Cosmetics & Toiletries Expiry Guide

When organizing a bathroom or vanity, the answer on how long to keep products isn't always straightforward. Many personal care products continue to perform well beyond the date we expect, while others, particularly products used around the eyes, should be replaced much sooner for hygiene and safety. Rather than keeping everything indefinitely or replacing products unnecessarily, I recommend considering three things: expiry guidance, how the product has been stored, and whether its quality has noticeably changed.

Start With the Packaging

Many cosmetics include either an expiration date or a Period After Opening (PAO) symbol.

The PAO symbol looks like a small open jar with a number inside, for example 12M or 24M. The number indicates how many months the product is intended to remain at its best after it has been opened. If you're opening a product you don't use regularly, it can be helpful to write the opening date discreetly on the container with a fine permanent marker.

General Shelf-Life Guide

Products generally last longer when they're stored in a cool, dry place with lids securely closed. Heat, humidity, direct sunlight, and repeated exposure to air can all shorten their usable life. Bathrooms, while convenient, are often one of the more challenging environments because of constant temperature and humidity changes.

These timelines are intended as practical guidelines rather than strict rules.

Makeup

• Concealer: 1 year

• Cream blush: 1 year

• Eyeliner (liquid): 3 months

• Eyeliner pencil: 2 years

• Eyeshadow: 1 year

• Foundation: 1 year

• Lip balm: 1–5 years

• Lip gloss: 1 year

• Lipstick: 2 years

• Mascara: 3 months

• Nail polish: 1 year

• Powder blush: 2 years

Body Care & Toiletries

• Bar soap: 18 months–3 years

• Bath oil: 1 year

• Body lotion: 2 years

• Body wash: 3 years

• Deodorant: 1–2 years

• Disposable razors: Replace after 5–7 shaves

• Eye cream: 1 year

• Face cream: 2 years

• Hair gel: 2–3 years

• Hair spray: 2–3 years

• Loofah: 6 months

• Makeup sponge: 1 month

• Mouthwash: Approximately 3 years from manufacture

• Nail polish remover: Indefinite

• Perfume: 1–2 years

• Shampoo & conditioner: 2–3 years

• Shaving cream: 2 years

• Sunscreen: 3 years

• Toothbrush: Replace every 3 months

• Tooth-whitening strips: Approximately 13 months

• Medications: Always follow the manufacturer's expiry date

Change in Quality

Even if a product falls within its recommended shelf life, trust your senses. If it has separated, changed colour, developed an unusual texture, or no longer smells as it should, it's usually time to replace it.

An organized bathroom isn't simply about reducing what you own, it's about keeping products that are effective, enjoyable to use, and ready when you need them.

A carefully edited collection is almost always easier to maintain than shelves filled with products that have lingered well beyond their useful life.