If in doubt, throw it out!!!
Do you remember the last time you gave your cosmetic bag, beauty drawer or bathroom cabinet a good clean out? If it’s been more than a few months, there’s a chance that some of the products may have gone off.
Keeping skin care products for too long means they’re less likely to work like they should. There’s a tiny symbol on your cosmetic and skin care items that tells you how long your products are safe to use after you’ve opened to them. Beauty products don’t last forever unfortunately!
Expired beauty products can compromise skin, which overtime may lead to skin irritation, eye infections and breakouts. Lookout for the ‘jar icon’ known as the PAO [ Period After Opening] symbol. It will also feature a number in its center, usually 6, 12, 18 or 24 indicating how many months the product will stay in tip top shape for you to use. Do not confuse PAO with the expiry date as the expiry date shows the shelf life of a product in its unopened state if it is stored under the recommended storage condition in its original packaging.
Top Tips:
*Use a Sharpie to write the date of opening on your product, time goes quicker than you think!
*If a product comes in a jar or pot, use a cotton bud or a spatula to scoop it out instead of your fingers.
*If something tingles or stings but never used to, wipe it straight off and bin it.
*If the color has changed, bin it, especially with vitamin-based serums which have a tendency to go brownish.
*If something smells off, looks gunky or the texture has changed significantly, throw it out it’s better to be safe than sorry.
