Do Skin Care Products Expire?

A common question that many patients ask is, “Do skin care products expire?” The answer is, yes, skin care products do have an expiration date. Most products are tested for a two-year shelf life when unopened. However, opened skin care products can expire before this, since factors like exposure to heat, light, and bacteria can shorten their shelf life.

From my experience as a dermatologist, below are my recommendations about when certain types of skin care products expire and when it might be time to throw them out and replace them to maximize efficacy. 

While all skin care products will eventually lose efficacy over time, certain types of products can go bad faster than others. Some of the products to keep a close eye on include lotions, sunscreen, retinol, vitamin C, and other anti-aging ingredients.

People are often surprised to learn that body creams, body butters, and lotions do expire. Moisturizers in a jar will go bad faster than those in a pump container because the bacteria on your hands transfers into the product every time you dip your fingers in. Wash your hands before using any creams in a jar or apply them after bathing to decrease entry of bacteria into the jar.

I recommend trying to use up moisturizers in a jar within two months of opening for this reason.

Store lotions and moisturizers in a cool, dry place so that yeast and molds do not grow. Additionally, the fatty acids in moisturizers can go rancid over time. So even if a moisturizer is unopened, I recommend throwing it out after two years. Keeping unopened moisturizers in your refrigerator may help to prolong their shelf life.

Need to replace your moisturizer? Here are a few of our favorites for dry skin types:

The active SPF ingredients in sunscreen expire and can quickly break down when exposed to heat and direct sunlight. So once you open sunscreen, you need to use it within six months to ensure its effectiveness – even if this is sooner than the expiration date listed on the bottle. Note that chemical sunscreens expire faster than physical sunscreens, so they typically need to be replaced sooner if unused.

To help prolong the shelf life of SPF products, always store them in a cool, dry place out of the sun. Never keep sunscreen in a hot car or beach bag for prolonged periods of time.

I personally like to replace my sunscreens every winter and summer so I know they have maximum effectiveness.

Cleansers tend to last fairly long as long as you do not keep them in a hot, damp shower. Although it’s less convenient, it’s best to store cleansers and other skin care products in an area that won’t be affected by shower steam to prolong their shelf life and efficacy.

Retinol is an active ingredient that can quickly break down and become ineffective, especially if stored somewhere hot or near sunlight. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend replacing retinol products within two months after opening them. I dispose of any unopened retinol after a year.  For this reason- don't stock up on retinol unless you plan to keep it in the refrigerator.

Vitamin C is another fairly unstable ingredient that can quickly break down and lose its efficacy. I recommend replacing vitamin C serums within four weeks after opening or if you notice that it is turning brown in color.

Advanced anti-aging ingredients like exosomes and growth factor products should be used as quickly as possible once opened – ideally within two months of opening to maximize their effectiveness. The following antiaging ingredients have a tendency to degrade- so use this as quickly as you can and do not stock up on them unless you plan to store them in a refrigerator:

• Exosomes
• Growth factors
• Peptides

While all active ingredients in skin care will eventually break down and become less effective with time, certain factors can accelerate this process, rendering them ineffective even before their expiration dates.

• Heat. High temperatures can cause some ingredients to go bad more quickly. Always store products in a cool area, ideally somewhere other than your bathroom to avoid steam from the shower. Never store sunscreens and other products in your car, which can reach very high temperatures.

• Moisture. Damp, humid environments can promote the growth of bacteria and can cause some ingredients to spoil more quickly. This is another reason why skin care products shouldn’t be stored in the shower.

• Light. Exposure to sunlight can also cause some active ingredients to break down more quickly. Store skin care products indoors and away from windows to avoid this.

• Bacteria. Products that are kept in jars and require you to dip your fingers into them can go bad more quickly than products kept in pump-style containers because your fingers introduce bacteria to the entire jar. It can help to wash your hands before using these types of products.

The first step in determining if a skin care product is expired or not is to check the expiration date, which is typically printed on the packaging or the bottom of the container. Some products use a symbol of an open jar with a number inside (such as “12M”), indicating how many months the product is good for after opening.

In addition to the date, other signs that a product might have gone bad include:

• Changes in color

• Changes in texture or consistency, such as separation, clumping, or thickening

• An off or sour smell

• Visible mold or discolored patches

If you notice any of the above changes to your skin care products, get rid of them and replace them with new ones.

Yes, skin care products expire; but the longevity of a particular product will depend on its active ingredients and how it is packaged and stored. It’s important to pay attention to expiration dates and get rid of old products to make sure your skin care routine is effective.

1. Baumann L. Antiaging Ingredients in Ch. 37 of Baumann's Cosmetic Dermatology Ed 3. (McGraw Hill 2022)
2. Baumann, L. Cosmeceuticals and cosmetic Ingredients (McGraw Hill 2015)
3. Dolas, A. S., & Gotmare, S. R. (2023). Antioxidant study of skin creams after expiry date by using HPLC. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences, 14(1), 7-10.
4. Wang, Y. (2023). Understanding consumer perceptions of expiry dates for cosmetics.
5. Lim, A. C., & Freeman, S. (2003). Allergic contact dermatitis to an expired moisturiser. Australasian journal of dermatology, 44(4), 291-294.