Should you use shampoo or conditioner that is over a year old?

[Crazylazy34]

Do you think it is safe to use shampoo and conditioner that is over a year old and what are your opinions on using it.

[lapushka]

Last year I used Nivea shampoo that was 10+ years old. If the consistency is fine, and the smell is fine, it is OK to use, provided you aren't allergic to anything, so patch test inside your wrist if you're worried. :)

I had no issues. I constantly this year am using things that are at least 5 year old, without problems.

[Doreen]

Unless it smells off or has changed texture, I think it's fine to use. I have some conditoner from 2005 that is still good and I still use it when my hair needs something extra heavy. In my experience when products go bad it is very obvious; they develop a rancid smell and if it's conditioner it may have separated. Even if you never smelled the product when it was new, I think it is still easy to recognize the bad, almost metallic smell.

[Zesty]

Yeah, a year is nothing for most products. "Natural" stuff might be more in danger of going bad, but as lapushka and Doreen have said, it will smell funny or separate if it's bad.

[Doreen]

Good point Zesty. The products I use are all very coney/synthetic. I doubt an all-natural product from 2005 would be anywhere near usable...

[lapushka]

I had an Urtekram no perfume conditioner from 2008, I believe (best before 2008, so 10 years old), used it up - was still OK. It is "slightly" more natural than say Pantene or Herbal Essences, and it lasted the course. I discovered it in the back of my cupboard, poor lonesome bottle. LOL!

OTOH, I have had shampoo go bad before its "due date" (turned to a snot-like consistency), which was the Lavera shampoo. Never again bought that brand. That was totally unacceptable to me.

[Maple]

I'd say you could give it a try if it still looks good and smells ok / normal. I have lots of older stuff since I tend to buy more than I can use up in time :rolleyes: and most things stay good much longer than it's said on the label.

[lapushka]

Yes, definitely give it a go. You'd be surprised at how long things like this keep.

And if it's iffy, then you can use it up in a handsoap container. That's what I do with shampoos that I can't use up for any odd reason. I always try to use them up, though! :)

[MusicalSpoons]

I should hope over a year old is okay to use, otherwise my stash is pointless :grin:

In my experience, even most of the products that claim to be 'natural' are far from it, especially larger/more widely distributed brands, and have stabilisers/preservatives that derive from plant sources so they can legitimately claim to be 'plant-based'. On the other hand, actually fairly natural products from smaller producers, especially the handmade ones, do have a shelf-life of the length of time they say (usually ~6 months) because they don't have long-lasting preservatives. You can usually trust your senses re: smell and consistency :) if you know your ingredients enough to see that a list doesn't include preservatives, that also helps you know whether you need to use it up at the time you buy it or if you can keep it for later.

[lapushka]

I should hope over a year old is okay to use, otherwise my stash is pointless :grin:

In my experience, even most of the products that claim to be 'natural' are far from it, especially larger/more widely distributed brands, and have stabilisers/preservatives that derive from plant sources so they can legitimately claim to be 'plant-based'. On the other hand, actually fairly natural products from smaller producers, especially the handmade ones, do have a shelf-life of the length of time they say (usually ~6 months) because they don't have long-lasting preservatives. You can usually trust your senses re: smell and consistency :) if you know your ingredients enough to see that a list doesn't include preservatives, that also helps you know whether you need to use it up at the time you buy it or if you can keep it for later.

Couldn't agree more.

If you have a slight stash, I recommend you putting the oldest bottles (most recently purchased) to the back of the cupboard, so you use it up in some form or order. I mostly have my stash organized like that. Sometimes there's a bottle that gets lost in there, but for the most part, it's fine.

[Carolyn]

There is a distinct odor when a product is older. I've used some conditioners with that odd smell. The color and texture of the products looked OK so I went ahead and used them. The only problem for me was sometimes I could smell the product after my hair dried. I have stuff in my stash that is over 10 years old. FWIW I have never seen an expiration date on any make up or hair products. I'm very casual about expiration dates on food too. If it smells OK, looks OK, and doesn't have green fur growing on it, it's OK.

[MusicalSpoons]

Couldn't agree more.

If you have a slight stash, I recommend you putting the oldest bottles (most recently purchased) to the back of the cupboard, so you use it up in some form or order. I mostly have my stash organized like that. Sometimes there's a bottle that gets lost in there, but for the most part, it's fine.

