You may think it is easy to tell when your beauty products have gone off by simply looking at the expiry date, but this isn’t always the case. Beauty products can go off if they aren’t kept in the right environment, so looking at the expiry date doesn’t tell you the exact condition of the product. Here are some tips on how to assess some of your main cosmetic products without relying on an expiry date alone.

Sunblock

Wearing sunscreen on a daily basis is important, we don’t need to remind you of this. It protects your skin from harmful UV rays that can cause skin cancer, it also helps to protect your skin and prevent aging.

You won’t go through a bottle of sunscreen that quickly, so it will be lying around your house for a long period. Cosmetic companies who specialise in sun cream production (รับ ผลิต ครีม in Thai) will tell you that it usually lasts for approximately 2 years before needing to be replaced. If you live in a cold climate where the sun only emerges for a short period, you may have your sunscreen for many seasons. Although they have a long shelf life, if you leave them in the sun, it can cause the compounds which protect your skin to break down faster.

The easiest way to assess your sunscreen is to look at the cream, if it has started to smell or change colour, you may need a new batch. If the cream has separated, it’s a sure sign its gone bad.

Shampoo

Shampoo is one of the products you don’t have to worry about, it can last for a number of years before going bad. That said, if left in the wrong environment for a long period, you may need to discard the bottle and purchase a new one.

If you’ve left the bottle in a warm environment and you haven’t put the lid on, it may start to smell funny. If you think it has lost its scent or texture, you should replace the product with a new one. Shampoo can easily get diluted with shower water or mildew, causing it to go bad.

Cleansers & Soaps

If you’ve decided to change to body soaps instead of using shower gel, you’ll notice that it last for a lot longer. Both options can last for many months, whichever you choose to cleanse your body, you won’t have to replace them that often.

If you’ve been given a lot of cleansing products for Christmas or your birthday, make sure to keep them sealed so they last longer. If the colour, smell or texture changes or starts to look different, it usually means they’ve gone bad. If the product separates, you’ll need to replace it.

Don’t simply rely on the expiration date to know whether your beauty products have gone off. Although they last for many years, if they are kept in the a very hot environment or they’ve been diluted with other substances, they can deteriorate and weaken. The best way to tell is by utilising your 5 senses to assess the product.