Makeup expiry chart: how long products last once opened
What the FDA, eye doctors and dermatology guides say about mascara, foundation, lipstick, powders and more. The PAO symbol or date on your own product always comes first.
Makeup expiry chart: general guidance after opening
From velvetpetalia.beauty/makeup-expiry-chart/. The PAO symbol or date on your own product comes first.
General guidance in months after opening. The band spans the figures our sources give; the dot is the cautious figure. Your product's own PAO or date comes first.
Product, and what each source says
Replace within
Range across sources (months)
Eyes
Mascara
FDA: 2–4 months after purchase, the makers' usual advice
AAO: 3 months for all eye makeup
BSW Health: 4–6 months
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months
Throw it out once it dries; never thin it with water or saliva (FDA).
3 months sources: 2–6 months
Liquid or gel eyeliner
AAO: 3 months for all eye makeup
BSW Health: 3–6 months for eyeliner
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months for liquid liner
3 months sources: 3–6 months
Eyeliner pencil
AAO: 3 months for all eye makeup
Cleveland Clinic: 1–2 years for pencil liners
3 months sources: 3 months to 2 years
Cream or liquid eyeshadow
AAO: 3 months for all eye makeup
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months to 1 year for liquid eyeshadow
3 months sources: 3 months to 1 year
Powder eyeshadow
AAO: 3 months for all eye makeup
Cleveland Clinic: 1–2 years for powdered eyeshadow
3 months sources: 3 months to 2 years
Face
Liquid or cream foundation
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months for liquid foundation
BSW Health: 1 year for foundation
6 months sources: 6 months to 1 year
Powder foundation
BSW Health: 12–18 months for powder products
Cleveland Clinic: 1–2 years for powdered foundation
12 months sources: 1–2 years
Liquid concealer
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months for liquid concealer
BSW Health: 1 year for concealer
6 months sources: 6 months to 1 year
Setting powder
BSW Health: 12–18 months for powder products
12 months sources: 12–18 months
Cream blush, bronzer or highlighter
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months for cream blush
BSW Health: 6 months to 1 year for cream products
6 months sources: 6 months to 1 year
Powder blush, bronzer or highlighter
BSW Health: 12–18 months for powder products
Cleveland Clinic: 1–2 years for powdered blush
12 months sources: 1–2 years
Makeup with SPF
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months
If the pack has a printed expiry date, that applies too; whichever comes first wins.
6 months sources: 6 months
Lips
Lipstick
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months
BSW Health: 8 months to 1 year
6 months sources: 6 months to 1 year
Lip gloss or liquid lipstick
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months for lip gloss
BSW Health: 12–18 months for lip gloss
6 months sources: 6–18 months
Lip balm
Cleveland Clinic: 6 months
After a cold sore, Cleveland Clinic advises starting fresh with lip products.
6 months sources: 6 months
Skincare & sun
Sunscreen
FDA: a drug in the US, so it must carry an expiration date
AAD: the FDA requires at least 3 years at original strength; write the purchase date on a bottle with no date
Go by the printed expiry date. Leave it out of hot cars and direct sun (AAD).
Printed date
Use the expiry date on the pack
Vitamin C serum
Cleveland Clinic: about 6 months before it starts to lose effectiveness
Light inactivates vitamin C, so an opaque pack helps (Cleveland Clinic).
6 months sources: 6 months
Moisturiser or face cream
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Other serum
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Cleanser or toner
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Hair & body
Hair care
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Body care
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Fragrance
Perfume or fragrance
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Nails
Nail polish
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Tools & other
Brush, sponge or tool
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
Other
No general figure: follow the pack
Use the PAO symbol or date on the pack
No product type matches. Try a shorter word, or pick All categories.
Range across sourcesCautious figure
How to read the chart
Each row is a type of product. Replace within is the cautious figure: the shortest period our sources give for it. For anything worn on the eyes that is three months, the American Academy of Ophthalmology's advice for all eye makeup. The band shows how far the sources' figures stretch, and under each name you can read what every source says, so you can weigh them yourself.
All periods count from the day you open the product. The one exception is the FDA's mascara figure, which makers count from purchase. "No general figure" means none of our sources gives one, so the pack is your only guide.
To use the checker, pick the product type and the day you opened it. Add the PAO from the pack if there is one. You get the cautious date, the earliest and latest dates the sources allow, and a link that copies the product into the PAO tracker.
Worked example: a liquid foundation opened on 1 March 2026 reaches its cautious date on 1 September 2026 (6 months), and the longest figure in the sources is 1 March 2027 (1 year). If its pack shows 12M, follow the pack, but bin it sooner if it separates or smells different.
