How do they justify 'shelf life unopened'?

[backstreetgirl]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but when they have beauty products on and the BA says (sometimes quite proudly) "the shelf life is 3 years unopened...." how on earth does this work for us, the consumers? They may have had the product on their shelves for, say, 2 years, we then get just 1 year shelf life, or even less of course if they've had it on the shelves for longer!

Of course some product may display an expiry date or manufacture date, but looking at my stash this morning, none of them have any kind of date on!

 

[merryone]

I don't know about you, or anybody else, I've never really considered the shelf life of cosmetics. If I find that a mascara has dried out I'll bin it, an eyeshadow that has hardened up can usually be given a helping hand with the other end of the brush to loosen it. As for face creams, again I've never considered shelf life and if by chance it's gone a bit funny in whatever way, again I'll chuck it. To be honest I've only ever had problems with perfumes, I have had a few that have turned but other beauty stuff I've been lucky with. Suncream is an exception and is usually marked with a date as the efficacy can be compromised, so always best to keep an eye on dates there.
I understand your question though, 'cause it's all very well them saying it's ok unopened for 3 years, but unless we know how long it's been knocking around beforehand then it means nothing. If this comment is to be of any use, then they should clearly show the date of manufacture and a best before date - Pretty pointless otherwise. Just another selling point I guess, with them believing people will think "Wow, I don't really need this right now, but at that price I might as well buy".

 

[Dramaqueen64]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but when they have beauty products on and the BA says (sometimes quite proudly) "the shelf life is 3 years unopened...." how on earth does this work for us, the consumers? They may have had the product on their shelves for, say, 2 years, we then get just 1 year shelf life, or even less of course if they've had it on the shelves for longer!

Of course some product may display an expiry date or manufacture date, but looking at my stash this morning, none of them have any kind of date on!

I recently purchased the molton brown festive handwash and lotion ,the handwash was fine ,manufactured sept 2021,but the lotion was manufactured August 2018 ! Sent back ,got refund ,I check all my cosmetic purchases on checkcosmetic.net ,this gives you the date of manufacture and tells you how much shelf life is left on a product ,does most brands eg Elemis , molton brown,coty ( that's for philosophy)

 

[boffy]

The very best way to keep on track is not to have a stash but for me thats very unlikely. If something does not look or smell right I bin it but thats very very rare that I have ever done that.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Wasn’t there a website where you could put in a code on the bottle which told you when it was manufactured?

 

[Bettyboo]

I only buy a product when I need it I don’t stash stuff that has no sell by/use by date. I do think it’s time the cosmetics industry started telling the truth about this and put dates on everhing.

 

[backstreetgirl]

Wasn’t there a website where you could put in a code on the bottle which told you when it was manufactured?

Oh is there? I don't know where that is

 

[Dramaqueen64]

Wasn’t there a website where you could put in a code on the bottle which told you when it was manufactured?

Yes there is ,that's what I use check osmetic.net or another one called check fresh ,that's how I discovered my MB hand lotion was over 3 years old !

 

[amn]

Oh is there? I don't know where that is

See post #3 in this thread.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

See post #3 in this thread.

Sorry- I’m fairly sure that post wasn’t there when I posted.

 

[boffy]

I have never even looked at when things run out. I suppose there must a a preferred use by date but its not food so as long as it looks ok and smells ok I will continue to use it. I try not to have huge stashes and if its looking like I have lots of items to use I will double cleanse and double moisturise and slather stuff on my neck and upper chest until its all gone.

 

[donna255]

Yes, I go by smell and texture of creams and liquid products.

This was a thing that the EU brought in some years back this century, they wanted all beauty products to have a use by date. Now some big companies just did not want to do this. Hence instead of a proper use by date such as 05.12.21 we get the 3/6/12/18/24 months thing. Then of course the BA will say the date starts once you actually open to start using.

I use mascara until it dries up, so far never had an eye infection from using. Powder products will last for years ignoring the supposed use by date. Hell, they have found powder Kohl in Egyptian tombs which is still useable. You get these articles in the pressure usually from department stores re enforcing the use by dates to get you to throw stuff out and buy it again. I have a pot of foundation which I bought back in 2018 from Debenhams the brand was leaving the store and all their products when on sale. It so far has never separated smells the same as when I bought it. Lovely foundation which was over £80 and I got for I believe under £20. I used it as good using other foundation for every day, and I am coming towards the end of it.

