Are Your Beauty Products Expired? An Expert on When to Check (And Toss) Your Products
Yads Cauchi is a Dermal Clinician, Nutritionist (BHSc, MSc) and Beauty Journalist. She's also a mum of four. Evidence based skin health and nutrition are her thing and she works from her own skin clinic based in Canberra - you can find her there, or on Instagram and TikTok @yadscauchiskin.
Consider this your nudge or your seasonal PSA from the queen of the clean-out to: audit your beauty stash, because at the start of every season it is something I’m always telling my clients to do for the sake of their skin.
You see, if your bathroom shelf is a graveyard of ‘I’ll finish it later’ products not only will they not do their job, but worse? They may be contributing to your breakouts, rashes and irritation.
And trust me, I get it. Products cost money, but also maybe… this will inspire you to buy less so that you don’t have to throw things away?
Between tiny symbols, batch codes and a sunscreen that may or may not be from last summer, let me give you a quick refresher on reading expiry info, and the dead-giveaways your beloved products need to go!
Expiry Date vs PAO Symbol
Expiry date (EXP / Use-by): So this is a hard date on products that indicates you need to bin it if it’s still open:
Sunscreen is the most important product to check. Although topical prescriptions, retinoids and vitamin C’s all carry a high risk. And you should be mindful of storage conditions too. I.e where are you storing your sunscreen
PAO (period after opening) symbol (open jar + “6M/12M/24M”): This is a tiny symbol on the back of all of your products:
It indicates how long a product is considered safe/effective after you open it. Common on skincare and makeup.
Often it can be hard to remember when you opened your products so it can be handy to write the date on them. Or make yourself a phone note.
Batch code: This is a tiny embossed/inked code brands use to trace a batch. If you can’t find an expiry or PAO, retailers/brands can often confirm manufacture date from this code so you’d just need to get in touch with them. (Formats vary by brand.)
7 Signs Your Product Is Expired (Or Has Gone Off)
Now sometimes products can turn early depending on how they're stored or if you’ve left them sitting there with their lids off etc. So if you feel like your product has expired or gone off a little early here are a few signs you should be across:
- New or off smell
- Colour shift (e.g., vitamin C turning deep orange/brown)
- Texture change (separating, curdling, unusually thick/runny)
- Performance drop (pills, won’t spread/absorb like before)
- Irritation you didn’t get before
- Clumps/flakes (mascara, powders)
- Bulging/leaking packaging or dried-out pumps
High-Risk Categories (Keep This Tight)
Ps. there are some categories you really need to not mess around with:
Eye makeup: These tend to have shorter lifespans because of contamination risk. How long should you keep mascara for? Mascara and liquid eyeliner generally need to be tossed every 3-4 months.
Actives (retinoids, vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, AHAs/BHAs, topical prescriptions): These can be more sensitive to light/air/heat so watch for colour or smell changes and follow PAO closely. Especially if they are formulated in a dropper bottle and exposed frequently.
Try: Medik8 Crystal Retinal range for vitamin A, or the Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced for vitamin C. Love both of these formulas for their effectiveness, but also their packaging too!
“Natural”/low-preservative formulas: Any “natural” or green/clean brands will have shorter expiry dates especially if they’re not formulated with preservatives/parabens etc that can really help PAO, so check that open-jar symbol!
Storage Tips That Actually Help (And Saves You Money)
- Store at room temperature, dry, out of direct sunlight. Don’t leave products (esp. SPF) in hot cars or sunny windows
- Close lids/pumps fully; don’t add water
Your 60-Second Cleanup
Ok so now that we’re in a new season, and we know it’s time to clean our stash, here are a few easy steps for you to follow so you can do a quick shelf sweep today!
Step 1: Pull SPFs and bin anything past the printed expiry or heat-damaged.
Step 2: Scan PAO symbols on daily skincare/makeup, if you opened it last year and it says “6M”, it’s time.
Step 3: Do the senses test (smell, colour, texture); if in doubt, chuck it.
Step 4: Label the keepers: write the open date with a Sharpie, or make yourself a phone note!
A tiny date check now will = better skin results, fewer breakouts, and to be honest, money saved!
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