Skincare Product Expiry Dates Explained

If you are wondering what expiry dates mean for your skincare and beauty products, then read on to find out more about this. At Nakin we produce natural anti-ageing skincare and all of our products are made in the UK, and so we naturally meet all of the legal cosmetic requirements for this. When it comes to expiry dates the rules are often the same around the world, with an approach that is universally understood. There are two different ways to communicate an expiry date, one is through placing an actual date on a product to show when it should not be used after. The other is a jar symbol, that shows how long a product can be used for after it has been opened, which is usually 6 to 12 months, depending on the product and sometimes the container type.

It is important to stick to the product expiry and period after opening, as otherwise they can lose their safety due to the development of microbes, or the product not being its best. It is also important to remember that most products that have an expiry date after manufacture of over 30 months will only use the jar symbol, as this is the legal requirement. So, in this instance we always recommend keeping an eye on when you purchased a product. It is very easy to let the months and years go by, and so a product could easily be a few years old without us noticing. At Nakin, we use both the expiry date and jar symbol on all of our natural anti-ageing face products, in order to prevent this happening.

We hope that this explains cosmetic expiry dates and gives the information needed to make the right decisions when using products. Skincare products, just like other beauty items, have an expiration date. This is because they can go off and become unsafe to use, but also the active ingredients in skincare products can become less effective over time and can even deteriorate if not stored properly. Once a product expires, it should no longer be used as the safety and effectiveness of its ingredients may be compromised.

With that said, understanding when a specific product has expired can be tricky, since expiry dates are not always clearly labelled on the packaging. Here are some tips to help you find out when your skincare products expire:

• Look for an "open jar" symbol on the product's packaging – this typically indicates how long you can expect to use it once opened, before it expires.
• If there is no expiration date on your product, you can typically assume a shelf life of 6 months or one year from opening. Normally creams such as moisturisers have a 6-month expiry after opening, and gels such face washes have a 12-month expiry date after opening. This varies from product to product, and so is just a guide.

By following these tips and checking expiry dates before using any skincare products, you can ensure you are always getting the most out of them.