 

[Breeze]

Same here, Donna. I just go by the smell & the look of the thing. You can easily tell if something has gone rancid. If it’s just you using a product it’s unlikely you’re going to catch anything nasty. I’ve had some things, especially powder products, for years. Some brands of lipstick do turn rancid faster than others I’ve found & it isn’t always the expensive brands that last longest.

 

[AndiK]

Yes, I go by smell and texture of creams and liquid products.

This was a thing that the EU brought in some years back this century, they wanted all beauty products to have a use by date. Now some big companies just did not want to do this. Hence instead of a proper use by date such as 05.12.21 we get the 3/6/12/18/24 months thing. Then of course the BA will say the date starts once you actually open to start using.

I use mascara until it dries up, so far never had an eye infection from using. Powder products will last for years ignoring the supposed use by date. Hell, they have found powder Kohl in Egyptian tombs which is still useable. You get these articles in the pressure usually from department stores re enforcing the use by dates to get you to throw stuff out and buy it again. I have a pot of foundation which I bought back in 2018 from Debenhams the brand was leaving the store and all their products when on sale. It so far has never separated smells the same as when I bought it. Lovely foundation which was over £80 and I got for I believe under £20. I used it as good using other foundation for every day, and I am coming towards the end of it.

Same here, Donna. I just go by the smell & the look of the thing. You can easily tell if something has gone rancid. If it’s just you using a product it’s unlikely you’re going to catch anything nasty. I’ve had some things, especially powder products, for years. Some brands of lipstick do turn rancid faster than others I’ve found & it isn’t always the expensive brands that last longest.

I’m glad I’m not the only one that goes by smell, look and whether it affects me. I have had some things years. I threw a face palette away recently (mostly used to be fair) but only because I started having irritated, watery eyes and when I used something else, the problem went away. It was ancient though! Lipsticks, as you say, Breeze, have a tendency to go bad and taste like candle wax or stale cooking fat so I do chuck those now and then.

 

[backstreetgirl]

Out of curiosity, I've been checking some dates on things I bought recently but strangely, of the various websites I've been checking brands on - something to do as I'm bored today lol - Gatineau isn't in any of their lists of manufacturers. I wonder why this is? Anyone any ideas?

 

[Dramaqueen64]

Out of curiosity, I've been checking some dates on things I bought recently but strangely, of the various websites I've been checking brands on - something to do as I'm bored today lol - Gatineau isn't in any of their lists of manufacturers. I wonder why this is? Anyone any ideas?

Gatineau were owned by Revlon till July 2021,try putting the code in under Revlon ,hope this helps !

 

[Ballerina]

I am the same, if it smells okay and hasn't seperated or gone funky then I use it. The only real exception for me is sun cream in case the efficacy of the product may be compromised. A lot of this replace the mascara crap is just to make us spend more. The first time you use a mascara, you contaminate it, so like Donna says, I use it until it is dry or it runs out. I got sucked into buying that promotion for a set of 3 benefit mascaras about 6 months ago. The first one was fine but when I came to open the second about a month ago, it was dry as a bone. Opened the last one and it was also dried out. I was pi$$ed about it because I think they were just shifting old stock. Too late to returm the faulty ones, so I paid about £40, with the postage for one bloomin' mascara. I don't call that value, so I won't be doing that in future, lesson learned! xx

 

[myamoo]

I’ve always gone by smell and texture. I was a beauty therapist many, many years ago and we didn’t have ‘use within’ dates then. I’ve got powder eyeshadows that are well over 10 years old that I still use (I do have alot) and I’ve never had an eye infection. I have loads of OPI nail polish and some of those are also over 10 years old and are still useable.

 

[backstreetgirl]

Gatineau were owned by Revlon till July 2021,try putting the code in under Revlon ,hope this helps !

Thank you for that, yes it worked, although the codes are impossible to read on the products as the numbers/letters are the same colour as the glass! I did find the Cleanser though and it said shelf life 6 years!

 

[donna255]

Yes, sun cream is something to be very careful about. One year for that.