Thanks, yes I do this now I actually have a stash (with food as well!)



There is a distinct odor when a product is older. I've used some conditioners with that odd smell. The color and texture of the products looked OK so I went ahead and used them. The only problem for me was sometimes I could smell the product after my hair dried. I have stuff in my stash that is over 10 years old. FWIW I have never seen an expiration date on any make up or hair products. I'm very casual about expiration dates on food too. If it smells OK, looks OK, and doesn't have green fur growing on it, it's OK.

I'm actually a bit less lax on food expiration dates, particularly meat since learning the science behind it and having bouts of dodgy digestion. If fresh meat is more than 2 days past its date I won't eat it, even if it looks and smells okay, and the same for processed fresh foods (ready meals). Though for things that say 'best before' I again just go with my senses - you can taste if chocolate is too old, and see if a vegetable is mouldy, for example :grin:

Most toiletries and makeup over here have a shelf-life once opened, and it's somewhere on the container as a symbol of an opened jar with a number to say how many months. Saying that, I've not *noticed* it on shampoo/conditioner :hmm: I'll look next time I wash.

[Joules]

I personally wouldn't use anything *old*. God knows what kind of chemical reactions have been going in there. I'm ok with expired makeup powders, because well, it's dry powder, but anything liquid or creamy goes straight into the trash bin the moment the expiration date passes.

It doesn't mean I throw stuff away, I just like to control the amount of things I buy and use. I might impulsively get a couple of extra bottles of shampoo or conditioner, but in general my stash isn't huge, I usually buy new products only when I need it. To be fair though, I use up things quite quickly (except for leave-ins, but I don't buy extra leave-ins for this exact reason, I just don't want to waste anything).

[Dark40]

I agree with lapushka. If it still smells good then you shouldn't have any issues. I use stuff that is 10 or 20 years old. I'm using up some stuff as we speak. I would definitely give it a go!

[Jo Ann]

I'm currently using up a bottle of baby oil from the 1970's...no problems yet!

One of my conditioners was purchased 15 years ago and it's still good.

[MusicalSpoons]

I'm currently using up a bottle of baby oil from the 1970's...no problems yet!

One of my conditioners was purchased 15 years ago and it's still good.

Do we have a trophy emoji? Because I think you win this thread! :thud: that's very impressive!

Nope, can't find a trophy - have a crown and some chocolate instead! :king: :chocolate:

[Jo Ann]

I'll settle for :cheese: , MusicalSpoons! :p

[nycelle]

I don't use anything that contains water past expiration dates.

For you guys that are using products 10-15 years old, I'd be concerned what ingredient(s) it contains that's keeping it from spoiling. Wouldn't want anything that strong touching my head.

[lapushka]

Do we have a trophy emoji? Because I think you win this thread! :thud: that's very impressive!

Nope, can't find a trophy - have a crown and some chocolate instead! :king: :chocolate:

Yay, you go girl! :happydance:

I also don't care about the dates. You have to judge it by smell/consistency.

Things with parabens (with other preservatives that haven't been tested as profoundly) might not keep as long, though. I'm unsure on that.

[MusicalSpoons]

Most toiletries and makeup over here have a shelf-life once opened, and it's somewhere on the container as a symbol of an opened jar with a number to say how many months. Saying that, I've not *noticed* it on shampoo/conditioner :hmm: I'll look next time I wash.


Update: every conventional hair/toiletry product I've checked so far does have a symbol for shelf-life once opened, and batch/lot numbers, but no expiration dates on things like cleansers and hair products. Toothpaste and floss do have expiration dates though. Just in case anybody cared enough to want to know :laugh:

[Joules]

Update: every conventional hair/toiletry product I've checked so far does have a symbol for shelf-life once opened, and batch/lot numbers, but no expiration dates on things like cleansers and hair products. Toothpaste and floss do have expiration dates though. Just in case anybody cared enough to want to know :laugh:

I guess different countries have different policies on expiration dates. Every single product I own has one, even nail polishes, and nail polishes are proven to be basically immortal. Things that don't expire, like cotton buds or toothbrushes, have either date of manufacturing or something like "unlimited shelf life" written on the packaging.

[lapushka]

Update: every conventional hair/toiletry product I've checked so far does have a symbol for shelf-life once opened, and batch/lot numbers, but no expiration dates on things like cleansers and hair products. Toothpaste and floss do have expiration dates though. Just in case anybody cared enough to want to know :laugh:

You don't want to know how old my stockpile of toothpaste is - and I still use it. I read somewhere it can keep for up to 2 years after the expiry date.

