sunscreen may not protect you properly.
Does makeup expire if unopened?
It ages more slowly but does age. If there’s a printed expiry date, follow it; if a sealed product smells or looks different when opened, don’t use it.
How often should I wash my hairbrush?
Every one to two weeks, and weekly if you use hair oil or styling products. Remove trapped hair every few days in between.
Can I share a razor with family?
No. Razors can carry tiny amounts of blood, which can pass on infections such as hepatitis B and C. Everyone needs their own.
How often should you change a safety razor blade?
Many people change a double-edge blade every few shaves. Change it sooner if it pulls, and dispose of old blades in a closed tin, not loose in the bin.