Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (2024)

Did you know expired cosmetics can create a dangerous chemical mix?

Have you ever wondered how long can you keep your cosmetics for? What about if you are using your favourite lipstick (we all have one) and it’s actually past its expiry date? I’ve always wondered how long can I usemyface cream and makeup products before they start to have a reverse effectcreating breakouts on my skin or worse.

Chemicals inside expired cosmetics can be extremely harmful. Women can use about 20 beauty products a day, combination of various substances contained by these, some of them damaged, can be harmful to health.According to Genius Beautyif you use makeup products every day, your body can absorb through the skin over two kilograms of chemicals per year!

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (1)

How to check the expiry date of your cosmetics with an App

When was the last time you checked theexpirydate of your cosmetics? Don’t worry there is an app for that!

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (2)

Beauty Keeper is a stylish, easy to use app that tracks expiry dates of your beauty products, reminds you when it is time to replace them, and helps to determine production and best before dates encoded by manufacturer.

More than 880 brands are presented in the app such as Benefit, Biotherm, Body Shop, Bourjois, Chanel, Clinique, Dior, Garnier, Guerlain, Kiehl’s, Lancome, L’Oreal, MAC, Neutrogena, Pupa, Shiseido and others.

This app has over 368 reviews and has a 4.3 score, it’s a must-have.

Available on IOS and Android

Here’s more about what you need to know when it comes to checking the expiry date of your cosmetics. First, check out the batch code.

What is the batch code?

Thebatchcode identifies the manufacture date of the product. Usually it is printed on both the primary container and outer packaging. The batch codeconsistsfrom numbers and letters. If the product is not marked, then it must have the expiration date written.

Ifyou use makeup products every day, your body can absorb through the skin over two kilograms of chemicals per year!

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (3)

Batch codes can be located:

– printed on the bottom of the product

– printed on the package

– ink-stamped on the product

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (4)

What are the suggested cosmetic expiry dates from the big cosmetic brands?

  • Mascara: 3 – 6 months
  • Blusher: 12 – 18 months
  • Lipstick: 18 months
  • Foundation: 6 months
  • Eye shadow: 12 months
  • Liquid Eyeliner: 3 – 6 months
  • Shampoo: 24 months
  • Shower Gel: 24 months
  • Lip gloss: 18-24 months
  • Powder eyeshadow: 2 years
  • Cream eyeshadow: 12-18 months
  • Nail colour: 1 year
  • Fragrance: 2-5 years

Only one in four women frequently check the ingredients of the cosmetics she buys, and over half of them do not consider it necessary to read the list of ingredients if a product is natural. I know it can be hard for you to let go of your favourite product, like the perfect eyeshadow palette or lipstick, but try to think that after a few months this product that was your best friend can become your skin’s enemy.

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (5)

Advice: Don’t buy so many makeup and beauty products if you don’t use makeup everyday because you will not have the time to finish them before they become harmful for your skin.

So every couple of months try to look over your beauty products and check them, if they smell strange then it’s time to say goodbye.

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (6)

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Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (7)

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Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (8)

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Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics (2024)

FAQs

Guide To Checking the Expiry Date of Your Cosmetics? ›

How do I check my makeup expiry date? Always check the labels on makeup products. The majority will have a symbol of an open jar with a number of months on it, this is called a PAO (Period After Opened) symbol. This symbol lets you know how many months the product is good for after it has been opened before it expires.

How to check expiry date on cosmetics? ›

The expiration date of cosmetics is typically mentioned on the product packaging, indicated by labels such as MFG/MFD (Manufacturing Date) and EXP/EXD (Expiry Date). Additionally, you can find the period after opening (PAO), which specifies the product shelf life after opening it.

How to check the expiry date of a product? ›

Always check the expiry date you found in the barcode with the date printed on the product's package. This is to make sure you have the right date, especially with items like food or medicine.

How to determine the shelf life of cosmetics? ›

“Take a close look at your cosmetic products,” Lenore advises. “There is usually a small symbol with a use-by date. This generally refers to the shelf-life after production, during which the defined quality of the product remains acceptable under expected conditions of distribution, storage, display, and usage.”

How do cosmetics expire? ›

Over time, however, preservatives can break down, allowing bacteria and fungi to grow. Applicators, especially mascara wands, are exposed to bacteria and fungi each time you use them. Emulsions, which are mixtures of water and oil, can separate.

Is there an app to check cosmetics expiration date? ›

Cosmetic Checker Application

Cosmetic Checker is an easy-to-use application that helps to check the manufactured date, general shelf life as well as calculating the approximate age of your beauty products including makeup, skincare, and perfume by their batch code.

How to check cosmetic authenticity? ›

Physically check counterfeit cosmetics for:
  1. Uneven fill levels e.g. in eye-shadow palettes.
  2. Faded packaging.
  3. Misspelling on the packaging or in the information leaflet.
  4. Slight differences in the name of the product or shade.
  5. A different print (font or style) on the container.

How to read an expiration date code? ›

The standard format is MMDDYY, where “MM” refers to the month, “DD” refers to the date, and “YY” refers to the year. So if a product says 101525, it means that the product expires on October 15, 2025. Is it safe to buy food on its expiration date? Generally speaking, yes, it is safe to buy food on its expiration date.

How to check L'Oreal products expiry date? ›

Unlike with food, there is no expiry date for cosmetics. However, on the back of our skin care products (or on the cardboard packaging), there is sometimes a little logo (an open pot of cream) with a number inside: 6M, 12M, 18M, etc. That is the PAO: Period After Opening.

Can I know the expiry date by batch number? ›

A batch number is associated with information about the items. Most common information is production facility name, expiry date and manufacturing date. Thus items with the same batch number have the same expiry date. Batch numbers can be found on all packaged food items and medicines.

What is the FDA rule on expiration dates? ›

How are expiration dates established? FDA regulations require drug applicants to provide stability testing data with a proposed expiration date and storage conditions when they submit an application for FDA approval of their drug.

Do unopened cosmetics expire? ›

How Long Is a Product's Shelf Life? Most skin, hair, and body products can last up to two to three years unopened, according to Wilson.

Can I use 5 year old makeup? ›

Mold is another common issue with old cosmetics because moisture builds up inside containers over time, leading to mold growth. This mold growth can trigger breakouts or other irritations. Another risk of using expired makeup is a change in the color of the product over time.

What happens if you use expired cosmetics? ›

Holding on to makeup products past their prime could expose you to harmful toxins that may harbor bacteria. Angela Bowers, MD, a dermatologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Grapevine, regularly sees patients with perioral dermatitis.

What is the cosmetics expiration symbol? ›

A product's PAO is strictly voluntary in the US and isn't required by US law. Similar to food, this little hourglass symbol is your “best before” date and tells you the product has a life span of less than 30 months, whether it has been opened or not.

How to check expiry date if not mentioned? ›

Look for a date accompanied with “use by,” “sell by,” or “best by.” X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source Check the bottom of the product, the sides of the container, the lid, and the necks of bottles.

How to check expiration date by lot number? ›

The first number is the third digit of the year the product was made. The next two numbers represent the day of the month the product was made. The next number represents the last digit of the year the product was made. The next two digits represent the month the earliest expiring component expires.

How to read a batch code? ›

A typical batch number would be similar to AGT-M10000. The batch code consists of 6 digits and utilizes the Julian Date, the last digit of the year of manufacture, the production line, and the production shift. Example: 036521 036 = The thirty sixth day of the year, in this case February 5th.

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