Beauty

[Beautiful life]

I just located in my drawer expired Retin-A cream 1 percent. Sealed but it’s a few years expired.

I am assuming it lost its power so throw it out. Or can you use it with less strength. Hate to throw expensive stuff away buy not going to use anything that might go bad.

[2penny]

I would use it on my hands if nothing else.  Is it yellow?

[Brisky]

Don't toss, try it tonight and you will know if it's lost it's potency. The look of it should be off white and creamy. If still good.

[millieshops]

I'm no expert on Retin-A, but almost all expiration dates are more protective of the manufacturers/sellers than of us as consumers.  Many items, drugs included, are perfectly safe and effective to use several years beyond the dates.

I'm currently using several expensive Perricone products I was guilty of "overstashing."  I can't notice any difference in their smell, their consistency, or their effectiveness and I know some arr long "expired.".    

[Fluke67]

Don’t toss, try it. You’ll know in a few days if it’s still potent.

[SilleeMee]

I don't waste my time using expired RA. I just tossed 3 tubes of of expired RA last week. When I use a treatment product I want it to be the strength it was intended to be, not anything less and while using expired RA may be okay, you don't know how well it is working. Two years past the exp date is well over due.

[Shanus]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

I don't waste my time using expired RA. I just tossed 3 tubes of of expired RA last week. When I use a treatment product I want it to be the strength it was intended to be, not anything less and while using expired RA may be okay, you don't know how well it is working. Two years past the exp date is well over due.

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@SilleeMee   As usual, I agree. I’ve also had to toss unused Vit. C that has turned yellow (oxidized) before I finished the bottle. I now pour off 1/2 the new bottle into another dark dropper bottle I’ve saved and refrigerate to preserve it until I finish the amount I’m using.

[lulu1]

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@Beautiful life wrote:

I just located in my drawer expired Retin-A cream 1 percent. Sealed but it’s a few years expired.

I am assuming it lost its power so throw it out. Or can you use it with less strength. Hate to throw expensive stuff away buy not going to use anything that might go bad.

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If it's "a few years expired", I'd toss it.  Up to a year, I'd use it providing it had not already been opened.

[SilleeMee]

RA is a highly unstable substance and there is good reason why it has an expiration date (the yellow color has nothing to do with that, tretinoin is yellow to begin with).  It's not just about some date placed on a product to meet a regulatory requirement but also a date that indicates when the product will start to lose it's intended effect. Tretinoin is a drug and that has to have a date of exp just like any other drug. I never use expired drugs of any kind.

[Reever]

Ive taken expired drugs, eaten expired food, dont see why it matters. The eye test tells me whether a product is good or not. Heck I just ate field greens that "expired" 2 weeks ago. Perfectly fine. Americans waste so much.