We know that food goes bad, but what about stuff like lotion, conditioner and mascara?
Heres what you should probably know.
Do things like moisturizer, shampoo, or perfume go bad?
Even left sealed, things like heat and humidity can cause products to degrade over time.
Expired products arent necessarily a big deal.
Sometimes it just means they lose effectiveness.
Required or not, some manufacturers do print expiration dates on their products.
Sometimes, the shelf life is noted by a special (undecipherable) batch code printed on the container.
it’s possible for you to look up these codes for major brands atCheckCosmetic.net.
As withmilk and other foods, though, expiration dates on cosmetic products arent always reliable.
When in doubt, toss anything that has changed in smell, color or texture.
Trust your eyes and nose!
The chart above is a kind of cheat sheet for these guidelines, with more details below.
Skin and hair care
Moisturizers, face creams and eye creams:Six months to one year.
The danger with expired creams isnt just possible less effectiveness, but alsoirritation and possible bacterial infection.
Store it away from the sun (perhaps in a cooler) to prevent the formula from becoming unstable.
Anti-aging or anti-acne products:up to one year, depending on the ingredients.
Products with antioxidants such as retinol, glycolic acid and vitamin C also break down more quickly.
Loofas and bath sponges:Three weeks for loofas, seven weeks for sponges, eight weeks for poufs.
That may seem pretty short, but considerthe moist environmentand all the holes inviting bacteria to grow.
Shaving creams and shaving soaps:Two years or perhaps longerif stored properly.
Toothpaste:Check the expiration date, printed on toothpastes containing fluoride.
Itsusually two years after manufacturing.
Mouthwash:Three years from manufacture date, also usually printed on the bottle.
Soap:Three years, according to manufacturers, for both bar and liquid soaps.
Yes, even soap can expire, particularly if they contain essential oils.
Makeup and fragrances:
Perfume/cologne:Two years.
As lovely as the bottles might look on the counter, store them away from sunlight and humidity.
Mascara and liquid eye liner:Three months.
If youve had a cold sore, toss your lip products sooner.
Eye and lip pencils:Three to five years.
Sharpen before use to preserve them.
Nail polish:One to two years.
you’re able to usually tell by the gooeyness of the polish.
A product likeTimestripcan save you the effort.
Just remember: use it or lose it.
