We know it can be difficult to toss out a half-used hydrator you bought a year ago, but skincare products don’t last forever. Hanging onto beauty products past their prime isn’t doing your skin any favours and causes unnecessary stress and mess.
So, how long do skincare products last? This is what you need to know about the ins and outs of product shelf life.
The shelf life of skincare
Dust is settling in your beauty cabinet, but how to work out what to hold and what to fold? For most products there is an easy way to find out how long the shelf life is. Many products carry what is called a PAO symbol which is an open jar icon with a number followed by an M. This is usually 12, 24 or 36 months, so for example, a “12M” would mean to throw out the product 12 months after you have opened it.
If you can’t see a symbol on the product container one year for skincare is usually a good rule to follow and always your best judgement. So, if it doesn’t smell right, is separating or has a change in texture or colour – follow your gut.
This is very important for skin health, as products high in antioxidants and skin-replenishing active ingredients, will eventually start to deteriorate and aside from everything else from a sanitary perspective, won’t work as efficiently.
When and why to toss out
If you hold onto products longer than indicated, bacteria can thrive particularly in an environment like a bathroom. If then applied topically to the skin, this can cause irritation or breakouts. If a product doesn’t have an expiration date printed, consider using a dark marker pen to write when the product was opened so to avoid this happening.
Skincare
Cleansers: 1 year
BHA or AHA exfoliants: 1 year
Facial Hydrators, body moisturisers and serums: 6 months to 1 year
Lip balms: 1 year
Makeup
Mascara and eyeliners: 3 to 6 months
Foundations: 6 months to 1 year
Powders, blushes, bronzers: 2 to 3 years
Lipsticks, glosses and lip pencils: 2 to 3 years
Storing your products
While product types vary in their toss dates, so do the conditions that they are stored in. So make sure you do store products in a cabinet or drawer, wash hands before using products, tighten lids after use, toss out eye products if you suffer an eye infection and always abide by expiration dates, particularly for sunscreen or acne products. As our products are mostly always stored in the bathroom, make sure water doesn’t creep in as mould can develop. Skincare products with pumps instead of jars tend to have a longer shelf life.
Is it time for a deep clean? Having a better understanding of how to care for and cycle through your products plays a part in happy skin and a happy home. Pop in and talk to us about “spring cleaning” your beauty routine!