[MusicalSpoons]

You don't want to know how old my stockpile of toothpaste is - and I still use it. I read somewhere it can keep for up to 2 years after the expiry date.

Here we have 'Best before' dates and 'expiry/use by' dates; both are based on scientific analysis but the difference is one of safety. The best before dates are recommendations, and usually a kind of guarantee that the product will taste/function as intended up until that point. E.g. biscuits, after the best before date might be stale or whatever. Expiry dates are an indication of how long the product will be safe. Sometimes they're very conservative - e.g. I've always found yoghurt to be absolutely fine for some months after the date; other times they should be followed e.g. how long the nitrogen in the packaging for meat will inhibit bacterial growth. (Tbh I don't know enough about the science behind the dates on toothpaste/floss/etc to make an informed decision about that though. I have found in the past that older toothpaste has become a lot thicker in consistency and was difficult to use, so since then I've not kept too much of a stash anyway :shrug: ) I guess hair products and similar toiletries are designed to be stable until they're opened and oxygen enters the container, which is where the shelf-life comes in.

[desisparkles]

a year doesn't sound old to me. If it looks, smells and feels good I would!

[lapushka]

Here we have 'Best before' dates and 'expiry/use by' dates; both are based on scientific analysis but the difference is one of safety. The best before dates are recommendations, and usually a kind of guarantee that the product will taste/function as intended up until that point. E.g. biscuits, after the best before date might be stale or whatever. Expiry dates are an indication of how long the product will be safe. Sometimes they're very conservative - e.g. I've always found yoghurt to be absolutely fine for some months after the date; other times they should be followed e.g. how long the nitrogen in the packaging for meat will inhibit bacterial growth. (Tbh I don't know enough about the science behind the dates on toothpaste/floss/etc to make an informed decision about that though. I have found in the past that older toothpaste has become a lot thicker in consistency and was difficult to use, so since then I've not kept too much of a stash anyway :shrug: ) I guess hair products and similar toiletries are designed to be stable until they're opened and oxygen enters the container, which is where the shelf-life comes in.

My toothpaste is sealed, and that helps keep it "fresh", it hasn't changed consistency at all. As opposed to toothpaste whose tubes weren't sealed off in the past.

[StylishConfetti]

It would never have occurred to me that floss expires, which means mine probably has, since I bought it, then started using a different kind, and am now back on the old. I definitely use my contact lenses longer than the "2 weeks" I'm supposed to...like WAY longer...I don't throw out a contact lens until it tears! So expired hair products are no big deal to me...though I don't stock up, I just buy one thing at a time, so my stuff doesn't usually expire before I'm through with it. (Unlike my contacts...)

[Arciela]

I've used shampoo and conditioner that's long expired and it was okay :)

[lapushka]

It takes a darn while for shampoo or conditioner to go bad. Not talking about the newer stuff without parabens or so, but the older stuff, boy, that holds on like no other!

[Garnetgem]

If it smells fine and not changed in constituency then am sure its safe,i have a conditioner that's 25 yrs old it looks and smells fine but am yet to be brave enough to use it but i am going to give it a try sometime soon,my mum used a shampoo that is 15 years old a few months back she was fine,her hair turned out very nice i was quite impressed!

i have many old shampoos only once did one change to a watery runny goo with an odd colour,one out a huge stash in not bad really,so one over a year old is fine i would have no problem of using it,in my mind a year old shampoo is seen as new...

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Honestly I think it has a lot to do with exposure to air.
If a product really hasn’t been opened I always feel that the expire date on the back (12 months) (24 months) etc
Is based on after opening.. I mean there’s no actual date date. So how can anyone really know?
That bottle of shampoo could have been sitting in a warehouse for 6 months before being put out on the sales floor.. we don’t know. And at that point it’s almost 1/4 the way there to it’s doom.
As long as it sits and doesn’t get opened, isn’t exposed to air or water, then it’s shelf life is very much extended.
Keeping things in a dark, cool, dry place keeps stuff nice and good. Even better if it’s got a seal.
But that’s how I see it - I’ve used products older than 2 years old no problems.
I always check the smell, consistency and color though because you never know!
I would not dare touch something 10 years old though.. I don’t think I would ever use a product so little that it could get that old though lol