Skin Care Products - Do They Expire?

 

First off, I would like to apologize to everyone.  The local internet went down due to winds and finally is up and working again.  One of the last times it went down was after some eagles built a nest on it.  Living in the rural part of Alaska has its challenges.  Hopefully, I'm back to normal.  After looking at makeup and its expiration, I wondered about skin care products.  I am the first to admit that I stockpile my facial products because I like to buy them when they are on sale and because my mail service isn't always the best.

In addition, most of us don't even think about skin care products expiring as it's not a normal topic.  Since products do expire, it is important to know how long they can be used and when to dispose of them.  One of the obvious reasons for having expiration dates on them, is based on the ingredients.

So the first reason for keeping an eye on how long you've had the product is that they won't be as effective. Another less obvious reason is that once preservatives start diminishing, is that the product is no longer protected against bacterial growth. If your product gets infected by bacterial growth, problems could range from rashes or breakouts to skin infections or skin damage.

One ingredient often found in skin care products that has a short shelf live is Vitamin C.  Vitamin C is extremely unstable and soon begins to oxidized.  Unfortunately, when a product becomes oxidized it is considered pro-oxidized and in this form it can break down compounds of the skin causing damage.  For instance, it can damage the collegian or elastin in the skin which can lead to more wrinkles and other issues. 

If you aren't sure about expiration dates for your products, begin by looking for the "period after opening" or PAO date.  Simply look for numbers followed by an M in a open jar symbol to tell you when to consider throwing the product out.  This is based on how long the ingredients, preservatives, and packaging systems work together before starting to break down. You might also mark down on a calendar the date you opened it so you have a more specific date.  It is also important to monitor it for a change in scent, begins to separate, changes color, or changes constancy to know when to dispose of the product.

In general, serums, moisturizers, and eye creams are good for 6 months to a year following opening.  Unfortunately, many of these products contain water which is a good bacteria growing medium, or they contain vitamin C or retinol, both of which has a shorter shelf life.  Look to see if the product darkens, or its smell changes.  Vitamin C when off often smells like a fake tan.

Cleansers, masks, and exfoliants also last 6 months to a year. Although the expiration dates vary, products in a pump dispenser tend to last longer than those found in a jar. If your product comes in a jar, use a new spatula every time because you tend to add bacteria when you dip your fingers into your product.  

As mentioned in the last paragraph, dipping your fingers into the product can add bacteria but there are other things to keep in mind that shorten the products usable shelf life.  For instance, if you store the product at the wrong temperature, its quality can decline quicker. If you use a brush or applicator of some sort, clean it regularly because that is another way to introduce bacteria into the product.  Finally, do not store the skin care products in direct sunlight, otherwise they can decline in efficacy much faster.

So know you know more about skin care products and when they expire.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.