Most opened skincare lasts 6 to 12 months. Sunscreen and medicated acne treatments are different: they're drugs, so use them until the printed expiration date and no longer. Check the package for that date or an open-jar symbol like "12M" first, and throw out anything that has changed smell, color, or texture regardless of what the label says.
Is it a cosmetic or a drug? Check first#
This one distinction decides which rule you follow. In the US, a plain moisturizer, cleanser, or serum is a cosmetic, and the FDA's guidance on cosmetic shelf life says no law requires cosmetics to carry an expiration date. Sunscreens and acne treatments are drugs. Drugs have to be stability tested and carry an expiration date on the label.
The quick way to tell: if the package has a "Drug Facts" box listing active ingredients, like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or zinc oxide, it's a drug. Follow its expiration date. If it's a prescription, like a tretinoin cream, use the pharmacy label. The medication expiration guide covers what to do with those once they're out of date.
Everything else is a cosmetic, and you're working from a period-after-opening symbol, a best-before date, or your own judgment.
How to read the dates on skincare packaging#
Look for a small open-jar icon with a number and the letter M. "6M" means six months after you first open it, "12M" means twelve. It's required in the UK and EU for products that keep for more than 30 months; UK guidance on the cosmetics regulation says products that could deteriorate sooner than that need a "best before" date instead, sometimes shown as a small hourglass. US-only brands may have neither.
If a product has both an expiration date and an open-jar symbol, whichever runs out first wins. A cream opened two months before its printed date is done on that date, even if the jar says 12M.
None of this helps unless you know when you opened it. Write the month on the bottom with a permanent marker the day you break the seal. Keep the box for anything with active ingredients; the storage instructions are often on the outer box, not the tube.
How long skincare lasts after opening#
| Product |
Replace after opening |
Watch for |
| Cleanser |
12 months |
Smell change, separation, a dirty pump |
| Moisturizer in a pump or tube |
12 months |
Separation, sour or rancid smell |
| Moisturizer in a jar |
6 to 12 months |
Same, plus anything growing on the surface |
| Water-based serum |
6 to 12 months |
Cloudiness, color change |
| Vitamin C serum |
3 to 6 months, or when it darkens |
Turning from pale to orange or brown |
| Facial oil |
6 to 12 months |
A crayon-like or paint-like smell |
| Toner or essence |
12 months |
Cloudiness, floating bits |
| Eye cream |
6 to 12 months |
Any change at all, since it goes near your eyes |
| Acne treatment (OTC) |
Printed expiration date |
Separation, damaged tube |
| Prescription skincare |
Pharmacy label |
Follow your prescriber |
| Sunscreen |
Printed date, or 3 years from purchase if undated |
Separation, heat damage |
These ranges are our defaults when the package gives you nothing. The label beats the table every time.
Why some products turn faster#
Two things wreck a formula: air and fingers.
Vitamin C, in its most common form (L-ascorbic acid), oxidizes on contact with air and light. You can see it happen: the serum goes from nearly clear to yellow, then orange, then brown. Once it has darkened noticeably, replace it. Buy small bottles, keep the cap on tight, and store it out of the light.
Oils go rancid. A facial oil that used to smell faintly of plants and now smells like old crayons or paint has oxidized, and it's going in the bin.
Jars are the other weak point. Every time you dip a finger in, you add whatever was on your finger. Pumps and airless bottles keep the product sealed until it comes out, so the same cream in a pump usually lasts longer than it does in a jar. Wash your hands before using a jar, or use a small clean spatula.
Signs your skincare has gone bad#
- The smell has changed. Sour, rancid, or just "off" compared with when it was new.
- It has separated and won't mix back together, unless the label says "shake well" and it does mix back.
- The color has shifted, beyond what's normal for that product.
- The texture has gone lumpy, watery, grainy, or stringy.
- You can see spots, fuzz, or bits floating in it.
- The pump is broken or the seal is cracked, so you're now scooping product out through an open hole.
Compare the product against itself when new, not against a photo online. Some vitamin C serums start out faintly yellow, and clay masks always dry around the rim.
If something suddenly burns, stings, swells, or brings out a rash, stop using it. The FDA's advice on using cosmetics safely is to call your healthcare provider about the reaction and to report it to the FDA. Trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat is an emergency.
Does unopened skincare expire?#
Yes. Sealed products last longer, but preservatives still break down over time, and heat speeds that up. Old backups stashed in a warm cupboard for years are worth checking carefully before you open them. Finish what's open before you open the next one, and don't buy three of anything just because it's on sale.
Where to store skincare#
Somewhere dry and away from sunlight, with the lids closed tight. A steamy bathroom shelf next to the shower isn't great for open jars, and a hot car is worse. The FDA's eye cosmetic safety page advises against storing cosmetics above 85 degrees F, because heat breaks down preservatives.
A fridge isn't necessary for most products. Use one only if the label says so.
Don't add water to a thick cream to stretch it, and don't decant products into unlabeled travel pots for long-term use. You lose the expiration date, the ingredient list, and the directions.
A simple skincare shelf routine#
Every three months, check your active products (vitamin C, acne treatments, anything near the eyes) and sniff anything that's been open a while. Twice a year, go through the whole shelf. A recurring ChoreLists.com reminder with a note of what you opened and when takes the guesswork out of it.
Do your makeup expiration check at the same time, but don't copy a lipstick timeline onto a moisturizer. Sunscreen has its own rules, covered in when to replace your sunscreen.