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Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,195
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

I have a habit of buying too many cosmetics and then squirreling them away and forgetting about them.  I then discover them later - unopened --- and do not know how old they are.

 

How long do unopened, sealed cosmetics last?  Also, is there some type of coding on the products that tells you the date?  I cannot find dates on anything! 

 

Thanks!

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin
Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,233
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

@AngelPuppy1Almost none of them will do any harm after any dates you can find although I personally don't take chances with eye make-up so I regularly discard that except for brow pencils.

 

All the cleansers and serums and moisturizers should be okay to use but as they go out beyond their BEST BY dates, they may be less effective.  Do keep in mind lots of those dates are designed to persuade us to buy more or to protect the companies -  not really to protect us.

 

Do smell everything old and discard rancid and the same for appearance or texture if you know what that should be -  noticeable changes and I toss.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,907
Registered: ‎03-28-2016

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

@AngelPuppy1:  Why not open one of the boxes and try it to see if it's still potent.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,223
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

[ Edited ]

@AngelPuppy1 

 

Most cosmetic containers have a small icon on the back of the label.  It looks like a jar with an open lid.  I have seen 6, 12 & 24 next to it indicating the months the product is guaranteed good once the container/tube is opened.  Most products have a shelf life of 2 years unopened.  I would contact the makeup line customer service just to be sure.

If your face brightens when you meet a friend, you have struck gold. - unknown
Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,612
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

[ Edited ]

CheckCosmetic dot net has a place where you can enter the brand and lot number to get an estimated shelf life date.

 

There is also some other good info about freshness, what to look for in expiring products and also opened product expirations.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,056
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

[ Edited ]

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I have a habit of buying too many cosmetics and then squirreling them away and forgetting about them.  I then discover them later - unopened --- and do not know how old they are.

 

How long do unopened, sealed cosmetics last?  Also, is there some type of coding on the products that tells you the date?  I cannot find dates on anything! 

 

Thanks!


 

Good morning @AngelPuppy1. The best rule of thumb is opened skincare about a year, Vit. C serum turns yellow and inactive before that. Mascara should be changed every 3 months, eyeshadow and other powdered products 2-3 yrs. (unless gets funky smell), liquid/stick/cream foundations or blushes not more than 18 months and lipgloss or lipsticks 2 yrs. unless they smell funny. Eye & lip pencils should be sharpened regularly to keep them fresh.

***I use a Sharpie to mark the date when I open a new product. 

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,487
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....


@Shanus wrote:

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I have a habit of buying too many cosmetics and then squirreling them away and forgetting about them.  I then discover them later - unopened --- and do not know how old they are.

 

How long do unopened, sealed cosmetics last?  Also, is there some type of coding on the products that tells you the date?  I cannot find dates on anything! 

 

Thanks!


 

Good morning @AngelPuppy1. The best rule of thumb is opened skincare about a year, Vit. C serum turns yellow and inactive before that. Mascara should be changed every 3 months, eyeshadow and other powdered products 2-3 yrs. (unless gets funky smell), liquid/stick/cream foundations or blushes not more than 18 months and lipgloss or lipsticks 2 yrs. unless they smell funny. Eye & lip pencils should be sharpened regularly to keep them fresh.

***I use a Sharpie to mark the date when I open a new product. 


I mark when I receive the product and again when I open it.  That gives me a good idea of how fast I use the product so I don't end up buying way more than I use.

 

Marking when I receive it also lets me know which items on my shelf I need to use first, which also helps to avoid your problem, @AngelPuppy1 .

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,056
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

@geezerette   I use a sticky note to put the date on unopened products just in case I decide to return it. If I have more than one in back up, I also put #1, #2 so I use them in order. I usually only sunscreen and mascara backups. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,496
Registered: ‎01-23-2019

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....

Unopened properly stored should be a few years. The routinely quote 2 years for unopened mascaras on tv.  I would only think that liquid foundations and concealer might get weird after a really long time but I don't personally know.  Anything powder is very stable.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,487
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: How long are unopened cosmetics good for and....


@Shanus wrote:

@geezerette   I use a sticky note to put the date on unopened products just in case I decide to return it. If I have more than one in back up, I also put #1, #2 so I use them in order. I usually only sunscreen and mascara backups. 


@Shanus 

 

That's what I do too!