Shelf
The life of an opened jar
Mark what is open and since when: the shelf works out the date each product stays good until and shows what is due for replacing. The period after opening is filled in from the product type; if the pack shows a different symbol, enter that one.
The shelf is stored only in this browser; nothing goes to the server. In another browser, or after you clear the site’s data, it is empty.
On the shelf
Symbols on the pack
An open jar with a number and the letter M is the period after opening (Period After Opening): “12M” means 12 months. In the EU this symbol is required if the product keeps for more than 30 months.
If the shelf life is 30 months or less, the pack shows the date until which the product is good instead of the symbol, often next to an hourglass.
Hourglass
The date until which the product is good in its unopened pack.
Batch number
Letters and numbers after LOT or Batch: the manufacturer uses them to trace the batch. Useful for a complaint.
EAC
The mark of conformity with EAEU technical regulations: the product has gone through declaration or registration.
Square code
The DataMatrix marking code on perfume (since 2020) and cosmetics (since 2025) in Russia. The Chestny ZNAK app (Russia’s mandatory product marking) shows the manufacturer and the expiry date.
Usual periods
A guide for when there is no symbol on the pack. The manufacturer’s symbol comes first.
| Product type | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mascara | 3M | The FDA advises replacing mascara after 2–4 months: bacteria are most dangerous near the eyes. |
| Liquid eyeliner | 3M | As with mascara: eye products have the shortest life. |
| Eye or lip pencil | 12M | Sharpening removes the top layer, so a pencil lasts longer than liquid products. |
| Sunscreen | 12M | UV filters break down over time, and faster in the heat. |
| Cream in a jar | 6M | Fingers and air get into a jar, so its life is usually shorter than a tube’s. |
| Cream in a tube or pump | 12M | Less contact with air and hands. |
| Serum | 6M | Especially with vitamin C: it oxidises and darkens. |
| Foundation | 12M | Liquid lasts less than powder: microbes find it easier in water. |
| Lipstick and lip balm | 12M | They touch the mouth; you can smell it when they go rancid. |
| Powder, eyeshadow, blush | 24M | Dry textures last longer: microbes grow poorly in them. |
| Shampoo and conditioner | 12M | The bathroom is warm and damp: keep the cap closed. |
| Perfume | 36M | Light and heat spoil a scent faster than time does. |
| Nail polish | 12M | It thickens and separates; that is when it is time. |
| Other | 12M | Check the open-jar symbol on the pack. |
The periods are common PAO values on packs of these types, plus FDA advice for eye products; they are a guide, not a rule. In the US, the law does not require an expiry date on cosmetics; in the EU it does (a symbol or a date).
Time to part ways if…
- the smell has changed: rancid, sour or simply different
- the emulsion has separated or the texture has changed: grains, lumps, water on top
- the colour has darkened or turned yellow, especially in vitamin C serums
- the mascara has dried out and crumbles
- a product that used to suit your skin now makes it sting or turn red
- the period after opening is over, even if everything looks fine
Eye products are yours alone
Mascara, eyeliner and eye pencils are not shared; in a shop, testers are tried with a disposable applicator. After an eye infection, the FDA advises throwing away the cosmetics used during the illness.
No water, no saliva
If mascara dries out, it is not thinned with water or saliva: they carry microbes into the tube, and the preservative is already weakened.
Clean brushes
Brushes are washed every 7–10 days and sponges after every use (AAD): bacteria and fungi live in dirty brushes.
Cool and shaded
Heat and sun break down UV filters, vitamins and scents: cream does not belong in the car or on a windowsill.