Free checker · no signup
Does your skincare still work?
Pick the product type, tell it when you opened it, and get a verdict from standard period-after-opening windows — still good, use it up, or time to toss.
CostFree
TimeUnder 1 min
SignupNone
DataNothing stored
Product type
When did you open it?
The science
How skincare products actually expire
01
Every product carries a period-after-opening (PAO) — the open-jar symbol with a number like 6M or 12M — which is the manufacturer’s tested window for how long the formula stays stable and adequately preserved once air and fingers get in. This checker maps standard PAO ranges for 14 product types against when you opened yours.
02
Products fail in three ways. Actives degrade: vitamin C oxidizes (yellow → orange → brown is the visible timeline), retinol breaks down with light and air, and sunscreen filters lose efficacy — the failure you cannot see and the one with real consequences. Preservative systems deplete, letting microbes grow, fastest in jars and water-based formulas near the eyes. And emulsions physically separate or go rancid, which your nose catches before any date does.
03
Packaging shifts the window meaningfully: airless pumps and opaque tubes preserve actives far longer than open jars, which is why the same moisturizer formula gets more months as a pump. When in doubt, senses beat dates — changed smell, color, or texture means done regardless of the calculator.
Making products last their full window
Storage is half of shelf life: heat and light are the accelerants, so the bathroom windowsill is the worst spot in the house and a drawer is the best. Pumps and tubes beat jars for anything with actives — every jar dip introduces air and skin flora. Vitamin C wants dark glass, cool storage, and small sizes you finish fast; retinoids want opaque airless packaging by design. The fridge helps water-based products and is pleasant for eye products, but is unnecessary theater for most creams. And the habit that beats all storage: write the opening month on the base in marker — the PAO clock only works if you know when it started.
FAQ
Common questions
Can I use expired sunscreen?+
Do not rely on it. Filters degrade with time and heat, so an expired SPF 50 may protect like an SPF 15 while looking and feeling identical. Sunscreen is the one category to replace strictly on schedule — 12 months open, or the printed expiry, whichever comes first.
How do I know if my vitamin C serum has oxidized?+
Color. Fresh L-ascorbic acid is clear to champagne; yellow means partly oxidized, orange-brown means done. Oxidized vitamin C is not dangerous but delivers little benefit — and dark bottles hide the change, so pour a drop out to check.
What does the 12M jar symbol mean?+
Period after opening: the product is tested to stay stable and preserved for 12 months after first opening. Note it is a freshness window, not a countdown you can pause — once open, oxidation and contamination begin.
Can expired skincare damage your skin?+
Two real risks: contaminated water-based products (irritation, breakouts, rarely infection — the mascara rule exists for eyes) and degraded sunscreen silently under-protecting. Oxidized antioxidants are merely useless. Sort by risk, not squeamishness.
Does unopened skincare expire?+
Slower — sealed products keep 2–3 years from manufacture (check for a stamped expiry). PAO clocks start at first opening; a sealed backup bought on sale is a fine strategy for everything except vitamin C.