Do Skin Care Products Expire?

It’s that time of the year, Spring cleaning is here! Your skincare cabinet is probably full of half empty products that you never got around to finishing. By now, you might have lost track of how long they have been sitting there. The downside of having the best skincare products? All beauty products expire. do skin care products expire, shelf life of cosmetics, do unopened skin care products expire, does skincare expire

What Happens If I Use Expired Skincare?

Expired products may seem harmless but applying old skincare can actually do more damage than good. Not only do old products lack potency, but they can start decomposing. Once a product starts to go bad, the chemicals will start separating and bacteria begins accumulating. The bacteria is not always visible to the naked eye which therefore may cause irritation, rashes, and breakouts to the skin. 

How To Tell if Your Skincare Has Gone Bad?

The general rule of thumb is that unopened products have a shelf life of approximately two years. So, imagine the life span of an opened product. Many products carry a PAO symbol, which refers to 'Period-After-Opening', that indicates the lifetime expectancy of a product after it has been opened. If the product does not carry a PAO symbol, we recommend you use your best judgement to toss out any old products. Here are the following signs of expired products: bad smell, product separation, texture change, color change, or mold spots. natural vs synthetic skincare, does skin care expire, do skin products expire, how to check if skincare is expired

Natural vs. Synthetic Preservatives

It’s an outdated misconception that natural skincare products can’t compete with their synthetic counterparts. Synthetic chemicals are used to cheapen production costs and extend shelf life, not improve product efficacy. Unlike other commercial skincare brands, we use natural preservatives that are derived from botanicals to provide a strong shelf life for our products. Natural preservatives are safe and effective alternatives to synthetic preservatives such as parabens. 

Best Practices to Maintain Shelf Life

• Wash hands before touching your skincare.
  To prevent contaminating your products, it is highly recommended to apply skincare using sanitized hands or a clean spoon/device to scoop the product.

• Proper ventilation in the bathroom.
  Fluctuating temperatures of where your products are generally stored can impact the potency and effectiveness of your products. Keep your beauty products stored at room temperature.
  
  
• Store away from direct sunlight.
  Skincare contains ingredients that require cool, dry temperatures, especially with natural products. Make sure to avoid high temperatures as natural ingredients, like food, will go bad if not stored properly.
  
  
• Keep them refrigerated, if necessary.
  If you plan on not using a product for at least a month, keep it refrigerated. If you plan to use it occasionally, do not refrigerate as this will fluctuate temperatures for natural preservatives.

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