Hair care: how to know if it is expired?

Like food products, cosmetics have a limited period of use. The difference between the two is that unlike the ingredients that are consumed, on which a expiration date is clearly indicated, as far as most of the beauty productsonly a small pictogram is there. It is easy to spot, because it is a small open pot, decked out with a number and the letter “M”. This is called the Period After Opening (or PAO for short). This indicates how long the product can be kept after opening and under normal storage conditions: three, six, twelve or even eighteen months, it depends on the type of treatment concerned.

How long to store hair products?

We all have an old shampoo bottle or a bottle of lacquer at the back of a closet. Should they be thrown away immediately? It depends. The good news is that hair care has a relatively long PAO. But it also depends on whether you have opened the product or not! A product that has never been used can also expire, and this date is different from the After Opening Period. On some products, it is also possible to see a kind of small hourglass. This symbol indicates the date of minimum durability of a product, i.e. the time to keeping quality after manufacture. This mention is not mandatory if it exceeds thirty months, which is why it is still rarely seen on the packs.

But then, how do we know if our hair products are still good to use or expired? Knowing the lifespan of a cosmetic is not enough. The answer is simple, you have to use common sense and check the aspect of the treatment, which will give you good clues about its condition. In general, from the moment the texture, color or smell has changed, it is not a good sign and it is better to throw the product away.

Note that some liquid and colored skincare products sometimes have a two-phase texture that creates a deposit, which is not necessarily a sign of degradation. But the manufacturer, aware that this may be questionable, often specifies in the instructions for use that this does not affect the quality of the product and that it is sufficient to mix it before use.

Hair care: we do the sorting!

How to recognize expired cosmetics? Here are the unmistakable signs.

• Expired shampoos, conditioners and masks

If their texture becomes milky, curd or on the contrary more liquid, changes color or mold appears, it is high time to get rid of it! Using an expired product is not the right way to make your shampoo last longer.

• Old fashioned hair oils

They keep for a relatively long time, provided they are preserved away from light and heat. Their only risk: rancid and therefore develop a foul smell that will make you want to use them on your lengths if this is the case!

• Serums good for trash cans

Discard them if you notice any kind of deposit at the bottom of the container or the ingredients appear as different phases in the bottle.

Expired hair care, what is the danger?

Using long-expired hair products can cause intense allergic reactions, especially in the most sensitive people. We have already listed cases of itching, irritation more or less extended and even burns that can sometimes cause hair loss.

Hair care: avoid too many store

Lots galore, tempting sales, Black friday… From now on, there is no shortage of offers that allow you to do good business in style. So that if we do not keep reason, we can quickly tend to accumulate products without realizing it. And no matter how often you take care of your hair, stocks don’t run out as quickly as you think. Also, be careful at do not crack too often on attractive offers (remember there always will be) and take a good look at what you have at home before you buy.

Please note, good to know: organic care and shampoos always keep for a shorter time than their counterparts in conventional cosmetics, because the use of preservatives is much more regulated.