You probably have a lot of products at home for your skincare. And, just like with food, they can expire. When you think of food, you think about it, it is clearly marked and you can usually see or smell it quite easily.
With skincare it is really a different story. Even after years, it usually still smells nice and spreads well. And that also applies to mascara and eye shadow. We wanted to know how you actually know that your cosmetics have expired.
The expiration date of cosmetics
Cosmetics have an expiration date. Whether it concerns mascara or body lotion, everything comes to an end. We have written about the shelf life of sunscreen before, but you should also pay close attention to this with all other products. Especially for hygiene.
The chance that your skin will suffer from a rash or impurities is quite high if you use it for too long. Also, a day cream usually no longer works so well. And after all, that's what you buy it for, so you really have to keep an eye on the expiration date.
The ingredients in cosmetics often have rapid growth of bacteria. They grow faster when exposed to the air. That is why you can store your jars for a long time until you open them. After that it becomes a different story.
How do you know if your cosmetics are expired?
You can easily see this on all products you buy. In the Netherlands it is mandatory to put an expiration date on the packaging for all your make-up. You just have to know where to look and how it is worded. And this is how you do it.
Usually there is a symbol on the pot with 6M, 12M or 24M in it. This is also called the PAO symbol. That stands for Period After Opening. So it indicates how long it can be kept after you open it. In this case the 'M' stands for months.
What if you don't remember when you opened it?
Then your senses, just like you do with food, come to the fore. Because even then you really have to smell the product well. If it smells a bit different than you are used to, there is a good chance that it is actually better to stop using it.
Even if no bacteria enter it, a product will no longer work as well over time. It will not cause direct damage to your skin, but the result will disappear. So when that date has passed, throw it away, it's really better for your skin.
Fortunately, that doesn't have to cost you too much, with our tips for purchasing care products cheaply.