How Long Do Beauty Products Last? Shelf Life and Storage Guide

Every cosmetic sold in Europe carries a small open-jar symbol with a number: 6M, 12M, 24M. That is the period after opening — how long the formula stays stable and safe once air and skin bacteria reach it. Ignoring it is how people end up with eye infections and ineffective sunscreen.

Realistic Replacement Intervals

• Mascara and liquid eyeliner: 3 months. Non-negotiable.
• Liquid foundation and concealer: 6-12 months; pump bottles last longer than open-neck ones.
• Powders, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow: 2 years. Clean the surface and keep brushes clean.
• Lipstick: 1-2 years. Liquid lipstick, closer to 1.
• Serums with vitamin C: 3-6 months; discard when it turns dark orange.
• Retinol: 6-12 months, kept away from light.
• Moisturiser in a jar: 6-12 months — jars get contaminated by fingers; use a spatula.
• Sunscreen: to the expiry date, and only one season if it lived in a hot car or on a beach.
• Perfume: 3-5 years unopened in its box; less if kept in a bright bathroom.

Signs to Throw It Out

A changed smell, separation that will not re-mix, a colour shift, grittiness, or stinging on application. Sunscreen that has separated has lost its even filter distribution and no longer protects reliably.

Storage That Extends Life

Keep products out of the bathroom if you can — heat and steam degrade actives faster than time does. Close lids tightly, keep vitamin C and retinol in opaque packaging, and never leave makeup in a car. A cool, dark drawer is worth more than any preservative.

Hygiene

Wash brushes weekly and sponges after every few uses; both hold bacteria and oil that shorten the life of your foundation. Never share eye and lip products, and never add water to a drying-out mascara — you are adding an ideal growth medium.