Why do figures differ? Formulas, packaging and caution vary: a pump keeps fingers out, a pot does not. These are rules of thumb, not test results for your product.
The symbols on the pack
Open jar + number: the period after opening, in months (M). Used in the EU on products that keep for more than 30 months unopened.
Hourglass + date: "best used before the end of" that date. Required in the EU on products that keep for 30 months or less.
Both come from Article 19 and Annex VII of the EU Cosmetics Regulation. In the US, the FDA explains that no law or regulation requires cosmetics to carry an expiry date or a set shelf life. Sunscreens and acne treatments are regulated as drugs, though, and do carry expiry dates.
Signs a product has gone off
Whatever the date says, these mean it is time to let it go.
A new smell
Sour, unpleasant or sharply chemical. Cleveland Clinic's dermatologist says such a product should be replaced, and the FDA notes heat, light and air can make products smell.
Separating or drying out
Creams and liquid foundations are emulsions of water and oil that can separate; others dry out, harden or crack (FDA). Clumpy powder and gritty eyeliner are other warnings.
Changed colour
Foundation that looks darker, faded or orange has oxidised (Cleveland Clinic). The FDA lists colour changes among the effects of heat, sunlight and air.
Stops working
Flaking mascara or blush that will not blend. Dried-out mascara goes in the bin: never add water or saliva to revive it, which adds bacteria (FDA).
Your skin reacts
New breakouts, a rash or irritation after using something you have used happily before. Stop using it and, if it does not settle, see a doctor or pharmacist.
An eye infection
The AAO advises throwing out all your eye makeup and wearing none until the infection has gone; the FDA says to talk to a health care provider. This is not medical advice.
Keeping products fresh for longer
Keep them cool. Heat can make preservatives break down and lets bacteria and fungi grow faster, so not in a hot car (FDA).
Close lids and keep applicators clean. Clean brushes and sponges at least weekly (Cleveland Clinic).
Don't share makeup, especially eye makeup (FDA, AAO).
Test with a fresh applicator. Store testers get contaminated easily; a new cotton swab helps (FDA), and the AAO says avoiding store samples is safest.
Buying from shops you don't know
The FDA advises caution with cosmetics from flea markets and online resellers, which may be past their date, used, diluted, tampered with or counterfeit. Check that the box is sealed and the batch code and dates are printed, not stickered over.
Sources
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Shelf Life and Expiration Dating of Cosmetics, content current as of 25 Feb 2022. Mascara two to four months after purchase; no US expiry-date requirement for cosmetics; drugs such as sunscreen carry expiry dates; storage, sharing, testers and resellers.
American Academy of Ophthalmology, How To Use Cosmetics Safely Around Your Eyes, reviewed by Rebecca J. Taylor, MD. Throw away eye makeup after three months; after an eye infection, throw out all eye makeup.
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, When Does Your Makeup Expire?, 15 Jan 2026, with dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD. Periods for liquid and powder products, lip products and makeup with SPF; signs of spoilage.
American Academy of Dermatology, Sunscreen FAQs, updated 11 Feb 2025. Sunscreens keep their original strength for at least three years; write the purchase date on a bottle with no date.
Why do sources give different times for the same product?
Because they are rules of thumb for whole categories, not test results for one formula. Packaging matters too: a pump or tube keeps fingers out, an open pot does not. Some sources also lean more cautious than others. The chart shows every figure and its source, and suggests the shortest.
Is the three-month mascara rule real?
Roughly, yes. The FDA says makers usually recommend replacing mascara two to four months after purchase, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology says to throw away eye makeup after three months. Two health-system guides allow four to six months. The FDA explains that every use exposes mascara to bacteria and fungi.
Can powder eyeshadow really be kept for years?
Sources disagree. Cleveland Clinic gives one to two years for powdered eyeshadow, while the American Academy of Ophthalmology advises three months for all eye makeup. The chart shows both and suggests three months; if your palette carries a longer PAO, the maker's own figure applies, as long as it shows none of the signs of spoilage.
Does unopened makeup expire?
Eventually. In the EU, anything that keeps for 30 months or less must show a "best before the end of" date or the hourglass symbol. Products without a date are expected to keep for longer than that unopened. Store spares somewhere cool and dark, and check any printed date before you open them.
What should I do with makeup I used during an eye infection?
Throw it out. The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises tossing all your eye makeup and wearing none until the infection has gone, and the FDA says to stop using eye-area cosmetics and see a health care provider. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
How long does sunscreen last?
Go by the expiry date on the pack. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that the FDA requires sunscreens to keep their original strength for at least three years, and suggests writing the purchase date on any bottle without a date. Bin it if the colour or consistency changes.