How to check the expiry date on beauty products

Work through the pack in this order. Most products answer the question at step 1 or 2; the batch code is for the ones that don't.

1. Look for a printed date

In the EU, a cosmetic that is expected to last 30 months or less has to show a date of minimum durability: the words “best used before the end of” or a small hourglass symbol, followed by the month and year, or the day, month and year, in that order (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 19).

In the US, no law or regulation requires cosmetics to carry an expiration date. The FDA treats working out a product's shelf life as the manufacturer's job (FDA). The exception is sunscreen, which is regulated as a drug in the US; the FDA says a sunscreen without an expiration date should be treated as expired three years after purchase (FDA).

2. Find the open-jar symbol

Under the same EU rule, a product expected to last more than 30 months doesn't need a printed date. It shows the period after opening instead: an open jar with a number of months, such as 12M. Single-use products, products that don't open and products not at risk of deterioration can skip it. Our cosmetics expiration tracker page explains how to read the symbol, so we won't repeat it here.

3. Find the batch code

If you found neither, or you want to know how long an unopened product has been sitting in a drawer, the batch code is your next clue. The next section covers where to find it and what it can tell you.

4. Work out the date that applies

You usually end up with one of two calculations:

  • Unopened: the manufacture date plus the brand's unopened shelf life.
  • Opened: the day you opened it plus the months in the open-jar symbol.

If a product has both a printed date and an open-jar symbol, use whichever date comes first.

What the batch code is, and what it isn't

EU law requires every cosmetic to carry “the batch number of manufacture or the reference for identifying the cosmetic product”. It should be on both the container and the outer packaging; only when the product is too small may it appear on the packaging alone (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 19). So if you've thrown the box away, check the tube or bottle itself.

Where to look:

  • The crimp of a tube, where it may be embossed into the plastic rather than printed.
  • The base of a bottle, jar or compact.
  • Under the lid or on the side of the carton, near any date.

It is a short code, and it is not the barcode. The barcode is the same on every unit of a product and holds a product number, not a date; our guide on checking an expiration date with a barcode explains why.

Can you get a manufacture date from a batch code?

Yes, but usually only the brand can read it reliably. Each brand uses its own internal format, and none of the brand pages we checked for this guide explains how to decode it. L'Oréal Paris says its product code contains information on when the product was made and suggests calling the manufacturer's helpline if you can't remember when you bought it (L'Oréal Paris).

What brands say about shelf life

Once you know when something was made, you need the brand's figure for how long it lasts unopened. Here is what three brands people often ask about publish officially.

The Ordinary

The Ordinary prints an expiry date on only a few products, naming NIOD CAIL 1% and its sun protection products. Everything else has a shelf life of three years unopened, stored at room temperature; after opening you follow the open-jar symbol (The Ordinary). The FAQ doesn't explain how to find The Ordinary manufacturing date from the code on the pack, so ask their customer service with the batch code.

L'Oréal Paris

L'Oréal Paris says a product kept unopened and stored correctly can stay in the drawer for 36 months (L'Oréal Paris). For a L'Oréal expiry date on something you've had a while, that 36 months plus the manufacture date from their helpline gives you the answer.

Clarins and other brands

We couldn't find an official public statement from Clarins on shelf life or batch codes. For a Clarins batch code, or any brand not listed here, the reliable route is to ask the brand directly.

Are cosmetic batch code checker sites reliable?

Search for a cosmetic expiration date checker and you'll find websites that turn a batch code into a manufacture date. They are not run by the brands. Since the brands above don't explain their formats publicly, these sites work from patterns, and a pattern can change without notice. Treat the result as an estimate, not a fact, and confirm it with the brand if it matters, for example before using an old tube near your eyes.

How to ask the brand

  1. Find the contact form, email or helpline on the brand's official website.
  2. Give the full product name and size.
  3. Copy the batch code exactly, and attach a clear photo of it if you can.
  4. Ask two questions: when was this batch made, and how long does it last unopened?

In the EU, the label must also show the name and address of the product's “responsible person” (Article 19), so the pack itself tells you who to contact.

Signs a product is past its best

Dates are a guide; storage matters too. The FDA warns that heat, such as a hot car, can make preservatives break down and let bacteria and fungi grow faster. It also advises against adding water or saliva to a product, and against sharing makeup (FDA).

Mascara needs the most care: the FDA says manufacturers usually recommend throwing it away two to four months after purchase, because every use exposes it to bacteria and fungi. L'Oréal Paris notes that products past their date may simply work less well: perfumes can smell stale and creams can harden.

Keep track once you know the date

Working out the date takes a few minutes. Remembering it a year later is the hard part. Xpiry is an expiry date tracker for Android with a cosmetics module: enter the date you worked out once, and when you open the product, mark it as opened and set the use-within period from the jar. Xpiry tracks whichever date comes first and reminds you before it arrives.

Scanning the barcode adds the product fast, and a photo tells similar tubes apart. Xpiry doesn't read dates from barcodes or batch codes; you type or pick the date once, and it does the remembering.

Get Xpiry on Google Play →

FAQ

How do I check the expiration date on makeup?

Look for a printed date or hourglass symbol first, then the open-jar symbol. If there is neither, find the batch code and ask the brand when it was made and how long it lasts unopened.

Is the batch code the expiry date?

No. It identifies the production batch. The brand can link it to a manufacture date, but you still need their shelf-life figure to get an expiry date.

How long does skincare last unopened?

It depends on the brand and product. The Ordinary gives three years at room temperature for most products, L'Oréal Paris 36 months. In the EU, a product that needs no printed date should be one the maker expects to last more than 30 months.

Does sunscreen expire?

Yes. In the US sunscreen is regulated as a drug and should carry an expiration date. If it doesn't, the FDA says to treat it as expired three years after purchase.

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