Here are some general rules while determining the expiry of your products (Source: Pixabay)We end up stocking tonnes of skincare products for our various skin concerns. But, like everything else, they come with an expiry date, too. However, is the expiry date the only marker for you to determine if your beloved serum or moisture has gone bad, or is there more? According to an expert, while the expiry date imprinted on the wrapper is one of the most crucial determinants of the shelf life of skincare products, it’s not the only one.
In a recent Instagram post, dermatologist Dr Gurveen Waraich said, “It’s not that simple with skincare. One way to check is the period after opening. Unfortunately, mostly it’s written on the box so once you toss it, it’s gone. Most of the time, we don’t even remember when we opened our products.”
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As such, look for the following three changes to understand if it’s time to throw away your skincare product.
*Colour: If your product has turned yellowish or brownish yellow, it has, most probably, oxidised, the dermatologist explained. “Throw it!”
*Consistency: If your product feels grainy, lumpy, too runny or it has separated, this indicates that it has gone bad.
*Smell: The expert said, “If it smells funny or rotten, toss it.”
She also shared some general rules while determining the expiry of your products. “Anything that’s oil-based will last longer than water-based products. Finish off preservative-free products within six months. Anything in an open jar will definitely expire sooner.”
Though the specifics vary a lot from product to product, here are the shelf lives of some common products, according to Dr Waraich.
*Vitamin C: 3-4 months
*Moisturisers: 1 year
*Other actives (AHAs, BHAs, Retinols): 8-10 months
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