Beauty expiration dates explained: How to determine whether or not your products are still safe to use
As a beauty reporter, my bathroom is packed with skin care products I've tried, am currently trying or need to try. Every few weeks, I do a deep clean of all my items looking for formulas to toss and always find myself asking a few questions on repeat: Is this expired and safe to use? What if I haven't even opened it yet? How much longer do I have left to use this?
If you're trying to decide whether or not you need to say goodbye to that moisturizer or serum you've been seeing in the corner of your bathroom, I spoke with cosmetic chemists and beauty founders about how to determine the shelf life of your items. We discussed whether there are hard-set rules to follow as it pertains to expiration dates, plus some tips and tricks for properly storing your favorite formulas.
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Do beauty products expire?
Yes. Similar to food and medicine, skin care products have active ingredients that can go bad or lose their effectiveness over time, according to Dr. Shuting Hu, a cosmetic chemist and founder and CEO of Acaderma. Using products past the expiration date could harm or irritate your skin, leading to breakouts and more, she says.
Sunscreens and acne formulas are two key products that tend to have active ingredients with firm expiration dates that will be disclosed on the packaging, according to Ron Robinson, a cosmetic chemist and founder and CEO of BeautyStat. Other products, like lip balms and toners, will have more wiggle room.
How should you store your beauty products?
The best way to maintain your beauty products is by storing them in cool, dry locations and tightening their lids and caps after each use, according to Robinson. Too much heat can shorten a product's shelf life, so you want to keep them in a cabinet, drawer, or closed box, says Hu.
Some active ingredients, like vitamin C and retinol, might do better in the fridge because it can slow down the oxidation of these actives. But, it's always best to check the label for specific storage instructions to make sure your products last as long as possible, according to Hu.
This set of stackable drawers, which has a 4.8-star average rating from over 210 reviews on Amazon, is perfect for people who have a lot of products and need to access everything quickly. The acrylic material lets you see which drawer has which products, and its design makes retrieving them easy. It has handles to pull the drawers out, and its track allows it to come out smoothly without getting stuck, according to the brand. If you prefer shorter or wider options than this set, the brand also makes them in three additional sizes — 3.5' H, 4.4' H and 6.6' H.
Reviewers say this portable mini fridge is perfect for small spaces since it's on the more compact side. It can fit roughly six 12 oz. soda cans and is great for storing things like eye patches and individual sheet masks. It comes with a removable shelf, so you can still fit taller items inside. The fridge, which has a 4.4-star average rating from over 12,700 reviews on Amazon, also has two temperature settings (cool and warm), so you can easily alternate depending on what you store inside.
One of the best ways to preserve your products is by keeping them in containers with a lid, like this option from Yamazaki, which has a 4.6-star average rating from over 140 reviews on Amazon. Its adjustable inner divider lets you customize the organizer's internal shape to best fit your products. Reviewers say that it's easy to clean using soap and a damp cloth.
This six-liter (nine 12 oz. soda can capacity) mini fridge is large enough to hold your skin care and other necessities at a chilled temperature without taking too much room on your desk, vanity and more. Reviewers say it's relatively quiet and makes a very small yet noticeable noise, but it isn't loud to the point it disrupts conversations or interferes with TV and movie watching. It has a 4.0-star average rating from over 7,100 reviews on Amazon.
How do you know the shelf life of a product?
One of the key things to look for to determine how long you can use a beauty product is by looking at the period-after-opening symbol (PAO), which you'll see displayed as an open jar with a cap floating over it, according to Robinson.
This translates to how many months, or how long the product will stay good after you open it, says Hu. There is usually a number and a 'M' next to the image indicating the number of months you have until the product expires. For example, '6M' means 6 months and '12M' means 12 months.
What if the beauty product doesn't have a PAO symbol?
'I typically tell consumers that after they open products, the one-year clock starts,' says Robinson. 'After that time, you should toss it.' However, if it's an item that comes in close contact with the eye area (eye creams, mascaras and concealers), consider tossing it anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. If mold or bacteria gets in the eye, it can lead to a serious infection, says Robinson.
Here's what else to consider when determining if you should throw a product away:
Color change
Odor change
Textural change
The formula is beginning to separate
If the product is colored and you notice streaking
If you have an unopened beauty product, do you still have to follow the expiration date?
Unopened skin care products may last longer than opened ones, but they eventually expire even if you don't use them, says Hu. Expiration dates are there to provide a general timeline for best usage.
If you've properly stored an unopened product, you can expect it to work fine up to the expiration date. 'I would recommend that you try to stay aware or remember when you first purchased and opened a product to ensure it is safe to use,' she says. If you're unsure, it's best to remain cautious and discard any products that may be expired or are nearing their expiration date.
Do some beauty ingredients expire faster than others?
Yes — some ingredients like pure vitamin C (L-Ascrobic Acid) can oxidize and expire quickly, says Robinson. Oxidation is the process when an ingredient loses electrons, which changes its chemical structure as a result of being exposed to air. How quickly a beauty item oxidizes depends on its ingredient makeup because they can all happen at different rates, according to Robinson.
For example, vitamin C is 'very unstable and can begin oxidizing very quickly, whereas oils and butters may take a little longer,' says Robinson. 'Air-tight packaging may prolong the life of sensitive ingredients, but over time, the ingredients still oxidize. This process renders the product or ingredient ineffective and or changes the color and/or makes the odor go off.'
Beauty expiration dates
Here's a general rule of thumb our experts recommend following:
Products with the highest risk of expiring quickly are water-containing formulas (they require the most preservation given bacteria, mold, and yeast grow in water environments) — this includes creams and lotions, according to Robinson. These water-based products will expire more quickly than oil-based products, according to Hu.
Anhydrous (products that don't have water) products such as makeup powders are the least likely to be a microbial risk, according to Robinson. Also, products that are in pump bottles tend to last longer since they're less exposed to bacteria and oxygen.
'It's important to use your best judgment, and if something looks or smells off, it's time to throw it out,' says Hu.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Why trust NBC Select?
I'm an associate reporter covering new product launches, skin care, hair care and more, including recent stories on the best under-eye patches and the best lip masks. For this story, I interviewed two cosmetic chemists to learn more about beauty expiration dates and how to determine if your favorite products are still safe to use.
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